Brazil Chapter

Vinicius Aquini

Vinicius Aquini is a Law Clerk in the FinTech & Blockchain practice at McDermott Will & Schulte in New York, pending admission to the New York Bar. He previously served at the United Nations in New York, where he worked on governance, internal justice, and risk management, and at TNG Technology Consulting in Munich, advising on employment, data protection, and corporate law.

He holds an LL.B. from UFRGS, an LL.M. in European & International Economic Law from LMU Munich, an LL.M. in Law, Technology & Entrepreneurship from Cornell Tech, and a Ph.D. in Law from the University of Coimbra, with research focused on AI regulation in finance.

Vinicius is Co-Chair of the Brazil Chapter of the NYSBA International Section and a member of the Committee on AI & Emerging Technologies, where he leads the AI Laws & Regulations workstream.

Tiffanye Esteves

Tiffanye Esteves is a Senior Associate at Madrona Advogados in São Paulo, specializing in Corporate Law, Capital Markets, and M&A. She represents public and private companies across industries such as aviation, food and beverages, education, technology, chemicals, and healthcare, and has experience in cross-border M&A matters, equity offerings in Brazil, and international capital markets work, including bond issuances and tender offers totaling over US$6.5 billion, part of them registered with the SEC and/or listed on foreign exchanges. Her transactional background also includes, among them, participation in one of the first reverse IPOs in Brazil, being part of the team advising the founding shareholders in IPO matters on the NYSE, and involvement in hostile takeover defenses, notably mechanisms to promote shareholder dispersion.

She has been involved in Brazilian associations representing public companies, investors, and law firms, contributing to discussions on corporate governance reforms, regulatory updates, and legislative initiatives. This work has included support to the Legal Committee of the Brazilian Association of Public Companies (Abrasca), which represents over 80% of the market capitalization of listed companies on B3, Brazil’s stock exchange, on matters including legislative and regulatory proposals, such as reforms to B3’s Novo Mercado corporate governance segment in 2024–2025 — B3’s premium listing segment that sets the benchmark for corporate governance in Brazil — as well as initiatives concerning arbitration, class actions, whistleblowing, ESG disclosure, and the integrity of financial statements. With a background in strategic communication and corporate positioning, she brings an interdisciplinary perspective that strengthens her work in governance and complex corporate matters.

She also serves as Co-Chair of the Brazil Chapter of the NYSBA International Section and was recognized by The Legal 500 as a Rising Star in Corporate and M&A (2019). She has also been engaged in educational and pro bono initiatives, including classes on the Brazilian Federal Constitution, as well as programs for students and young lawyers aimed at professional development with a focus on soft skills.