Attorney Lejanita Desiderio
Originally from Ligonchio (RE), where her family of noble origins had settled.
Originally from Abruzzo, after earning her Classical High School Diploma, she moved to Modena to attend the Faculty of Law, where she graduated at a time when it was still rare for women to have the opportunity to pursue university studies.
After passing the qualifying exam for Legal Procurator, as required at the time, she began practicing law in 1966, alongside only two other female lawyers in Modena.
She experienced the significant shift brought about by the 1970 Divorce Law, which led her to focus on Family Law — an area she continues to practice to this day.
While working in the fields of contract and corporate law, she met surveyor Ennio Setti, whom she married in 1973. In 1977, they founded the Setti - Desiderio Firm as a professional technical-legal association.
In 2016, she was awarded the rare honor of the Toga d’Oro in recognition of her 50 years of legal practice.
Today, she shares her wealth of experience and her characteristically sharp and direct advice — a hallmark of her renowned style, well known not only in the local district but also beyond. Throughout her career, she has consistently upheld and defended the role of women in the legal profession.
Attorney Giulia Setti
After earning her Classical High School Diploma in Modena,
she developed an interest in notarial lawa nd was welcomed into a historic Modenese notary office to learn the fundamentals of the profession before beginning her university studies.
She graduated at the age of 23 from the Faculty of Law at the University of Modena, with a thesis in Civil Procedure Law under the supervision of the distinguished Professor Mario Vellani.
Despite being the daughter of a lawyer, she completed her legal apprenticeship in the firm as a second-tier trainee in order to acquire the necessary practical skills. Under the expert and demanding guidance of her mother, Attorney Lejanita Desiderio, she learned the foundations of the legal tradition.
After passing the bar exam at the age of 26, she began practicing law and became a partner of the Firm in 1999 and a trusted counsel for a leading Legal Protection Insurance Company.
In 2019, she earned a First-Level Master’s Degree in Tax Law.
Since 2012, she has been admitted to practice before the Italian Supreme Court.
From 2012 to 2014, she served as an arbitrator for the Arbitration Chamber of the Modena Chamber of Commerce.
From 2012 to 2022, she held appointments as Court-Appointed Professional Delegate in enforcement proceedings.
Since 2014, she has served as a court-appointed inheritance curator at the Modena Court.
In 2015, she earned a First-Level Master’s Degree in Banking Law.
Since 2017, she has been the legal representative of the Firm.
She is fluent in English and provides legal services in both Italian and English.
Surveyor Ennio Setti
He earned his Surveyor’s Diploma in 1946, after losing a year due to
World War II, graduating alongside only five other students from Modena.
He began working as an independent professional in 1948, following his mandatory military service, which at the time was required at the age of 21.
In 1960, he was commissioned to build the facility that would become the headquarters of Ceramica Sant’Anna in Solignano di Castelvetro. He initially joined the company as a partner and later became its CEO, serving from 1966 until 1980. It was in this context that he met Attorney Lejanita Desiderio, whom he married in 1973. Together, they founded the Setti - Desiderio Associated Firm in 1977, a professional technical-legal partnership, of which he became the legal representative.
From 1975 until his retirement, he was registered with the List of Court-Appointed Experts at the Court of Modena and served as a Court Technical Consultant in numerous cases, as well as a Private Consultant in both judicial and extrajudicial matters.
In 2014, he became the first professional in Modena to be honored for sixty years of independent practice, having reached that milestone five years earlier. Over the course of his career, he oversaw the design and construction of more than 300 buildings of various types throughout the Province of Modena. He officially retired in 2016.
As a founder, he continues to provide occasional consulting to the Firm, offering practical, common-sense advice aimed at amicable resolution of issues — true to his enduring professional style.
Attorney Gianmarco Verardi
He began his legal traineeship under Attorney Lejanita Desiderio in 2002.
Upon completing his training, he actively collaborated with the Setti-Desiderio Law Firm as a Legal Trainee qualified to represent clients in court.
He then moved to Rome, where he opened his own law office while establishing a secondary office at the Setti-Desiderio Law Firm.
After becoming a fully qualified attorney, he chose to maintain the secondary office of his practice within the Setti-Desiderio Law Firm, with which he continues a mutual exchange of expertise, professional collaboration, and shared activities.
Elena Tosi
After graduating in Modena in 2004, she worked for several years
as a secretary in medical practices. She decided to change fields and, since 2021, has been serving as the firm’s administrative assistant. She brings with her valuable experience, enriching the office with her helpfulness, warmth, and efficiency.
