Samuele Riva

Samuele Riva is an associate in the Firm’s business law practice group, where he advises clients on a wide range of business transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, majority and minority investments, capital raising, exit strategies, corporate governance and commercial contracts.

Samuele’s practice focuses primarily on transactions spanning mergers, acquisitions and strategic exists. He helps guide clients through all phases of the transaction process, including deal structuring, negotiations, due diligence and preparation of purchase documents. He works collaboratively with investment bankers, accountants and any other involved professionals through the final transaction to achieve his client’s objectives.

One of Samuele’s passions is to work with startups and emerging growth companies. He understands the unique challenges startups face, particularly in highly competitive sectors. He routinely counsels founders and small business owners on angel and venture capital funding, private placements of securities and early-stage agreements with advisors, vendors and developers. Startups that work with Samuele understand how to mitigate risk and are prepared for outside investors.

He also regularly provides counsel to businesses on general corporate governance matters, including business formations, shareholders and operating agreements, corporate resolutions, share vesting and equity awards, among others. Samuele also works on commercial contracts across multiple industries, including customer and vendor agreements, master services agreements, non-disclosure agreements, and employment and contractor agreements.

Samuele was born and raised in Cadrezzate, a small town in northern Italy, and is fluent in Italian. He moved to the United States to pursue his B.S. from Farmingdale State College. He then earned his J.D., summa cum laude, from Touro College Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center and his LL.M., cum laude, in Banking, Corporate, and Finance Law from Fordham University School of Law. While attending law school, Samuele served as a judicial extern for the Honorable Joseph F. Bianco in the U.S. District Court of the Eastern District of New York.

Samuele Riva is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Corporate Law.

Samuele, who practices law in New York, New York, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Samuele is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.