Francisco Soares Machado

Relevant Experience

Providing extensive advice on financial regulation to national and international financial institutions in both transactional and regulatory matters.

Focusing his regulatory practice on prudential and conduct requirements applicable to banks and other credit institutions, credit intermediaries, investment firms, management companies (including private equity firms and alternative investment fund managers) and FinTech entities (payment institutions, electronic money institutions and crypto-asset service providers). His experience also covers anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing matters, as well as sustainability regulation in the financial sector. He is particularly specialised in capital requirements applicable to credit institutions (Basel III/CRR) and other financial entities.

Advising clients in authorisation, notification, supervision, inspection and administrative offence proceedings before financial supervisors, namely the European Central Bank/Single Supervisory Mechanism, Banco de Portugal and the Portuguese Securities Market Commission.

Providing legal assistance in M&A transactions involving financial institutions, including authorisations for the incorporation and acquisition of qualifying holdings in regulated entities, mergers and demergers, business acquisitions, internal reorganisations, opening and closing of branches, and bank resolution and liquidation procedures. Advising also on capital increases and the issuance of regulatory capital instruments (CET1, AT1 and T2), as well as complex transactions and balance sheet management operations.

Integrating the fund formation team and advising management companies and promoters on the set-up of alternative investment funds, including private equity/venture capital, securities, loan, real estate, non-financial asset and multi-class strategy funds. Providing assistance with the formation and conversion of externally-managed and self-managed collective investment companies (SIC), as well as with the structuring of other investment vehicles, including real estate investment and management companies (SIGI) and complex structures in transactional contexts.

Advising issuers on corporate finance transactions, namely securities issuances and investment transactions through equity, debt and hybrid instruments.

Assisting issuers and financial institutions in capital markets matters, including public offerings of securities (ECM and DCM), admissions to trading on regulated markets and multilateral trading facilities, takeover bids and squeeze-outs, and matters relating to transparency of qualifying holdings and market abuse.