Marino Marchi joins Clairfield’s energy practice group as co-head in a year focused on innovative business

Clairfield International is pleased to announce that Marino Marchi has become the new co-head of its energy, cleantech & resources practice group, joining David Hassum as group leader. With Marino Marchi in Italy covering Europe and David Hassum in Australia covering Asia Pacific, together with other members of the group around the world, Clairfield offers global in-depth sector views, access to companies and investors, and top quality corporate finance advisory services to clients.

Marino Marchi is director at Equita, the leading independent investment bank in Italy listed on the Milan Stock Exchange and partner of Clairfield International in Italy. Marino covers energy and infrastructure for Equita and Clairfield. He began his sector focus on energy early in his career at Lazard and UniCredit. Marino has since led numerous transactions, particularly in the renewable energy segment, the multi-utility sector, and the regulated sector, frequently dealing with all major Italian operators.

Among recent transactions, Marino and the Equita team advised:

• Finanziaria Trentina Energia in the sale of a minority stake in Dolomiti Energia, one of the leading Italian multi-utility companies with a turnover of approximately EUR 1.5 billion, to Equitix.

• CDP Equity, the holding company of Cassa Depositi e Prestiti Group, on entering the share capital of Snam4Efficiency (now re-branded Renovit), a platform established to promote energy efficiency, sustainable development, and energy transition in Italy, in partnership with Snam, one of the world’s leading energy infrastructure operators and among Italy’s largest listed companies by market capitalization.

• AIM Vicenza in the merger with AGSM Verona to create a leading Italian multi-utility company with more than EUR 1.4 billion turnover and more than 2,000 employees.

• Ladurner in the sale of Renerwaste, one of the largest companies in Italy in biogas infrastructure and biomethane, to Snam.

Clairfield’s energy, cleantech & resources practice group is particularly relevant this year as the group has important mandates focusing on innovative businesses. New technologies have particular resonance in the middle market and are ripe for crossborder exploration. In the last twelve months Clairfield partners have closed transactions in tire recycling, smart-energy metering, wastewater consulting, and fast-charging networks to name just a few deals that involve clients who use novel technologies to solve longstanding problems.

Environmental, governance and social (ESG) considerations are also a focus of Clairfield clients, and the energy group embraces ESG in its advisory practise. Clairfield has launched an ESG practise group last year to address ESG and Social Development Goals (SDG) in client and sector work.

“After being dedicated almost exclusively to the energy sector for more than 10 years now, I look forward to leading the Clairfield energy group,” says Marino Marchi. “With Green Deals in Europe and the US we expect to see new policies and decarbonization strategies and further deployment of renewable capacity. We are also seeing increasing importance of e-mobility and new technologies, segments that are very relevant for the middle market. I look forward to setting priorities and focus areas for our group to develop together with David.”

“The Clairfield energy, cleantech & resources group will benefit from Marino’s expertise, especially in such a critical period of time. In addition to renewable assets, there are many M&A opportunities arising from energy-related emerging technologies and innovative service providers and business models,” says David Hassum. “An industry in transition is good for M&A.”