Federica Restivo is an Associate at the Barcelona office of Giambrone & Partners – International Law Firm.
She has been dual-qualified since July 2023 as an Avvocato (Palermo Bar) and, since January 2024, as an EU lawyer (ICAB – Barcelona Bar Association). In addition to her native Italian, Federica is fluent in English and Spanish.
Education
Federica graduated in Law from the University of Palermo, where she defended a dissertation in International Economic Law, obtaining the highest grade of 110/110 with honours and academic distinction.
She went on to complete an LLM in European and Global Law at the prestigious Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona, presenting a dissertation on international trademark protection in cross-border commercial operations.
From the early years of her academic career, Federica focused on international and European law. In 2017, she studied at the University of Santiago de Compostela under the Erasmus programme. In February 2019, she was awarded a scholarship and took part in a Student Exchange Programme between the University of Palermo and the University of Business and Economics in Beijing, where she deepened her knowledge of international trade and investment law. Later that year, in November, she began her professional career at Giambrone & Partners in the Palermo office, before transferring to the Barcelona office in May 2020.
Expertise
Thanks to her dual qualification, knowledge of two jurisdictions, and extensive background in international and European law, Federica advises private clients and other professionals on cross-border matters, including:
Company incorporations
Joint ventures
Due diligence and M&A transactions
Intellectual property protection
Investments and complex commercial agreements
She regularly advises Italian and Spanish companies on day-to-day corporate matters and international contracts, providing a strong administrative perspective and guiding strategic, results-oriented decision-making.
Federica also frequently assists Italian colleagues with international litigation under Spanish jurisdiction, offering a comparative approach and helping to shape effective procedural strategies to achieve the desired outcomes.
In addition, she represents clients and supports other professionals in international separation and divorce cases, often involving multiple jurisdictions and complex, cross-border assets.
Recent Cases
Represented an Italian fragrance company in a dispute over alleged infringement of a well-known luxury perfume trademark, brought by the French exclusive licensee of the brand.
Assisted in structuring a complex commercial agreement, supporting an Italian legal team in drafting a multi-round investment contract to be executed in Spain under Spanish law.
Acted for a leading Spanish company in the industrial cutting machinery sector in a dispute arising from the purchase of a bespoke machine deemed non-compliant by the end client, which posed a serious risk to the company’s commercial reputation.
Represented a commercial agent company in a long-standing dispute with a renowned Italian luxury fashion brand in the context of its corporate restructuring.
Successfully defended a client in proceedings brought by her ex-husband - a senior executive of a retail chain, who sought (and was denied by the court) a reduction in spousal maintenance set during their divorce.
Applied for and obtained international trademark protection in numerous cases, including against oppositions lodged by third parties.
Represented an equity partner in a dispute with co-partners after being effectively excluded from business operations while they launched a parallel venture jeopardising the original project.
