Luis Mesquita de Melo—formerly Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Company Secretary at Sands China Ltd—has joined the Macau law firm MdME.
Mr de Melo becomes a partner at the company, and will specialise in gaming-related matters. His arrival was formally announced at a recent reception held at Albergue 1601—in Macau’s historic St Lazarus quarter—to mark the fifth anniversary of MdME.
MdME is a leading Macau full-service law firm with a portfolio of clients encompassing some of the largest corporations operating in Macau. They include firms from the gaming, real estate, banking, finance, construction, infrastructure, retail, intellectual property, and technology and communications sectors.
Mr de Melo began his relationship with Las Vegas Sands Corp in 2005 when he became Associate General Counsel of Venetian Macau Ltd. From June 2008 to January 2009 he was Managing Director, Venetian Macau Ltd. Simultaneously from September 2008 he was Senior Vice President, Board Director & General Counsel, Venetian Macau Ltd—a role he held until October 2009 when he was promoted to EVP, General Counsel and Company Secretary, continuing in that role until December 2010.
During his time with LVS, Mr de Melo had a leading legal role in the opening of The Venetian Macao Resort Hotel and The Plaza, the group’s second integrated resort in Macau SAR with a Four Seasons Hotel, the Plaza Casino, a high-end retail mall, and a serviced apartments tower.
Mr de Melo also advised on two credit facilities totalling US$5.05 billion to finance the construction and development of The Venetian Macao, The Four Seasons Hotel, and Cotai parcels 5&6 (now branded Sands Cotai Central and due to have a first phase opening in mid-April 2012).
He also successfully conducted an initial public offering of equity on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange of all LVS’s Macau businesses through the listing of Sands China Ltd, raising US$2.5 billion.
Mr de Melo managed all the group’s legal matters including, but not limited to, gaming regulatory compliance and internal controls, hotel operations related issues, retail, MICE business, transportation, high-speed ferry operations between Macau and Hong Kong, day-to-day commercial contracts, labour and employment issues.
