Pedro Cassiano Santos

Pedro Cassiano Santos joined VdA in 1989. He is the head partner in charge at the Banking & Finance area of practice taking responsibility for clients and transactions of the financial sector. He is regularly involved in the provision of legal advice in banking and capital markets’ regulatory matters as well as in the structuring of several financing transactions, such as the issue and placement (both national and international) of debt, hybrid and equity instruments, and the issue and placement of warrants and both cash and synthetic financial products. He has also been actively working in securitization transactions and other types of asset-backed transactions, together with the preparation of structured finance transactions, matters in respect of which he is a regular speaker in conferences and a guest teacher of many Masters and Post-Graduate courses organized by distinct Institutes and Universities.

Pedro has been seconded to an international financial institution operating in Portugal for a total of 5 years, operating as the in-house legal department thereof.

"Outstanding Contribution", Chambers and Partners Portugal Awards 2019

Lawyer of the Year, Best Lawyers - Finance Law - 2017

Lawyer of the Year, Best Lawyers - Capital Markets Law - 2016

Lawyer of the Year, Best Lawyers - 2015

International Law Office (ILO), Clients Choice Awards - Banking - 2011, 2013, 2014 

Law Degree, University of Lisbon, Faculty of Law.

Post-graduation in European Legal Studies, College of Europe, Bruges, Belgium.

Guest Professor/Lecturer at the Catholic University of Lisbon and at the Institute for Banking Management (Instituto Superior de Gestão Bancária).

Author and co-author of various publications on matters within his fields of expertise, namely:

  • “Portugal”, The Banking Regulation Review – 2011 – 2020
  • “Timor-Leste”, The Banking Regulation Review – 2020
  • “Portugal – An Introduction to Banking and Finance 2019”, Chambers and Partners
  • Acquisition Finance - GTDT, 2017 – 2019
  • Debt Capital Markets, Portugal Chapter, 2019, 2020
  • The Lending and Secure Finance Review, Law Reviews, 2017 - 2019
  • Introduction and other relevant changes – Financial Legal Update, Portugal, 2019
  • “Portuguese covered bonds - an example of the struggle against new and long-lasting adversities”, Euromoney Handbooks – 2011
  • “Portuguese Capital Markets – Overview and future prospects”, Legal Week – 2010
  • "The Impact of Basel II, Portugal Structured Finance", IFLR Supplement
  • "Portuguese Capital Markets - Overview and future prospects", Legal Week – 2010

Admitted to the Portuguese Bar Association and admitted as specialist in financial law.

Admitted to the Timor-Leste Law Society (Conselho de Gestão e Disciplina da Advocacia de Timor-Leste).

English, French, Spanish.

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