The Credit Suisse team working on the Banco Santander Brasil initial public offering - the largest in the world this year - travelled to four continents in two and a half weeks to secure the deal, a hectic schedule that reaped dividends. Writer John Rumsey
The economic downturn has temporarily alleviated the pressure on Brazil's regional banks. They are using that breathing space to seek efficiencies, including cost cutting, improving customer service and seeking capital from new sources. They need to move fast: as national banks recover, acquisition of regional banks will once again become an attractive expansion strategy. Writer John Rumsey
Key country: Brazil is the most important market in Latin America for HSBCHSBC's spectacular expansion in Latin America over the past 10 years has certainly paid dividends, with the group now the fifth largest in the region. Head of HSBC Latin America, Emilson Alonso, offers his views on the business and its strategy for the future. Writer Jane Monahan
Strict regulation, high capital and reserve requirements, and low levels of debt mean Brazil's banks are flourishing and in a good position to capitalise if their US and European competitors should pull back. Writer Brian CaplenCover stars: Brazilian bankers are still feted rather than reviled, unlike their colleagues in the US and Europe
As corporate social responsibility increases in prominence within business models, new strategies for implementation are being tried and tested across the banking industry. In Brazil, corporate governance has progressed significantly in recent years, yet it still has a long way to go, as The Banker's round table revealed. The round table is sponsored by Bradesco but independently edited by The Banker.