Team size: Four

What are the most significant cases or transactions you and your team have been involved in?

My team and I have been providing assistance in several capital market transactions, both in private and public placements (mainly with Portuguese and Chinese issuers), under which Haitong Bank has performed the role of placement agent, subscriber, and arranger. Additionally, we have been involved in structured and corporate finance transactions such as facilities and securities agreements and M&A advisory services – drafting agreements and creating guarantees. We have also been actively engaged in multiple credit recovery cases involving several jurisdictions – Portugal, Spain, Poland, Mexico, Brazil and China.

In what ways do you see the in-house legal role evolving in your region over the next few years?

In-house lawyers must be the key source of confidence for decision makers. It is essential to consider potential legal risks in order to make informed decisions. Transactions should be structured based on secure frameworks, which can be decisive both for the smooth execution of the transaction, and to enhance credit recovery in case of unexpected results. It is crucial to fully understand and reconcile several views – the client, the business area and, when applicable, external lawyers – to achieve remarkable results. In-house lawyers must have the ability to identify legal risks and find solution to overcome or mitigate them; they need to clearly state their opinions and expose them to decision-makers.

In a changing financial landscape, how does the company remain competitive against new phenomena such as fintech and blockchain, and how does the legal team assist with this?

According to a study published by Bank of Portugal, “regarding the segments of the financial sector that institutions consider to be, or will be, most affected by the development of FinTech, the payments segment is indicated by practically all respondents. The financing and credit segment is the second most mentioned.” Being an investment bank, we offer personalised and tailored solutions to our customers; therefore, I do not believe that Fintech entities will be a real competitor in the investment banking area. Technological and digital solutions that allow the simplification of processes and the provision of a better service to our customers are under constant scrutiny and implementation.