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0193_0415_Brazil indiv.qxp 11/8/11 08:27 Page 193 www.chambersandpartners.com Brazil How lawyers are ranked Contents: Every year we carry out thousands of in-depth Aviation p.194 Banking & Finance p.197 interviews with clients in order to assess the Bankruptcy/Restructuring p.201 reputation and expertise of business lawyers Capital Markets p.204 across Latin America. The qualities we look for Competition/Antitrust p.209 (and which determine rankings) include techni- Corporate/M&A p.214 cal legal ability, professional conduct, client Dispute Resolution p.225 service, commercial awareness/astuteness, Energy & Natural Resources diligence and commitment. p.233 Post-publication changes to editorial can be Environment p.239 found on www.chambersandpartners.com Insurance p.242 Intellectual Property p.245 International Trade/WTO p.248 Labour & Employment p.250 Life Sciences p.254 Media & Entertainment p.256 Product Liability p.258 Projects p.260 Public Law p.264 Real Estate p.266 Shipping p.270 Tax p.272 Telecommunications & Technology p.280 Timberland Investment p.282 Leading Individuals p.283 OVERVIEW Leading Law Firms p.340 While several countries are still recovering ticks all the boxes when it comes to a full- the country’s leading capital markets firms from the economic downturn, Brazil’s econ- service offering, with a sizeable team of and also excels in banking & finance. omy continues to enjoy steady growth. Legal experts that can handle a large volume of Medium-sized and boutique firms have practices dedicated to corporate/M&A deals. TozziniFreire also belongs to the benefited considerably from intense local experience a constant influx of novel work country’s top tier of full-service firms. It activity in the middle and small market- generated by both considerable internal continues to nurture an impressive clien- place. Xavier Bernardes e Bragança is an market consolidation and international tele and its strong track record speaks for example of a firmly established medium- expansion of domestic companies. Foreign itself. M&A powerhouse Barbosa, sized firm and is perhaps best known for its investments continue to arrive in the coun- Müssnich & Aragão houses a team of high- thriving tax practice. Meanwhile, Lefosse try at a rapid rate and have proved a signifi- ly experienced lawyers and continues to be Advogados is gaining recognition in the cant source for new mandates; over the past involved in a large number of sophisticated capital markets sector. Trench, Rossi e year a notable level of investment and inter- transactions. Mattos Filho, Veiga Filho, Watanabe offers a broad international plat- est has come from Asia and private equity Marrey Jr. e Quiroga is another full-service form as part of Baker & McKenzie’s global investors in particular. firm that stands out not only for its M&A network. Other prominent names include The country’s leading law firms consist expertise but also for the breadth and Demarest e Almeida, Levy & Salomão of a potent group of traditional full-service depth of its capital markets and finance Advogados, Felsberg, Pedretti e Mannrich firms and more recently established and practice. Souza, Cescon, Barrieu & Flesch Advogados e Consultores Legais and highly specialised firms, comprising continues to expand its presence in the cor- Azevedo Sette Advogados. Veirano Machado, Meyer, Sendacz e Opice, porate/M&A arena and has lately been Advogados retains a solid market share of Pinheiro Neto Advogados, TozziniFreire highly active in assisting clients with a transactional corporate work and also Advogados, Barbosa, Müssnich & Aragão, range of high-profile transactions that are stands out for its in-depth expertise in Mattos Filho, Veiga Filho, Marrey Jr. e reshaping the market. international trade and energy & natural Quiroga Advogados and Souza, Cescon, Capital markets is another practice area resources. Ulhôa Canto, Rezende e Guerra Barrieu & Flesch Advogados. which continues to generate interest from Advogados is also an energy big-hitter and Pinheiro Neto continues to impress with domestic and international players. 