
Avv. Chiara Padovani
FOUNDER
Personal Data
Born in Milan on 29 July 1972
Resident in Milan, with professional domicile in Milan, viale Bianca Maria no. 13.
Professional contacts: +39-02-87243674 – +39-3357511999
Studies, Training and Professional Activity
Degree in Law at the University of Milan, with a dissertation in Criminal Law (110/110). She is admitted before the Milan Bar Association, and she passed her Bar examination with final score 350/350.
She is admitted before the Italian and European Supreme Courts. She attended the “Primo Corso della Scuola Nazionale di Alta Formazione per l’avvocato penalista”, organized by the Union of the Italian Criminal Chambers (Unione delle Camere Penali Italiane) in 2011-2012.
She developed her professional experience at a prestigious Milan Law Firm, specialized in: white-collar crimes, medical and professional criminal liability, H&S criminal law, crimes related to media, international criminal law and corporate liability pursuant to Legislative Decree no. 231/2001.
Since November 2007, she is the owner of Studio Legale Padovani, with offices in Milan and Genoa, and whose professionals (senior and junior associates) are also research fellows and teach in the most important Italian universities. Chiara Padovani Law Firm provides assistance in all sectors of business criminal law, with particular reference to corporate crimes, cyber-crimes, tax and bankruptcy crimes, environmental and food crimes, crimes against Public Administration, corruption, offences against individual freedom (so-called “caporalato”, also as regards related preventive measures), injuries at work, crimes related to product liability and the medical sector, to corporate liability pursuant to Legislative Decree no. 231/2001 and International Compliance Systems.
During her intense judicial activity, she attended several trials, considered as leading cases, with national and international relevance, facing the above-mentioned criminal matters, as well as further ones, also with specific reference to international corruption.
Within her extra-judicial activity, she has contributed to the realization, for different, listed and not listed, companies the Organizational Control and Management Model aimed at preventing crimes, according to transparency, efficiency, segregation of liabilities and controls provided by Legislative Decree no. 231/2001.
For more than 15 years, she covers the role of member and president of Supervisory Boards (ODV) as provided by Legislative Decree no. 231/2001 of corporate groups leaders in their own sectors (industrial, IT, environmental, food and commercial, e-commerce, fashion, luxury, multi-utility entities listed in the Italian and foreign market with also public participation).
In addition, she attended trials, in English and French, before the foreign judicial authorities of Aix en Provence, Nice, London, Lugano and Malta, being able to dive-deep on the foreign criminal justice systems, of civil and common law together with procedural profiles related to EPPO.
Part of her extrajudicial activity is focused on the criminal profiles of corporate crisis, and on the operative and methodological support in building the Organizational Control and Management Model provided by Legislative Decree no. 231/2001 and the International Compliance Systems.
Her business languages are Italian, English, French and Spanish.
Scientific Projects and Institutional Assignment
Member of the “Consulta Parti Interessate” of Sapienza-Unitelma University of Rome (Faculty of Law);
Member of the European Criminal Bar Association;
Founding Partner and Member of the Organizational and Directive Committee of Festival Giustizia Penale Onlus;
Member of Italy Innocence Project, affiliated to the US Innocence Network, committed, pro bono, into the overturning of wrongful convictions;
Professional Partner 24ORE Avvocati since 2022.
Teaching activities and publications
Professor (2023-2024) for the Advanced training course of the University of Brescia “Criminal procedural law: defensive investigations”;
Professor (since 2015) for the Advanced training course of the University of Milan (Faculty of Law): “The criminal liability of collective entities pursuant to Legislative Decree 231/2001”;
Professor (since 2019) for the Advance training course of Istituto Milanese di Psicologia Giuridica: “The psychiatric expertise in criminal trials”;
Professor (2016-2017) for the Advanced training course of the University of Brescia “Criminal procedural law: precautionary measures”;
Professor (2014-2016) for the Advanced training course of the University of Brescia “Criminal procedural law: relations with foreign judicial authorities”;
Professor (2013-2014) for the Advanced training course of the University of Brescia “Criminal Procedure Law: Scientific Evidence”.
She authored several scientific articles published in collectanea volumes and law journals, as well as a monograph “Le lesioni colpose” (Maggioli Editore, 2009).
