Giulio Mazzotti is a managing associate in our tax law practice.

Where did your journey begin and what led you from a boutique firm to a multi-practice one?

I’m from Florence and graduated in Economics from Florence university. When I was writing my thesis, I already knew that I wanted to specialise in international tax, and that’s what led me to join a leading tax boutique in Rome, where I stayed for over five years. While there, I also completed an LLM in International Taxation at the University of Leiden (in the Netherlands) and a PhD in Corporate Tax Law at the LUISS University of Rome.

Managing to balance work and study was certainly tiring, but it was also formative and extremely satisfying. And I continue to nurture my passion for academia by lecturing on various university courses and regularly speak at seminars. I am convinced that this is something that continues to support my personal growth and enhance my technical skills.

At the beginning of 2011, I took the next step in my career and joined BonelliErede as a junior associate – because I wanted to work in a dynamic, forward-thinking and international environment that would allow me to continue growing. I mainly deal with national and international corporate taxation and tax aspects of M&A and PE. Thanks also to the focus teams I belong to, I have gained significant know-how in the energy, telecomms and infrastructure sectors.

What has been your most significant experience at BonelliErede?

I could name any one of the many international assignments I’ve worked on!  But a truly valuable experience, even a life one, was in 2014, when I went on secondment to the Shanghai office of prestigious Chinese law firm JunHe. I was the first in BonelliErede’s history to go on a secondment to Shanghai. It gave me the opportunity to work side-by-side leading experts in Chinese tax and financial law and to explore a fascinating culture and mentality. It was a truly enriching experience both personally and professionally.

In China, the professional, cultural and social spheres are very much intertwined, and the differences to the Western world are reflected in the business world. Working with Chinese colleagues and, more generally, Asian businesspeople, gave me tools that have helped me manage relationships with clients and colleagues all around the world. 

What are the values ​​of our law firm that you recognise in yourself?

The values ​​closest to my heart are the unwavering commitment to excellence and the conviction of being able to achieve results as a team. It’s about feeling that you play an active part in the continuous pursuit of excellence, including by working hand-in-hand with colleagues from other depts. Everyone has the opportunity to acquire transversal skills, besides, of course, developing in their own area of ​​specialisation.

Another thing that resonates with me is BonelliErede’s commitment to social issues and its people’s welfare: the firm seeks out and truly values the opinions of everyone in the firm and is dedicated to the wellbeing of every single person. Our livebetter team is a prime example.

Of course, we’re always racing against the clock, but at least we’re racing against the clock together.

Teamwork is also one of BonelliErede’s core principles and I’ve had that mentality since playing sport as a kid. Nowadays, I mainly cycle and run, including with colleagues (the annual “Eroica” cycling event in the Chianti hills has become a must for BonelliErede’s cycling team!). But the pandemic has opened up a new passion: trail running! Be it on a mountain top or through a forest, trail running allows you to put yourself to the test against others – in a healthy competitive spirit – and, above all, against yourself, as you traverse the wilderness…  and boy the panoramas are spectacular.