Businesses, experts to address crises? 83% more are now asking for them.

Milan – In six months, Lombardy businesses have submitted 201 requests for assistance to avoid financial distress. This represents an 83% increase compared to the requests filed in the first half of 2024. According to the Milan Arbitration Chamber —the subsidiary to which the Milan-Monza-Lodi Chamber of Commerce has delegated crisis management—more and more Lombard businesses are seeking to save themselves by resorting to negotiated settlements. This is a voluntary procedure incorporated into the Insolvency Code, effective since 2022. Entrepreneurs in difficulty can request the assistance of an expert negotiator and facilitator to find a solution aimed at reorganizing the company and reaching an agreement with creditors. One last call before it's too late.

From the start of the activity (November 2021) to June 30, almost one in four applications was from Lombardy (23%): 713 out of over 3,000 nationwide. In the first half of 2025, 67% of the 201 applications came from limited liability companies (127). A third had a turnover between one and five million (66 companies), 19% exceeded 10 million. Micro-businesses, those with up to nine employees, remained the most in difficulty: 55% of the total. Between January and June, CAM experts have restructured 25 companies out of 112 closed procedures (10 out of 64 in 2024). Analyzing the entire period of activity, this number rises to 327 nationwide, 95 of which were from Lombardy (29%), with 4,708 jobs saved. 28% of those who avoided default have a turnover of more than 10 million (27 with headquarters in the region), 23% up to 250 thousand euros (22). Of these, 69% are limited liability companies (66 out of 85), while looking at size, 57% are micro-enterprises and 27% are small companies (from 10 to 49 employees).

In these three and a half years of activity , the Chamber of Commerce has managed to successfully close 95 cases out of 408 concluded proceedings , 23%. This rate is higher than the national average (19%). Analyzing the territorial origin of the requests for assistance, 426 come from the Chamber of Commerce of Milan-Monza-Lodi, 60% of the requests presented in Lombardy. The Chamber of Commerce of Brescia, with 76 requests, represents 11%. They are followed by the Chamber of Commerce of Cremona-Mantua-Pavia (9% with 63 cases), the Chamber of Commerce of Bergamo (8%), the Chamber of Commerce of Como-Lecco (6% with 44) and the Chamber of Commerce of Varese (5% with 37). Last is the Chamber of Commerce of Sondrio with 8 requests, 1%.

Among the sectors, industry is the most represented , accounting for 19% of applications filed, followed by commerce (14%) and services (13%). Construction accounts for 11%, while real estate represents 7%. The restaurant industry accounts for 6% of applications, followed by agri-food (5%), telecommunications and publishing (4%), while textiles and clothing, crafts, holding companies, and logistics account for 3%.

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