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Code of Ethics

WLex Studio Legale with registered offices in Corso Europa 10, 20122 Milan, Italy (“WLex” or “Firm”) has approved and implemented this Code of Ethics (“Code”) which summarizes the values and principles of conduct that each individual professional of the Firm is required to observe.

1.    Obligations
1.1 The Code outlines the principles and values that should be observed by the Firm’s members. In particular, it applies to professionals and to their associates, employees and, in general, to any individual or entity acting in the name and/or on behalf of WLex (the “Professionals”).
1.2 Compliance with the Code is a prerequisite for the provision of professional or business services executed in the interest of the Firm.
1.3 It is without prejudice to the application of laws and regulations to which the Professionals are subject under applicable laws.

2.    Duties of righteousness and decorum
2.1 The Professionals are bound to comply with the law and the applicable ethical standards.
2.2 In the performance of their duties, the Professional shall act with honesty, fairness, transparency and loyalty.
2.3 WLex observes the utmost respect for the dignity of the person and the Professionals are required to comply with these principles, including by refraining from using offensive expressions.
2.4 In both internal and external relations, the Professionals are required to refrain from any conduct that is detrimental to the dignity of the profession or, in any case, inappropriate in the professional sphere.
2.5 The Professionals are required to behave impartially and avoid exposing themselves to potential conflicts of interest with/between clients or with the Firm.

3.    Prohibition of discrimination
WLex does not discriminate on the basis of age, sex, race, nationality, health, sexual orientation, religion, or political orientation.
The Professionals must abide by the same principles and, among other things, must refrain from any expression, even facetious, of a discriminatory nature.

4.    Client relations
4.1 WLex has the objective of quality. Therefore, the Professionals, in proportion to their functions, are required to perform their professional duties with the utmost diligence, commitment and rigor, taking care to carry out all the necessaryresearch in order to provide an accurate and well-informed service to the client. WLex professionals are required to keep abreast of legislative and jurisprudential changes and to comply with the professional training obligations laid down by their respective professional bars.
4.2 WLex wishes to satisfy its clients’ needs in the best possible way and is therefore committed to fully understanding the features of its clients, first and foremost in the sector of activity in which they operate, including the legal and market requirements that govern it.
4.3 The Professionals are also required to respect the corporate structure of their clients and to respect the different functions and hierarchies therein.
4.3 WLex and its professionals are required to constantly report to clients on the performance of the instructions received.
4.4 When requesting compensation for their services, they are required to observe strict principles of transparency, information and proportionality.
4.5 The Professionals are also required to exercise the utmost diligence in the management of the documentation entrusted to them as well as in the filing of documents.

5.   Confidentiality duties
The Obligated Parties are required to maintain the strictest confidentiality with regard to any news and information of which they become directly or indirectly aware in the exercise of their professional activity and undertake to not divulge information that is not in the public domain relating to clients or to the instructions entrusted to the Firm.

6.   Respect for the environment
WLex is committed to respecting the environment and has dictated some measures provided for in the Firm Rules to minimize the environmental impact of the Firm. The Professionals are required to comply with these measures.

7.   Processing of data and information received
7.1 WLex acts in accordance with privacy legislation, in particular the GDPR, and informs its customers, consultants, collaborators and employees of the way in which the personal data they provide is processed.
7.2 The personal data of which WLex becomes aware are used exclusively for the purpose of carrying out legal assistance and are not transferred to third parties.
7.3 The Professionals are individually required to comply with the legislation on the processing of personal data.
7.4 The Professionals are prohibited from using the information received as part of their professional activity in order to obtain advantages of their own or of others, such as, by way of example, carrying out, directly or indirectly, financial transactions of any kind by exploiting the privileged information received.

8.   Anti-money laundering
8.1 WLex has appropriate anti-money laundering procedures in place.
8.2 The Professionals are required to follow these procedures and, in any event, to refrain from knowingly or negligently engaging in conduct that may facilitate money laundering.

9.   Relations with public authorities
9.1 Relations with public authorities are based on respect for each other’s roles and functions.
9.2 Within the limits of the laws and regulations in force, and in particular the obligation of confidentiality to which they are subject in the performance of their professional services, the Professionals are required to fully cooperate with public authorities.

10.  Prohibition of collusion
10.1 The Professionals must refrain from any collusive act, including the mere solicitation of the same.
10.2 This prohibition includes, but is not limited to, bribery in any form or by any means, payments, donations made or received, illegitimate favours and the solicitation of illegitimate favours. In particular, it is forbidden to offer or demand the payment of sums of money or any other benefit to persons with whom one interacts for professional reasons.

11.  Compliance
11.1 Failure to comply with the Code constitutes failure to comply with the fiduciary relationship between the Professionals and the Firm. The Firm will therefore be entitled to adopt the measures it deems most appropriate, but which are nevertheless commensurate with the principles of proportionality and transparency.
11.2 It is expressly without prejudice to the concurrent application of sanctions provided for by laws and regulations, including the Code of Ethics of the Professional Orders to which it belongs.
11.3 The Professionals are required to report to one of the Partners of the Firm any violation or solicitation to the violation of legal obligations or regulations as well as those provided for in this Code.

Italy - Milan - Corso Europa, 10 - 20122

Phone: 0039 02 877820 Mail: info@wlex.it