Vitoria Pontes
London
Overview
9
9
years of professional experience
5
5
years of post-secondary education
1
1
Certification
Work history
Senior Legal Counsel
LEMFI
London
07.2025 - 07.2025
- Provide legal support to the Group’s legal entities, including regulated entities, across the UK, EU, US and Africa.
- Provide corporate governance support for the Group’s worldwide entities, namely but not limited in relation to legal advice on applicable laws and regulations, intra-group agreements, policy management, secretarial functions, corporate filings and accounts, liaising with upper management, delegations of authority, management of company documents, acquisitions and post-integration activities, management of external suppliers, support the business’ expansion objectives, and liaising with internal departments as required.
- Monitor and advise on the applicable legal and regulatory frameworks, including payment services, electronic money, AML, data protection, the FCA handbook, outsourcing guidelines. Draft and coordinate the implementation of policies.
- Support licensing applications and liaise with regulators on applications, standalone requests, and regulatory filings.
- Draft, review, and negotiate a broad range of international contracts, including service agreements, partnership agreements, vendor agreements, NDAs, and data protection agreements. Support commercial negotiations with customers, partners, and vendors as required.
- Advise product teams on the setup of new and existing products in relation to applicable laws, regulations and industry standards.
Legal Counsel
The Marcura Group
London
10.2020 - 06.2025
- Provide legal support to the Group’s UK and EU-regulated entities, including an Authorised Payment Institution (API) and an Electronic Money Institution (EMI), across legal, regulatory, corporate, commercial, and product launch matters.
- Advise on the legal and regulatory framework applicable to APIs and EMIs in the UK and EU, including payment services, electronic money, AML, data protection, the FCA Handbook, outsourcing, and EU DORA. Draft and review policies as required.
- Support licensing applications and liaise with UK and EU regulators on applications, ad hoc requests, and ongoing compliance filings.
- Monitor legal and regulatory developments impacting fintech operations, translate changes into actionable advice, and coordinate implementation across functions.
- Support data protection compliance by drafting and reviewing policies, entering into data protection agreements, responding to data subject requests, performing data mapping, managing intercompany agreements, and submitting filings.
- Draft, review, and negotiate a broad range of contracts, including service agreements, master services agreements, integration agreements, partnership agreements, NDAs, data protection agreements, and MoUs. Support commercial negotiations with customers, partners, and vendors.
- Lead corporate governance support for group entities across the EMEA region, including subsidiary management and secretarial functions.
In-House Lawyer
Decathlon
Lisbon
01.2020 - 08.2020
- Draft, review and negotiate commercial contracts.
- Provide legal advice and support to retail operations, including the e-commerce sector.
- Assist with regulatory compliance and implement procedures as needed.
- Advise and oversee data protection matters.
- Manage and oversee legal disputes.
- Advise on real estate matters, such as urban and commercial licensing, leases, property management.
- Deal with authorities as needed.
Lawyer (and previously Trainee-Lawyer)
Law Firm - EDGE International Lawyers
Lisbon
02.2017 - 12.2019
- Draft, review, and negotiate commercial contracts.
- Oversee and represent clients in legal complaints, claims, appeals.
- Advise on company incorporation, corporate governance, regulatory compliance, business setups, international and national tax.
- Manage property acquisition processes and provide advice in matters related to acquisitions, rental agreements and leases, licences, horizontal property, taxes, registrations.
Legal Trainee
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Lisbon
10.2016 - 01.2017
- Advise and oversee matters related to administrative law, litigation and legal research in the Internal Law Services Division of the Department of Legal Affairs.
Education
Intensive Course - Clear Legal Writing
BPP University
London 09.2023 - 09.2023
Intensive Course - Reporting obligations of Payment Institutions
Banking Training Institute
05.2022 - 06.2022
Postgraduate course - Financial Technology and Law
Faculty of Law of the University of Lisbon
10.2020 - 05.2021
Postgraduate course - Competition Law and Regulation
Faculty of Law of the University of Lisbon
03.2016 - 06.2016
Postgraduate Course - Water Law
Faculty of Law of the University of Lisbon
03.2016 - 06.2016
Bachelor's - Law Degree
Faculty of Law of the University of Lisbon
09.2012 - 05.2016
Skills
- English - Native
- Portuguese - Native
- Spanish and French - Basic
Websites
Publications
2016 - Published paper "The principle of fair and reasonable use and its application in the management of international watercourses", available at: icjp.pt/sites/default/files/publicacoes/files/e-book_agua_2017_fct.pdf.
The mentioned e-book ncludes the top student papers from the 2016 Postgraduate Course in Water Law lectioned at the Faculty of Law of the University of Lisbon.
Accomplishments
2016 - Second place in the Moot Court of Administrative Law - Faculty of Law of the University of Lisbon.
Certification
EU qualified lawyer since 2019.
Timeline
Senior Legal Counsel
LEMFI
07.2025 - 07.2025
Intensive Course - Clear Legal Writing
BPP University
09.2023 - 09.2023
Intensive Course - Reporting obligations of Payment Institutions
Banking Training Institute
05.2022 - 06.2022
Postgraduate course - Financial Technology and Law
Faculty of Law of the University of Lisbon
10.2020 - 05.2021
Legal Counsel
The Marcura Group
10.2020 - 06.2025
In-House Lawyer
Decathlon
01.2020 - 08.2020
Lawyer (and previously Trainee-Lawyer)
Law Firm - EDGE International Lawyers
02.2017 - 12.2019
Legal Trainee
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
10.2016 - 01.2017
Postgraduate course - Competition Law and Regulation
Faculty of Law of the University of Lisbon
03.2016 - 06.2016
Postgraduate Course - Water Law
Faculty of Law of the University of Lisbon
03.2016 - 06.2016
Bachelor's - Law Degree
Faculty of Law of the University of Lisbon
09.2012 - 05.2016
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