Aulona Mersini joined Peçi & Papagjoni as partner in 2023.  Aulona has worked as attorney at law in Bologna, Italy until 2018 when she joined the cabinet of the Minister of Interior of Albania as legal advisor. In this capacity Aulona contributed to the modernization of the State Police, Guard of the Republic and Judicial Police through drafting amendments in the relevant legal framework. In 2019 she joined the Ministry of Justice first as interim Chief of Cabinet and later on as legal advisor to the Minister. During her time at the Ministry of Justice, she supervised the process of the reform of the legal framework of the penitentiary system of Albania. She also gave a crucial contribution to the drafting of the new Law on Foreign Jurisdictional Relations in Criminal Matters and has taken part as legal expert in the working group for the drafting of the new Criminal Code of Albania. Since 2021 Aulona shares her time between Albania and Italy providing legal services and advice to individual and corporate clients in both countries. She is also involved as legal expert in EU funded projects in Albania and the region. Within the firm, Aulona focuses on Italian companies which invest and operate in Albania. With her profound knowledge of both Italian and Albanian legislation she is very well positioned to advise and assist our clients from the initial establishment of their operations in Albania to their day-to-day business. Aulona graduated in 2005 from the Alma Mater Universita degli Studi di Bologna, Italy and obtained her LL.M in International Law in 2006 from the same university.