Born in Carrara, the 12-03-1959.

Graduated at the University of Parma Law School in the academic year 1982/83.

He is admitted to advocate to the Italian Supreme Court.

After graduation, he has been a trainee at Middleton Potts, a London law firm, now Hill Dickinson, focussing principally on Maritime Law and International Commerce Law.

From the very start of his career he further specialised in Maritime Law, with his main areas of knowledge being arrest of the ship, lien, cargo claims, judicial  maritime surveys, litigation and   non-litigation involving contractual disputes on charter-parties/bills of loading.

Massimo has been elected multiple times as President of the “Technical Committee for the Maritime and Port Sector” by the Chamber of Commerce of Massa-Carrara for which he has been lecturer in conferences on the ‘Interpretation of commercial terms of cargo delivery on international sales – INCOTERMS’.

His legal competences are also strong in Civil Law, mainly litigation, and in particular Banking law, being also trustee of primary national and international Banks. Massimo helps them managing overdue debts, pledging of collateral and/or personal guarantees, and mainly attachment of real property  and lands as well as  goods and chattels, making sure the Client will have the quickest effective solution to his problems at less costs. Massimo masters the electronic program called “Ex Parte Creditoris”, which is used by the major banks to make a census of non-performing loans and subject to Supervisory Bodies.

Looking at litigation, Massimo gained much experience over the years, mastering any dispute regarding very technical matters on Banking Law as well as the more traditional judicial activity in Civil Law.

Massimo comes from an internationally well known enthusiast family in the field of sailing .

He has been the Junior Italian vice-champion of  470 Olimpic Class, taking part in the National Sailing Team and being Sailing Master of the Italian Sailing Federation.

He is in charge of own Law Firm, Studio Legale Santella, located in Marina di Carrara and he  co-operates with his colleague Alberto Batini from over 30 years.