Mr. Lawton founded Seagate Global Group in 1996. He led the team to help modernize The People's Bank of China.  Lawton was founding CEO of China Everbright's asset management company.  He is the inventor of  the Lawton Bond Model used by Seagate to create its prize winning track record.  Lawton is responsible for Seagate’s overall philosophy, strategy and investment activities. He maintains close, senior-level relationships with key government and industry leaders in China, South East Asia, and around the world. He is a proponent of ESG finance, meaning he uses financial markets to help people and the planet while seeking to produce exceptional investment returns. Lawton has a 30-year history as a professional investor and helped set up and manage six institutional investment operations at global financial entities.  Lawton holds a BA degree in economics from UC Berkeley, a MA in International Economics from Middlebury Institute and a MBA in Finance from Columbia University. Mr. Lawton was Adjunct Professor of Finance at Tsinghua University. He is working on a general theory of financial markets.

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Gustavo Cortes de Lima

Partner - Legal and Environmental

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Mr. Gustavo Cortes de Lima is a leading legal and environmental expert on designing and implementing global sustainability systems and projects. Mr. Lima has provided guidance to governments, funds, and companies on sustainable development and environmental solutions.

 

Mr. Lima develops Food Security Programs based on sustainable production models and Reforestation and Environmental Preservation Projects. Also Mr. Lima is developing the Masterplan for inland waterways in the Amazon, as a strategy to replace oil with more sustainable solutions for navigation on the Amazon River and its tributaries.

Previously, he was the attorney of the Brazilian public companies in the energy and infrastructure sector, as well as for the National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES) and the Financing Agency for Studies and Projects - Finep. Also, as electoral attorney to the Labor Party including the Brazil’s current President and helped establish Brazil’s Sustainable Development Fund, contributing to the preservation of over 100,000 acres of rainforest and creating tradable carbon offsets on the London Stock Exchange.

Mr. Cortes de Lima has also developed legal frameworks for sustainability and infrastructure projects globally, focusing on climate funds and export credit structuring. He designed an innovation platform for various sectors, tackling socio-environmental challenges.

His past roles include Director of Infrastructure, Energy, and Foreign Affairs at FIESP, Human Rights Consultant with the OAS/UN in Haiti, and UN Electoral Process Observer.

Languages: Portuguese (native), English, Haitian Creole, Italian, French, German, and Spanish.