About Guilherme Reis
Learn more about my background as a Quant, Legal Tech & Blockchain Strategist with expertise in cross-border structuring, algorithmic trading, and emerging financial technologies
About Guilherme Reis
Hi, I'm Guilherme Reis – a Quant, Legal Tech & Blockchain Strategist with over 15 years of experience bridging traditional finance, regulatory innovation, and emerging technologies. I hold an LLM, MBA in Finance, and combine deep legal expertise with cutting-edge quantitative skills to navigate the evolving landscape of digital finance.
My Journey
My career began in the high-stakes world of international tax and cross-border financial structuring. From my early days at PwC Germany working on multi-billion-dollar real estate funds to becoming a Director at Scotiabank, I've advised global institutions on FATCA/CRS compliance, derivatives regulation, and complex fund structures across multiple jurisdictions spanning North America, Europe, Latin America, and the Caribbean.
What started as expertise in traditional legal and tax matters and a huge passion for technology and code development, has evolved into a passion for quantitative finance and legal technology innovation. I discovered that my analytical skills, honed through years of structuring SPVs and navigating regulatory frameworks, translate perfectly to algorithmic trading, blockchain analysis, and legal tech automation.
What I Do Today
I specialize in quantitative trading development, legal technology innovation, and blockchain regulatory strategy, serving both institutional and retail clients. My unique combination of skills allows me to create solutions at the intersection of traditional finance and emerging technologies:
- Algorithmic Trading: Developing sophisticated trading strategies on QuantConnect and NinjaTrader for equities, options, and futures, including both traditional markets and crypto-adjacent instruments.
- Machine Learning: Building and deploying ML models (XGBoost, LSTM, Reinforcement Learning) for market prediction, regulatory compliance automation, and risk assessment.
- Legal Tech & Blockchain Strategy: Analyzing regulatory frameworks for digital assets, stablecoins, and DeFi protocols while developing compliant cross-border structures for emerging financial technologies.
- Cross-Border Regulatory Expertise: Designing regulatory-compliant structures for traditional and digital assets, with deep knowledge of FATCA/CRS, international compliance frameworks, and emerging blockchain regulations.
Blockchain & Legal Tech Innovation
The intersection of law and technology has never been more critical. I focus on helping organizations navigate the regulatory landscape of emerging financial technologies, from stablecoin compliance frameworks to cross-border digital asset structuring. My approach combines traditional regulatory expertise with an understanding of blockchain protocols and their legal implications.
Whether it's analyzing the regulatory treatment of DeFi protocols, structuring compliant tokenization frameworks, or developing automated compliance solutions, I bring a unique perspective that bridges the gap between legal precision and technological innovation.
Technical Expertise
Programming & Quant: Python, C#, Interactive Brokers API, QuantConnect, machine learning frameworks, blockchain analytics
Finance & Legal Tech: Cross-border structuring, regulatory compliance automation, digital asset frameworks, traditional and emerging financial products
Regulatory & Compliance: FATCA/CRS expertise, international regulatory frameworks, blockchain and digital asset regulations
Certifications: AWS Solutions Architect, CQF (Certificate in Quantitative Finance), MBA Finance, LLM
A Unique Perspective
What sets me apart is the rare combination of deep regulatory knowledge, quantitative skills, and emerging technology awareness. I can structure a compliant cross-border digital asset framework in the morning, then deploy a machine learning compliance monitoring system in the afternoon. This multidisciplinary expertise allows me to see opportunities and navigate risks that specialists in any single field might miss.
My experience spans:
- Global institutions: Scotiabank, Citco, PwC (across North America, Europe, Latin America, and the Caribbean)
- Complex products: Traditional funds, digital assets, derivatives, REITs, SPACs, offshore structures
- Multiple jurisdictions: Regulatory frameworks across six continents, with deep expertise in cross-border compliance
- Emerging technologies: Blockchain protocols, legal tech automation, and regulatory innovation
Let's Connect
Whether you need someone to navigate complex regulatory requirements, develop quantitative strategies for traditional or digital markets, structure compliant cross-border frameworks, or bridge the gap between legal expertise and technological innovation – I bring a unique perspective that combines regulatory precision with quantitative rigor and forward-thinking technology awareness.
Ready to solve complex problems with innovative solutions? Let's talk.
Experience & Education
Design, develop, and deploy trading algorithms for U.S. equities, options (single/combos), and futures in QuantConnect. Serve international retail and institutional clients. Strategies include trend-following, momentum, reversals, and VIX basis arbitrage. Built and integrated machine learning models (XGBoost, KNN, LSTM, Reinforcement Learning) for market prediction and trading decisions.
Global technical lead, advising global lines of business and operations in Canada, Caribbean, Latin America and Asia on U.S. IRC Ch. 3, Ch. 4 and CRS international tax reporting of complex financial products (brokerage of U.S. securities, Scotiabank SPVs, derivatives, PE, SPACs). Provided legal and tax advice to Wealth Management, Retail and Institutional Brokerages regarding FATCA/CRS/IRC Ch3 compliance.
Continued technical leadership in global tax compliance and reporting, with expanded responsibilities across multiple jurisdictions and complex financial products.
Global tax lead for information reporting within the Corporate & Trust division and technical advisor to the Hedge Fund Management division. Advised on U.S. FATCA and CRS compliance for offshore trusts, funds, and UHNW holding structures. Represented Citco in FATCA/CRS industry working groups in the Cayman Islands, Bahamas, and Bermuda.
Managed real estate and international tax projects involving cross-border fund structuring, M&A, and tax optimization for global clients. Set up and structuring of a Canadian based global infrastructure asset manager. REIT exit planning for German institutional investor in Canadian Real Estate holdings.
Co-led the FATCA/CRS consulting and reporting services in the Tax – Financial Services group. Managed technical memoranda, risk assessments, and deal structuring models for international clients.
Advised on inbound and outbound cross-border tax projects for financial services clients. Conducted tax due diligence for target investments and helped structure fund and feeder vehicles for global investors. Structured a global core real estate fund (UK LP) and conducted tax due diligence across 6+ countries.
Specialized MBA program focusing on investments, risk management, and financial markets analysis.
Master of Laws with specialization in finance, providing deep understanding of financial law and regulations.
Bachelor of Laws degree. Called to the Brazilian Bar in 2001 (Bar exam ranking: 24th of 386).
Certification demonstrating expertise in AI and machine learning services on AWS platform.
Certification demonstrating expertise in designing and deploying scalable, highly available systems on AWS.
Comprehensive program covering quantitative finance, derivatives pricing, risk management, and algorithmic trading.
Brazilian certification covering fundamentals of asset management and investment principles.