Clifford Chance partner Fabio Diminich died tragically on Friday 27 July in hospital, after being taken ill that morning. He was 40.

Born to an Italian mother and Croatian father in the United States, Fabio took a similarly transatlantic approach to his studies, gaining a BA in Government and Foreign Affairs from the University of Virginia in 1999 and an Italian and European Business Certificate from Bocconi University School of Management in Milan during 2002.

After earning both his JD and an MBA in international business from the University of South Carolina in 2003 Fabio embarked upon his legal career, initially sticking close to where he grew up with his first job at Weil Gothsal & Manges in Washington, DC. Another international move was imminent, though, and in 2005 Fabio moved to the London high yield team of Latham & Watkins. It was at Latham where he honed his skills and began building his practice before joining Clifford Chance’s growing high yield team as a Partner in October 2011, a team he would later co-head.

In work, as in the rest of his life, Fabio was well-known for being as good with people as he was for his hard work and mastery of his subject. As a partner his door was always open, and he was known for taking the time to listen to his team and help them with work – and occasionally personal – challenges. In pressured situations, Fabio could be relied upon to break the tension with a joke, while at the same time gently but firmly cajoling team members back to what really mattered if they lost sight of the client’s bigger picture.

Disproving the theory that nice guys finish last, Fabio and his team won multiple awards for their work with private equity sponsors, underwriters and corporate issuers on high yield debt and other leveraged finance transactions in Europe. He also contributed more widely to the development of the growing high yield market in Europe through his membership of AFME/EHYA’s Legal & Regulatory Compliance Committee, where his insights into and knowledge of the European high yield market were often sought.

Outside of work, Fabio took a keen interest in modern European and North American history and was an avid reader. He enjoyed travelling, spending time with his family, and their dog, and as a sports fan, Fabio was thrilled to see Croatia reach the FIFA World Cup Final for the first time in July this year.

Fabio is survived by his parents, Bruno and Luciana; his wife, Kate, and their three children, Luca (8 years), Elena (6 years) and Georgina (5 months); and his brother Giampiero, also a lawyer.

In celebration of Fabio’s life, a memorial service will be held at 5pm on Monday, 17 September 2018 at St Johns Wood Church NW8 7NE, with refreshments afterwards at the Long Room, Lord’s Cricket Ground. All are very welcome.

Please email the following address to let the organisers know you are coming: Fabio.DiminichRemembrance@CliffordChance.com.

 

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