Kirton Nabs Ex-Ballard Vet To Lead European Markets Group
Kirton McConkie PC has bolstered its new, European Markets practice in Salt Lake City with a former Ballard Spahr LLP partner who is experienced in mergers and acquisitions, securities and EB-5 matters and regularly advises clients on European transactions.
Barbara Bagnasacco joined Kirton McConkie as a shareholder, the firm said July 20, and has extensive experience advising domestic and international clients on joint ventures, strategic alliances, foreign direct investment, EB-5 investments, distribution, agency and licensing matters, and market entry strategies.
She leads a newly organized, six-attorney European markets practice that Kirton McConkie said is geared to assist European clients starting or expanding business operations in the U.S., as well as American clients seeking to do the same in Europe.
Bagnasacco said Kirton McConkie’s commitment to European transactional work attracted her, noting that opportunities are ripe for U.S. companies to acquire European businesses and enter alliances to jointly develop technology. She said Kirton McConkie has the infrastructure, expertise and language skills to seize this moment.
“It’s a great time right now — there is a lot of investment and transactions going on in Europe,” Bagnasacco told Law360.
Meanwhile, she also counsels on corporate governance issues, including compliance with data privacy regulations, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act policy development and related employee training, and FCPA due diligence.
Licensed to practice transactional law in Europe and litigation in Italy, Bagnasacco frequently advises clients on the establishment, structure and compliance of international operations. She speaks French and Italian, according to her biography on Kirton McConkie’s website.
Bagnasacco arrives at Kirton McConkie after 14 years at Ballard Spahr, where she handled many international deals. Her past work includes representing a medical device company on international corporate compliance issues and drafting and implementing an FCPA compliance program; advising a U.S. diagnostics company with international distribution and agency agreements in connection with European expansion; and representing a U.S. resort developer in connection with structuring, negotiating and documenting a multimillion-dollar acquisition of an Italian real estate venture and related debt financing transactions, according to Kirton McConkie.
She earned her law degree from the University of Utah's S.J. Quinney College of Law.
Kirton McConkie said it has one of the most comprehensive international legal practices in the Intermountain West, having represented clients in more than 150 countries and every U.S. state.
The firm employs 150 attorneys in Salt Lake City and Utah County who together are fluent in 21 languages and advise international, corporate, tax, intellectual property, real estate, litigation, immigration and employment clients.