The Legal 500

Brazil

Bankruptcy and restructuring

Bankruptcy and restructuring - ranked: tier 4

Siqueira Castro – Advogados

Siqueira Castro – Advogados has a broad practice that spans restructurings, renegotiation of debt and credit recovery, with experience acting for both debtors and creditors. In one major case, André Gondinho and Guilherme Dantas are acting as one of the main external counsels to Avianca in the company’s judicial reorganisation. Recent internal developments included the promotion of Alexandre Wider and Marina Magalhães Gomes Ramacciotti to partner.

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Competition and antitrust

Competition and antitrust - ranked: tier 4

Siqueira Castro – Advogados

Recommended firm Siqueira Castro – Advogados acts for individuals and companies in cartel investigations before CADE. Competition and criminal law expert João Daniel Rassi is recommended. Marina de Araújo Lopes, whose practice encompasses competition, compliance and regulatory law, made partner in 2018. Guilherme Dantas and Heitor Faro de Castro co-head the department.

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Corporate and M&A

Corporate and M&A - ranked: tier 5

Siqueira Castro – Advogados

Siqueira Castro – Advogados distinguishes itself through its extensive office network across Brazil. The sizeable team is also equipped to handle cross-border mandates. In addition to its transactional workload, the team regularly advises clients on corporate and contractual matters, and its full-service offering allows it to provide comprehensive coverage of other areas, including competition and tax. For example, Carlos Fernando Siqueira Castro and Fábio Korenblum advised an engineering company in a range of business law issues, including environmental and regulatory matters. Elsewhere, a cross-departmental team that included corporate partner Sérgio Ricardo Fogolin assisted a public-listed company with the acquisition of two companies. Marina Magalhães Gomes Ramacciotti made partner in 2019. Guilherme Dantas is a key contact.

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Dispute resolution (including White-collar crime)

Dispute resolution (including White-collar crime) - ranked: tier 5

Siqueira Castro – Advogados

Dispute Resolution: Arbitration - ranked: tier 3

Siqueira Castro – Advogados

'A huge law firm with presence in various states of Brazil', Siqueira Castro – Advogados has 'great knowledge of local markets and players'. It provides a comprehensive service in dispute resolution, covering litigation, arbitration and corporate crime. In recent work, a team led by Carlos Roberto Siqueira Castro and Daniela Soares Domingues acted for Vecttor in a class action suit claiming damages for environmental and ecological damage. Litigator Fabio Coutinho Kurtz has strong experience in consumer and aeronautical law; and João Daniel Rassi is a highly-rated criminal lawyer.

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Environment

Environment - ranked: tier 3

Siqueira Castro – Advogados

Siqueira Castro – Advogados is a firm with unparalleled reach across Brazil. Contentious issues are a particular focus. For example, the group is representing AES Brasil in several cases concerning irregular occupations on environmentally protected areas surrounding the hydroelectric power plants and concerning vegetation suppression around transmissions energy lines. BASF, Bunge Alimentos and Cosan Logística are also clients. Simone Paschoal Nogueira and Marina Vieira Freire Colósio are the two partners on the team following public law expert Renato Otto Kloss' departure to Vella Pugliese Buosi e Guidoni Advogados in February 2019.

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Insurance

Insurance - ranked: tier 3

Siqueira Castro – Advogados

Siqueira Castro – Advogados excels in health and aviation insurance, and is particularly active in insurance-related litigation. In a recent highlight, practice co-heads Fabio Coutinho Kurtz and André Frossard Albuquerque acted for Medial Saúde in several cases before Brazilian courts and administrative entities. Alexandre Wider, whose broad practice includes insurance and reinsurance, was promoted to partner in 2018.

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Intellectual property

Intellectual property - ranked: tier 3

Siqueira Castro – Advogados

Eduardo Ribeiro Augusto and Márcio Costa de Menezes e Gonçalves lead Siqueira Castro – Advogados' 'reliable and professional' IP team, which handles mostly IP prosecution and litigation. Examples are the monitoring of illegal importation of counterfeit products on behalf of Globosat, and representing Peixe Urbano in trade mark litigation.

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International trade and customs

International trade and customs - ranked: tier 4

Siqueira Castro – Advogados

Siqueira Castro – Advogados combines tax, customs and intellectual property to advise clients on importation of goods, tax classification and counterfeiting issues. Bianca Xavier in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo-based Márcio Costa de Menezes e Gonçalves are key contacts.

