Lovati: ‘Disappointed for Sempio, it’s a stain on my career’

Milan, 14 October (LaPresse) – “I am disappointed and saddened, but since life must go on, we will move forward and try to forget this stain on my career. When they take away your mandate, it’s never nice. Most of the time, it’s you who resigns from the mandate, not the client.” This was how lawyer Massimo Lovati commented on Gianluigi Nuzzi’s “Dentro la notizia” programme on Andrea Sempio’s decision to remove him as defence counsel after his recent statements. “Around 12 o’clock, he called me to tell me that he had revoked my defence mandate,” explained the Pavia barrister, stating that his media appearances were not among the reasons for this decision. Sempio reportedly told him on the phone, after their face-to-face meeting on Friday, that “it’s not because of Corona or what you said, but because I no longer like the defence strategy and I want to change it; I no longer agree with your defence strategy”. “My biggest mistake?”, replied the lawyer to a question. ‘My approach to the justice system, the media, my clients, my colleagues and the magistrates. I have my own way of doing things, which obviously didn’t go down well.‘ Lovati said he was fairly certain that he would not be “disbarred” after two disciplinary proceedings were opened against him, in addition to the criminal investigation for defamation by the Milan Public Prosecutor’s Office for describing the investigation against Sempio as a ’plot” by the Giarda lawyers (former defence lawyers for Alberto Stasi).