About the authors

Alexandre Gossn Barreto, partner of Souza, Cescon Avedissian, Barrieu e Flesch Advogados, is a Bachelor in Law (LLB) at the University of São Paulo Law School (USP) and a Master in banking and finance law (LLM) at the Boston University Law School. Alexandre Barreto specializes in capital markets, banking law, general financing and privatization. He has advised several financial institutions and Brazilian companies in transactions in the international markets, including UBS Warburg in the listing of ADRs level III of SABESP in the NYSE, and Petrobras in the first shelf registration with the SEC for a Brazilian company, in the amount of $8 billion. In addition, he has advised in several representative transactions in the Brazilian capital markets, including public issuances of bonds (Petrobras, in a R$750 million debentures issuance, Unibanco in a R$1.3 billion debentures issuance by Telemar, a consortium of banks led by Unibanco, BBA, Itaú, Bradesco, ING Barings and Sudameris in a R$600 million debentures issuance by Cemig, and a consortium of banks led by Unibanco, BBA, Itaú, Bradesco and Bank of America in a R$500 million debentures issuance by Copel).

Ronald Herscovici, partner of Souza, Cescon Avedissian, Barrieu e Flesch Advogados, is Bachelor in Law (LLB) at the University of São Paulo Law School (USP) and Master in Law (LLM) at the Cornell University Law School. During 1996 and 1997, he was an international associate with Dewey Ballantine, NY.  Ronald Herscovici is specialized in structured and project finance, banking law and capital markets, having participated in many representative transactions involving Brazilian companies and banks.  He represented ABN AMRO in a $1.4 billion vendor financing for Telemar, and Nortel in a $298 million vendor financing for AT&T Latin America. He participated in several securitization transactions in Brazil, including some of the first future flows securitizations (advising Bank of America in a $350-million securitization for Itaú and Ambac Assurance Corp in a $250-million securitization for Banco do Brasil), and has advised Petrobras in the first shelf registration with the SEC for a Brazilian company, in the amount of $8 billion.  In addition, Ronald participated in some of the most important energy and oil and gas projects in Brazil (TermoPernambuco, advising IDB, and NovaMarlim, advising Petrobras).

John J Tobin is a tax partner in the Toronto office of Borden Ladner Gervais LLP. Mr Tobin has worked with many US advisors in structuring and implementing Canada-US transactions.  He is the National Coordinator of the firm's Structured Finance and Leasing Group specializing in finance including cross border finance, cross border and domestic leasing, project finance and securitization.  Mr Tobin was recently identified by Lexpert Magazine as one of Canada's top 40 lawyers under 40.  Mr Tobin is the author of many tax papers dealing with asset-based finance, securitizations, corporate finance, leasing and cross-border finance.  He is a graduate of Osgoode Hall Law School.  Mr Tobin serves on the tax committees of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce and the Canadian Finance and Leasing Association.  He is a member of the Canadian Tax Foundation and the Canadian Bar Association.

Stephen Redican is a partner in the Toronto office of Borden Ladner Gervais LLP.  Mr Redican is a member of the firm's Structured Finance and Leasing Group specializing in securitization, secured lending, financial services and bank regulation.  Mr Redican has represented the lead arranger and administrator in structuring and running a highly successful mortgage-based securitization program that, to date, has issued in excess of C$11.8 billion ($7.4  billion) of bonds.  He also represents and advises private companies in their securitization programs and represents and advises both banks and borrowers in secured loan transactions with particular experience in project finance, the financing of mergers and acquisitions and the financing of income trusts.

Born Santiago, Chile, 1964; admitted 1992, England, as Solicitor; 2001, Cayman Islands, as Attorney-at-Law. Education: Sussex University (BA Hons), Edinburgh University (MSc). Cameron McKenna, London, 1990-1992; Dibb Lupton Alsop, Leeds, 1993-1995; Simmons & Simmons, London, 1995-1996. Senior lecturer in Company Law, Nottingham Law School, 1996-1999; Visiting Lecturer, College of Law, Sydney, 1999; Director LPC, London Guildhall University, 1999-2000 and Visiting Fellow, University of New South Wales, 2000; Maples and Calder Europe, 2000. Member: Law Society of England and Wales; Cayman Islands Law Society.

Email: gavin.lowe@maplesandcalder.com