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Labour and employment

Labour and employment - ranked: tier 3

Siqueira Castro – Advogados

With a large and well-qualified team, Siqueira Castro – Advogados has the size and experience to handle a high number of labour disputes. André de Souza Santos joined from Pipek Penteado e Paes Manso Advogados in 2018; he and Otavio Pinto e Silva acted for a construction company in a dispute brought by a high-level employee. Manuela Tavares co-heads the team.

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Projects and infrastructure

Projects and infrastructure - ranked: tier 4

Siqueira Castro – Advogados

Siqueira Castro – Advogados acts for both national and international companies on a broad range of infrastructure projects. For example, it assisted Fraport with airport concession bidding rounds and advised Construtora Passarelli on administrative contracts. Fernando Villela de Andrade Vianna joined Vella Pugliese Buosi e Guidoni Advogados.

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Public law

Public law - ranked: tier 2

Siqueira Castro – Advogados

Major public and private companies turn to Siqueira Castro – Advogados for assistance in public bids and administrative proceedings. Public law has been a focal area for the firm for several decades, and the team combines knowledge of administrative, regulatory, environmental and corporate law. Carlos Roberto Siqueira Castro is a well-known figure in the market. In internal developments, Renata de Abreu Martins and Rodrigo Alexander Calazans Macedo were promoted to partner in 2018, while Fernando Villela de Andrade Vianna joined Vella Pugliese Buosi e Guidoni Advogados in 2019.

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Real estate

Real estate - ranked: tier 4

Siqueira Castro – Advogados

Siqueira Castro – Advogados combines real estate, litigation, environment, tax and project finance expertise. In contentious work, Daniela Soares Domingues and Alexandre Wider acted for a financial services company in a breach of contract case involving the sale and purchase of real estate. Andre Frossard Albuquerque handles infrastructure and property disputes.

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Tax

Tax - ranked: tier 4

Siqueira Castro – Advogados

Tax Litigation - ranked: tier 3

Siqueira Castro – Advogados

The 'experienced' tax partners at Siqueira Castro – Advogados are split between multiple offices. Clients include well-known companies in the agribusiness, financial services and tech sectors, among others. I Jen Huang and Gabriela Miziara Jajah made partner in 2018. Maucir Fregonesi Junior, Bianca Ramos Xavier and Marluzi Andrea Costa Barros are the practice heads.

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Brazil: Energy and natural resources

Electricity

Electricity - ranked: tier 1

Siqueira Castro – Advogados

In a headline market move, early 2019 saw Siqueira Castro – Advogados absorb leading Sao Paulo-based energy specialists Advocacia Waltenberg. The former managing partner of the acquired boutique, David Waltenberg, now leads the combined energy practice group, which is spread between the national firm’s Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro offices. In addition to Waltenberg’s regulatory prowess, the wider firm also brings to bear significant expertise in administrative litigation, licensing, environmental issues and project development. Energy and environmental specialist Simone Paschoal Nogueira is also recommended.

Leading individuals

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Hydrocarbons

Hydrocarbons - ranked: tier 4

Siqueira Castro – Advogados

Siqueira Castro – Advogados handles a mix of contentious, environmental and regulatory work for key industry names, including Petrobras Transporte, National Oilwell Varco and White Martins Gases Industriais. Among its recent cases, it represented Petrobras Transporte in a $10m recovery claim against Techno Layer Tecnologia Em Revestimento. Carlos Roberto Siqueira Castro and Rodrigo Alexander Calazans Macedo are the key contacts.

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Mining

Mining - ranked: tier 4

Siqueira Castro – Advogados

Major national and multinational mining companies turn to Siqueira Castro – Advogados for support on a wide range of regulatory and transactional issues. The litigation powerhouse is particularly well positioned to advise on contentious environmental and administrative law cases, but it also handles non-contentious issues, including due diligence procedures and contract negotiations. The firm routinely represents Vale in regulatory and administrative proceedings and it also counts Companhia Riograndense de Valorização de Resíduos and Mineração Buritirama as key clients. Simone Paschoal Nogueira and Carlos Roberto Siqueira Castro co-head the department.

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