2010 excels in corporate and tax matters. an enviable reputation that extends far was a particularly interesting year as all the On the energy & natural resources side, beyond the country’s borders. The firm cel- country’s major law firms were involved in last year was another strong one for the ebrates its 70th anniversary in 2012 and some capacity in Petrobras’ record-break- country. Oil & gas players continue to pre- stands out for providing legal services of ing equity offering, which raised USD69 pare themselves for the future exploration the highest quality across a vast range of billion. Machado, Meyer, Sendacz e Opice of pre-salt blocks, while the power sector practice areas. Machado, Meyer, Sendacz e acted as deal counsel for Petrobras. noticed an increase of investment in Opice is another long-established firm that Pinheiro Guimarães Advogados is one of renewables, particularly in relation to wind 193 0193_0415_Brazil indiv.qxp 11/8/11 08:27 Page 194 Brazil Aviation www.chambersandpartners.com power. On the mining side, several strategi- Marques Advocacia and Sundfeld Sterling LLP. Mayer Brown, Milbank, cally important cross-border M&A deals Advogados. On the dispute resolution side, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy LLP, Allen & were closed, both inbound and outbound. L.O. Baptista Advogados, Sergio Bermudes Overy, Chadbourne & Parke LLP and Boutique firm Schmidt, Valois, Miranda, Advogados, Andrade & Fichtner Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP have Ferreira e Agel – Advogados has a long- Advogados and Wald e Associados recently added to the list of international standing dedication to this area, while Tauil Advogados lead the way. firms with offices in Brazil, while Uría & Chequer Advogados is quickly expand- International law firms continue to play Menéndez and DLA Piper have tightened ing its offering following its association a key role in cross-border transactions and their links with the country through associ- with international firm Mayer Brown LLP. have secured a valuable stake in the coun- ations with local firms. An increase in out- Life sciences and public law are new try’s legal market. Those with a longer his- bound and inbound investments also saw practice areas added to this year’s guide, tory on the ground are White & Case LLP international offshore heavyweight and the tables are mostly populated by and Clifford Chance. They are followed by Conyers Dill & Pearman launch its boutique firms. Firms such as Mattos Baker & McKenzie and Linklaters, which Brazilian office a few years ago. Simpson Muriel Kestener Advogados and Vicente maintain close associations with local firms Thacher & Bartlett LLP and Davis Polk & Nogueira Advogados display very niche Lefosse and Trench, Rossi e Watanabe, Wardwell LLP have already announced expertise in issues related to industries that respectively. Other established internation- plans to open their own offices in São are heavily regulated by the health and safe- al names include Clyde & Co, Proskauer Paulo and to establish teams permanently ty authorities. Leading public law firms are Rose, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & based in the country. Manesco, Ramires, Perez, Azevedo Flom LLP & Affiliates and Shearman & AVIATION Aviation: Finance Advocacia Amaral Dinkhuysen and large international carriers, insurance Leading Firms This traditional aviation boutique is highly and reinsurance companies, as well as man- regarded for its strengths in the regulatory ufacturers of aircraft parts. Patricia Band 1 Basch & Rameh sector. The team advises a large number of Henriette Antonini (see p.284) heads the Machado, Meyer, Sendacz e Opice ✳ national operators, including Gol Airlines, department and is hailed by sources as Pinheiro Neto Advogados ✳ on a wide range of regulatory and commer- “experienced, knowledgeable and deter- Xavier Bernardes e Bragança ✳ cial matters. In recent highlights, it provid- mined.” She is capably supported by Paulo ed advice on a concession agreement Sérgio De Lorenzi (see p.298) who Band 2 between Infraero and Morro Vermelho Táxi impresses sources with “his in-depth under- Advocacia Amaral Dinkhuysen Aereo in connection with space allocation standing of aviation legislation.” Band 3 at Congonhas airport. On the transactional Bernardi & Schnapp Advogados side, the team recently assisted VRG Linhas Basch & Rameh Felsberg, Pedretti e Mannrich Advogados ✳ ✳ Aéreas with a large volume of financings Basch & Rameh is undoubtedly one of the Ulhôa Canto, Rezende e Guerra Advogados and the delivery of 12 new Boeing aircraft. most respected firms for aviation finance in Sources enthuse that “the firm has an excel- Brazil and regularly handles high-yield Leading Individuals lent level of expertise that distinguishes it operations and complex transactions. One Star individuals from the rest of the market and it is extreme- of the group’s primary strong suits is its Xavier Albernaz Lynch Maria Regina ✳ ly client-focused.” Department head Mira close working relationships with interna- Band 1 Zimmermann Dinkhuysen (see p.339) is a tional institutions, including a number of ✳ Zimmermann Dinkhuysen Mira Amaral go-to lawyer for regulatory and finance prestigious banks, US and European credit Band 2 issues and is well respected for “her in-depth agencies, venture capital companies and Castro Cunha Derenusson Ana Luisa Xavier ✳ knowledge, flexibility and precise and leasing companies. The group has had a de Carvalho Adolpho Julio Pinheiro Neto