Here’s a short selection:
“Modelli 231 e rischio biologico nella stagione post-pandemica” (coautore Luca Lupària Donati), in Rivista Responsabilità Sanitaria Rischio Clinico e Valore della Persona, n.1/ottobre 2022;
“Compliance 231. Modelli organizzativi e OdV tra prassi applicative ed esperienze di settore”, volume collettaneo a cura di L. Lupària – G. Vaciago (author of the following chapters: Il settore Multi-Utility di servizi di pubblica utilità, Il settore del Fashion and Le possibili risposte dei Sistemi 231 alla pandemia per Covid-19), II ed., IlSole24Ore, 2022;
“Legge 231 a tutela del patrimonio culturale”, in Le Fonti Legal, Speciale Compliance 231, 2022;
“Non luogo a procedere senza ragionevole previsione di condanna”, in Le Fonti Legal, Speciale Penalisti La nuova Giustizia, 2021;
“Il ruolo dell’Intelligenza Artificiale nel Sistema di Compliance”, in Le Fonti Legal, Speciale 231, n. 64, ottobre 2021;
“Modelli 231 Scudo Anti-Covid”, in Le Fonti Legal, n. 53, ottobre 2020;
“Whistleblowing: inserimento di nuove tutele per i dipendenti. Un punto di svolta per le aziende e gli operatori del diritto”, in Le Fonti Legal, febbraio 2018 (Editore Le Fonti);
“Consob e self-incrimination: quando si genera il contrasto”, in Le Fonti Legal, settembre 2018.
National and International Awards
Chambers Europe Awards 2024 – White Collar Crime
Leaders League 2023-2024 – White Collar Crime Best Law Firm
Leaders League 2022-2023 – White Collar Crime Best Law Firm
TopLegal 2023 – among Italy’s top lawyers in corporate criminal law
Le Fonti Awards 2020 – Avvocato dell’Anno, Boutique di Eccellenza dell’Anno – Diritto Penale
Libro d’oro – Le eccellenza italiane del Diritto Penale, pubblicato con il sole24ore – 2019
Le Fonti Awards 2019 – Boutique di Eccellenza dell’Anno – Diritto Penale
Le Fonti Awards 2018 – Boutique di Eccellenza dell’Anno – Diritto Penale
Le Fonti Awards 2017 – Avvocato dell’anno – Criminal Law – Italia
Iare Awards London 2016 – Boutique of Excellence of the Year – Corporate Criminal Law
Le Fonti Awards 2016 – Boutique di Eccellenza dell’Anno – Diritto Penale Societario
She was a speaker in several conferences and seminars, among which (as a short list):
- “Whistleblowing, responsabilità di impresa e sistema di controlli“, conference organized within the framework of Festival Giustizia Penale, Modena, 19 May 2023;
- “Applicazione dell’Intelligenza Artificiale nel processo penale”, moderator at the webinar conference organized by the Milan Bar Association, 13 July 2022;
- “La Procura Europea (EPPO): struttura, ambito di intervento nel sistema nazionale e prime riflessioni sulla sua operatività”, speaker at the webinar conference organized by Camera Penale di Milano, 24 March 2022;
- “Vittime, Genocidio e Giustizia Penale. L’eredità del processo Eichmann”, speaker at the conference organized by UnitelmaSapienza Università degli Studi di Roma, 22 February 2022;
- “Responsabilità penale da posizione e realtà economiche complesse: nuove prospettive interpretative e applicative”, webinar organized by the Milan Bar Association and Scuola Forense di Milano, 20 October 2021;
- “L’OdV nella giurisprudenza penale. Un bilancio sul suo ruolo a 20 anni dall’istituzione alla luce dei casi recenti”, webinar oganized by AODV 231, 8 July 2021;
- “20 anni di Decreto 231: prassi, disillusioni e prospettive”, webinar organized by “Commissione 231” of Camera Penale di Roma, 31 May 2021;
- “La nuova formazione degli uffici legali”, round table on LeFontiTV, 2021;
- “La giustizia penale di fronte al dramma dell’amianto”, conference organised within the framework of Festival Giustizia Penale, Modena, May 2021;
- “Il Modello 231 tra evoluzione e innovazione”, round table on LeFontiTV, 2021;
- “Vent’anni di 231”, round table on LeFontiTV, 2021;
- “Organismo di Vigilanza: l’attività in tempo di Pandemia”, round table on LeFontiTv, 2021;
- “Donne e lavoro”, interview during the conference “Maratona Donne e lavoro”, organized by LeFontiTv, March 2021;
- “Conflitto di interessi: una policy ad hoc nei Modelli 231”, round table on LeFontiTV, January 2021;
- “La rilevanza del risk management nella gestione d’impresa”, conference on LeFontiTV, 2021;
