Biography: Mining

Rui Botica Santos is a partner in CRA – Coelho Ribeiro e Associados – a Portuguese law firm with great expertise in mining law. Rui is also a partner in CRA Timor, a law firm established in East Timor, which focuses on international mining law and oil and gas transactions. Rui is a qualified lawyer in Portugal, Brazil and East Timor. He also undertook a mining short course – Domestics and International Issues, organised by the Rocky Mountains Mineral Law Foundation (US/May 2009).

Rui has been primarily involved in negotiating international acquisitions and public offerings in the mining sector and has also provided advice to junior and senior mining companies on applications and negotiations for exploration and prospecting licences; exploitation concessions; renegotiation of concessions; and negotiation of grants for mining exploration projects. Legal counsel of the current major foreign investor group in mining business in Portugal (since 1998), Rui has also been the legal adviser – of the buyer investor – in the major recent privatisation transaction regarding the acquisition of the major copper mining project in Portugal (Somincor Sociedade Mineira de Neves Corvo, SA) and in the acquisition and recent sale transaction of the Zinc/Copper Mining Project in Portugal (Pirites Alentejanas, SA) – and has been the chairman of the shareholders, general meeting of this company since 2004. He is also the legal adviser of foreign investors in oil and gas transactions in Portugal, Angola and East Timor.

As well as advising on several recent high-profile transactions in Portugal, Rui has also been involved in mining transactions in Portugal, Angola, East Timor and Brazil.

Rui Botica Santos has an extensive experience in arbitration, mostly as an arbitrator, in several domestic and international arbitrations.

Other Practice Areas

Rui Botica Santos also features in the following practice areas:

• Internet & e-Commerce