Priscilla Santos

Practice Areas

Banking & Finance, Private Equity & Venture Capital, Funds.

Career

Priscilla, a partner in Mayer Brown’s São Paulo office, specializes in leading complex cross-border financing and structured finance deals. Her diverse portfolio includes leading negotiations for project financings, acquisition financings, syndicated and bilateral loans, trade financings, supplier financings, receivables purchases, as well as margin loans, private equity and hedge fund financings. She represents both lenders - including financial institutions, multilateral organizations and private equity firms - and borrowers across a variety of complex deal structures.

Her expertise extends to the derivatives market, with a strong background in structuring and negotiating instruments like credit default swaps, total return swaps, various hybrid credit derivative products, credit-linked notes, equity derivatives, interest-rate swaps, commodity swaps, repurchase agreements, FX transactions, a wide variety of back-to-back swap transactions and other synthetic products.

In addition, she has extensive experience in banking regulatory affairs, Priscilla possesses in-depth knowledge of the rules governing the Brazilian banking system, capital requirements, and licensing procedures for various regulated entities, including traditional financial institutions, fintech companies, payment service providers, broker-dealers, arrangers, and foreign exchange entities.

Priscilla's expertise also extends to credit cards, debit cards, virtual currency, wire transfers, open finance, instant payments and other payment products. With a keen awareness of the specific nuances of each type of regulated institution, Priscilla provides precise and up-to-date guidance to ensure compliance with applicable regulations and mitigate legal and regulatory risks effectively.

Finally, Priscilla's fintech experience is highlighted by her strategic advisory roles, where she has guided startups and established companies through the intricacies of digital transformation and regulatory compliance in the financial technology sector.

In addition to her financing expertise, Priscilla has substantial experience in asset management, especially concerning the regulatory aspects of Brazilian investment funds. Her deep understanding of compliance issues and investment strategies ensures that funds operate within the scope of national regulations while achieving their financial objectives.

Priscilla also serves as the co-leader of the Equity & Diversity Committee in Brazil, demonstrating her commitment to fostering an inclusive work environment and promoting diversity within the professional community.

Professional Memberships

Effective member of the Financial Market Law Committee of the Brazilian Institute of Business Law – IBRADEMP;

Co-leader of the Equity & Diversity Committee in Brazil.

Publications

"Open Banking and its reflects in the data privacy environment" - Valor Econômico, 2021.

"Contributions to Global Practice Guide – Fintech Law and Practice in Brazil" - Chambers and Partners, 2022.

"Foreign Currencies Indexed PPAs" - Brazil Energy Journal, 2023.

Languages Spoken

- Portuguese;

- English.

Education