Dr. Monica Vessio

Senior Research Associate
Name: Monica Vessio
Centre for Banking Law Research Associates  Staff Members

Contact Details:

Email: m.l.vessio@reading.ac.uk

About Dr. Monica Vessio

Designation at current place of employment: Lecturer in Commercial Law, School of Law, University of Reading

Research interests:  Commercial Law (supply chains, circular economy); Contract Law (smart contracts, relational theory); Consumer Credit Law, Banking, Financial Regulation and Digital Banking (with focus on digital money and payments); Business Law; International and Comparative Law; Socio-legal Studies

Dr. Monica Vessio is a legal scholar, previously practitioner specializing in the evolving intersections of Banking, Financial Regulation and disruptive technologies. Her research is at the cutting edge of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Blockchain applications in cryptocurrencies, with a particular focus on their transformative impact on digital money, and payment systems.

Dr. Vessio holds a BA and LLB from Rhodes University and an LLM (cum laude, with academic colours) and LLD from the University of Pretoria (South Africa). She further earned a postgraduate certificate in academic professional development from the University of Exeter (United Kingdom) and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (HEA). A qualified attorney in South Africa, she has extensive experience consulting for banks and financial institutions and has also served as a presenter for attorneys under the Black Lawyers Association (BLA).

Currently, Dr. Vessio is a Lecturer in Banking and Commercial Law at the University of Reading (United Kingdom), where she is an active member of the Centre for Commercial Law and Financial Regulation (CCFLR). She is also the co-author of Banking Law and Practice, an authoritative text updated annually. Her scholarly contributions include numerous peer-reviewed book chapters and articles published in accredited law journals in South Africa, United Kingdom and the EU. Her work has been cited in multiple high-profile judicial decisions, including rulings by the Constitutional Court, Supreme Court of Appeal and High Courts.

Dr. Vessio has been invited to speak at leading international conferences across South Africa, England, Wales, Germany, Denmark, and Northern Ireland. She was also invited to speak on Blockchain and Cryptocurrencies on Webinars hosted by LexisNexis and Jeremy Maggs. Her research continues to push the boundaries of legal frameworks governing AI-driven financial ecosystems, Blockchain-based transactional models, and digital payment innovations, contributing to the evolution of commercial and financial law in an increasingly technology-driven world.