A US-based specialist law firm claiming to represent the interests of Parmalat bondholders with $2bn of debt has approached Enrico Bondi, new chief executive of the stricken Italian food group, with a proposal to restructure its debt finances.

Lawyers working for Bingham McCutcheon, which specialises in complex financing deals, held a meeting on Tuesday with Bondi as part of a bid to align the interests of the group's diverse set of bondholders.