DJCE, Faculty of Law Paul Cézanne, Aix-Marseille III University
LLM, Faculty of Law Paul Cézanne, Aix-Marseille III University
LLB, Faculty of Law Paul Cézanne, Aix-Marseille III University
+856 21 262 355 
Dino Santaniello is the head of Tilleke & Gibbins' office in Laos. He has broad experience across many fields of law, including patents and trademarks, privacy and data protection, corporate establishment, licensing, and commercial transactions. Dino advises both domestic and international companies on legal matters in Laos and Thailand, and based on the strengths of his client service and legal expertise, is recognized as leading lawyer in Laos by Asialaw Leading Lawyers, Chambers Asia-Pacific, IFLR 1000, and The Legal 500 Asia Pacific.
Prior to joining Tilleke & Gibbins, Dino worked as an in-house counsel in the insurance and oil and gas industries. During this time, he advised on corporate and commercial issues, as well as intellectual property matters such as trade secrets and restrictive covenants.
Dino has spent significant time in studying foreign languages with the aim of helping inbound investors entering into Asian markets. He is fluent in French, English, Lao, and Thai, and he is conversant in Korean.
- Assisted one of the largest banks in the United States by advising on a close-out netting with a local bank in Laos. This was the first agreement of its kind in Laos and represented a major landmark, both for the banking industry and for our client’s activities in the emerging market.
- Engaged by a major U.S.-based consumer bank to advise on the provision of offshore banking services in Laos. We also advised the client on local banking regulations, securities markets, doing business, permitted banking operations, foreign exchange regulations, and tax in each jurisdiction.
- Advised a leading Thai stockbroker by providing advice on the issuance of bonds in Laos. Our legal opinion touched on various issues such as the definition of debentures, guarantees required, the trading of debentures, and banking and custodian services in Laos.
- Secured a EUR 300 million loan to support the renewal of a shipping services company’s fleet providing logistics to oil and gas companies operating worldwide. The loan was provided by a pool of local French banks and foreign banks.
- Completed a transfer of ownership of 25 vessels for an oil and gas company as part of sale and bareboat charter agreements signed with two large banks. The transfer, valued at approximately USD 913 million, was completed within a year and was one of the biggest deals that year in the industry. The income generated by the sale allowed the company to hasten the renewal of old and obsolete vessels.
- Secured a loan of EUR 90 million for a client offering shipping services to oil and gas companies to improve and upgrade two vessels operating in the North Sea. This allowed the company to improve its fleet in this part of the world and provide cost-efficient vessels in a highly competitive industry.