Spotlight on: the strategic role of Bankinter’s in-house legal and litigation team in Portugal

Bankinter’s in-house legal and litigation team in Portugal, led by Teresa Almeida Mota, is composed of five senior lawyers with extensive experience in both private practice and corporate legal functions. The team plays a strategic role in the bank’s operations by ensuring compliance, managing legal risks, supporting daily business activities, and contributing to innovation – particularly in digital banking. Internally recognised as a key stakeholder, the legal team is actively involved in major strategic projects, including the development and implementation of digital solutions, where their input adds substantial value to the bank’s business goals.

The team’s legal strategy is aligned with the wider Bankinter Group’s multi-year execution plan. This plan sets out the legal risk appetite, key function drivers, and annual objectives, reviewed on a bi-annual basis to ensure consistent progress and strategic alignment. Legal risk is managed through a comprehensive framework that is coordinated with compliance and governance functions. This integrated approach ensures regulatory alignment and enhances the robustness of decision-making across all levels.

Also, the legal team provides continuous support to all business units and central services in Portugal. This includes advising on the structuring of operations, legal documentation, compliance guidance, and contributing to high-level strategic decisions.

As Bankinter expands its footprint in Portugal and engages in new partnerships, the legal team must continuously adapt. They ensure that legal strategies evolve in tandem with business growth, safeguarding alignment with Bankinter Group’s objectives while identifying and mitigating associated legal risks.

In all, Bankinter’s legal and litigation team in Portugal exemplifies a modern, strategic in-house legal function – deeply integrated within the business, forward-looking in its risk management, and proactive in supporting innovation and growth.