- “Modelli 231 nell’era post Covid”, interview on Le FontiTv, October 2021;
- “Compliance e Sistema 231 in tempo di Covid-19”, webinar organized by Il Sole 24 Ore and 4cLegal, 25 June 2020;
- “I nuovi profili di rischio per l’impresa dopo il Covid-19”, round table on Le FontiTV, 11 June 2020;
- “lgs. 231/2001: problematiche di prevenzione, compliance e sicurezza sul lavoro in tempo di pandemia”, webinar organized by the Milan Bar Asociation and Scuola Forense di Milano, 27 May 2020;
- “ L’errore giudizio e il coraggio della verità”, presentation of R. Danovi’s essay) in the framework of the conference organized by the Milan Bar Association, 8 November 2019;
- Festival della Giustizia Penale (1st edition), Modena, 13-14 e 15 June 2019, round table with Mark Godsey presenting the volume “Blind Injustice: a Former Prosecutor Exposes the Psychology and Politics of Wrongful Convictions”;
- Festival della Giustizia Penale (1st edition), Modena, 13-14 e 15 June 2019, curator of historical sources, scriptwriter and director of the mise en scène of the mock trial “Alfred Dreyfus”;
- “I Modelli Organizzativi exlgs. 231/2001: novità ed aspetti problematici”, conference organized by the Turin Bar Association, 25 September 2018;
- “Nuovo reato di corruzione privata e Convenzione del Consiglio d’Europa contro la corruzione”, round table organized by Le Fonti and coordinated by the editor of the monthlies World Excellence and Legal, Milan, 8 February 2017;
- “La nuova normativa sul testimone vulnerabile: un nuovo limite all’oralità del processo penale?”, conference organized by Camera Penale di Milano and Consiglio dell’ordine degli Avvocati di Milano, Milan, 26 April 2016;
- “Governance e responsabilità di amministratori e sindaci: risvolti penali, il D.lgs. 231/2001 anche per le PMI”, conference “Focus società di capitali non quotate”, organized by Fondazione dei Dottori Commercialisti di Milano (Scuola di Alta Formazione Luigi Martino), 24 September 2015;
- “La casistica giurisprudenziale in materia di corruzione, reati societari e riciclaggio: dal patteggiamento alle imputazioni a carico delle persone fisiche e dell’ente”, conference on “Verifiche sul modello organizzativo e sull’attività dell’OdV – indagini interne, indagini giudiziarie, casistica giurisprudenziale”, organized by Synergia Formazione, Milan, 20 November 2014;
- “Focuslgs. 231/01 Indagini Giudiziarie, Modelli Organizzativi, OdV”, conference organized by Synergia Formazione, Milan, 10-11 June 2014;
- “Focus società di capitali non quotate: i gruppi societari”, conference “Percorsi di diritto societario. I vantaggi compensativi nei gruppi societari: esempi pratici”, organized by Fondazione dei Dottori Commercialisti di Milano, 26 November 2013;
- “Vantaggi compensativi nei gruppi societari. Governance, bilancio e riflessi penali”, conference on “Percorsi di diritto societario. I vantaggi compensativi nei gruppi societari” organized by Fondazione dei Dottori Commercialisti e degli Esperti Contabili di Milano, 15 November 2012;
- “Le nuove frontiere del danno da prodotto”, conference “Responsabilità penale da prodotto difettoso. Casi giurisprudenziali e rilevanza ai sensi del D.lgs. n. 231/2001” organized by Fondazione Forense dell’Ordine degli Avvocati di Milano, 24 February 2011;
- “Nuovi reati-presupposto ed aggiornamento dei modelli organizzativi: la sicurezza sul lavoro e i reati informatici”, speech as part of the Study Day on “Rischio penale d’impresa e responsabilità societarie” at European School of Economics, Milan, 28 May 2010;
- “I gruppi di imprese ed il diritto penale societario”, speech at the conference “I gruppi societari” organized by Fondazione dei Dottori Commercialisti e degli Esperti Contabili di Milano, 17 November 2010;
- “La fenomenologia del danno da prodotto: la nuova sfida del diritto penale”, speech at the conference “Danno da prodotto e rischio penale d’impresa”, 22 December 2009;
- Teaching day on bankruptcy crimes held within the framework of the post-graduate Master’s degree course ‘Diritto dell’economia’ (economic law) organised by Il Sole 24ore for the year 2007.
