Biography
Professional Experience
Bepi Pezzulli is a senior executive with international experience in government, finance, and industry. He also qualified as an Avvocato in Italy, a Solicitor of the Senior Courts of England & Wales, and an Attorney-at-Law in New York (1999-2019).
Professional Career
Specialized in corporate finance, shadow banking, and fintech, he manages IPOs, secondary sales, block trades, recapitalizations, mergers & acquisitions, divestitures, spin-offs, structured monetizations, equity swaps, and collared loans on a cross-border basis.
He also provides advisory services on the economic opportunities and operational risks arising at the intersection of technology, finance, and geopolitics.
He practiced law at Sullivan & Cromwell LLP and Shearman & Sterling LLP (now A&O Shearman) in New York before transitioning to managerial roles at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and BlackRock (NYSE: BLK) in London.
In the Board Room
He has served on the Board of Directors of Finlombarda SpA, an investment bank (non-executive director), the British Chamber of Commerce for Italy Ltd (non-executive director), and Italia Online SpA (MIB: IOL), a digital media company (corporate secretary) .
Academic Interests
He carries out research on the impact of innovation on financial markets, financial regulation, financial architecture, financial stability, governance, and risk management.
His research extends to the use of economic and financial power afor foreign policy purposes. Within this context, he develops defensive strategies to protect economic leadership and affirmative strategies to promote investment and trade.
Awards & Recognitions
In-House Community Award 2016 (In-House Counsel of the Year); GC Power List 2016 (Italy); Professional Excellency Award Proiezioni di Borsa 2021.
Education
Columbia University |
Juris Doctor
(Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar)
Capital Markets & Investment Management
New York University |
Master of Laws
Capital Markets & Investment Management
Università di Roma LUISS |
Bachelor of Laws
Capital Markets & Investment Management
Nunziatella Military Academy |
Fellow of the 198th Cadet Class
Research and Publications
[An Alternative View of Brexit]
Class Publishing House, 2018
Abstract: Brexit can be viewed both as a hedge for global financial markets against the exportation of systemic risk from the Eurozone and as an opportunity to accelerate innovation within the UK financial services industry. On one hand, Brexit enables the UK to distance itself from the potential contagion risks arising from economic instability within the Eurozone, positioning London as a more independent and resilient financial hub. On the other, it offers the UK an unparalleled opportunity to redefine its regulatory framework, fostering a more flexible and dynamic environment for financial innovation, particularly in emerging sectors such as fintech and digital currencies.
62 VA. J. INT'L L. ONLINE 33 (2021) (with R. Tenconi)
Abstract: This paper illustrates the process of repealing EU law in the United Kingdom following Brexit.
[Deterrence and Friendly Fire. Effects of International Sanctions on Russia's Foreign Debt and the Global Financial Order]
DIALOGHI DIR. ECON. (April 2022) (with A. Lupoi)
Abstract: This paper explains that whilst Russia cannot repay its foreign debt in roubles as opposed to U.S. dollars, in the presence of a fallback option, international sanctions prevent CDS protection buyers form delivering Russian refence obligations to protection sellers.
[A Step Aside and a Leap Forward. As Brexit Incentivized the United Kingdom to Embrace the "Twin Transitions", Legal and Regulatory Reforms Are Needed to Make Global Britain a Success]
DIALOGHI DIR. ECON. (July 2022) (with R. Tenconi)
Abstract: This essay explains that Brexit has been a vehicle to reposition the British economy atop a highly disruptive transformation of the world economy, powered by the ‘big six’ digital technologies (blockchain, big data, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, cloud, e-commerce).
Contratto sociale, redistribuzione ed efficienza: Il caso per la Flat Tax. Una tassa da terza via?
[Social Contract, Redistribution, Efficiency: The Case for a Flat Tax. Taxation for the Third Way?]
4 INNOVAZIONE DIR. 43 (2022)
Abstract: This paper criticizes the public discourse on the Flat Tax, which emphasizes the redistributive effects of the tax system. But in doing so, it fails to address its goals with respect to simplification, efficiency and transparency, as convoluted progressive taxes fuel frictions on savings and investment. Additionally, there exists an opportunity to build incentives against government spending inflation. This paper also explains the costs, benefits, and micro and macro effects of the possible tax reform, from an economic efficiency perspective.
La caduta dei Titani (bancari): storia idiosincratica o rischio sistemico?
[The Fall of the (Banking) Titans: Idiosyncratic Story or Systemic Risk?]
DIALOGHI DIR. ECON. (May 2023)
Abstract: This paper theorizes that the recent banks’ bankruptcies tell an idiosyncratic story rather than dreading a systemic crisis. SVB’s hyper-specialised business model and an attempted arbitrage over accounting rules have caused its fall, just as Credit Suisse folded after over ten years of poor governance. However, systemic risk appears to lie in wait: after 20 years of expansionary monetary policy, the turmoil in the banking sector leaves central banks caught between the struggle to tame inflation and the need to preserve financial stability.
[Capitals Courageous - A Financial Journey From the Streets of San Francisco to the Skyscrapers of Wall Street]
Armando Publishing House, 2023
Abstract: This book explains that private capital funds transformative industries, which in the medium-to-long-term can build a competitive advantage over the market. In doing so, it illustrates the role of private capital in the economy, taking the reader on a journey "from the streets of San Francisco to the skyscrapers of Wall Street".
Surviving the Stampede: Market-Based Resolutions Vis-à-Vis Overregulation
64 VA. J. INT’L L. ONLINE 1 (2023)
Abstract: This paper examines the contrasting resolution mechanisms for banking failures in the United States and Switzerland by analyzing the cases of Silicon Valley Bank, Credit Suisse, Signature Bank, and First Republic Bank. Factors contributing to their downfall are explored, such as SVB’s excessive exposure to endogenous risk and Credit Suisse’s poor governance and compliance blunders. The resolution mechanisms used in each country—deposit guarantees in the US and corporate law changes in Switzerland—are compared, highlighting the need for a balance between regulatory frameworks and market discipline to mitigate future crises. Effective risk management, robust governance structures, and strict compliance are emphasized as crucial components in ensuring a stable financial system.
“Long Live the Lords!” Tradition, Reform, and the Enduring Balance of British Democracy
THE SAIS REV. OF INT’L AFFS. (December 2024)
Abstract: This essay takes the dive into the history, critique of modern reforms, and the case for preserving the noble heritage of the UK Upper House.
THE FLETCHER F. OF WORLD AFFS. (December 2024)
Abstact: This essay explores the UK's cession of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius—a strategic gem sacrificed on the altar of virtue signalling. What does this mean for geopolitics and global governance?