Highly rated shipping boutique Farinon, Carvalho da Silva & Advogados Associados has been operating in the market for 50 years. The firm advises clients from across all corners of the market, including shipowners, charterers, P&I clubs, agencies, port operators and salvage companies. It is often the first port of call for clients seeking advice on marine casualties and groundings, as well as broader dry shipping issues. In addition to maritime law, the team also has substantial expertise in environmental law and foreign trade issues. Its lawyers ‘deliver what they promise'; partners Jose Augusto Marques, Roberto Farinon and Ruy Fernando Carvalho Da Silva are all ‘very experienced lawyers who complement each other, resulting in the delivery of a good job’.
Transport: Shipping in Brazil
Farinon, Carvalho da Silva & Advogados Associados
Practice head(s):
Roberto Porto Farinon; Ruy Fernando Carvalho da Silva; José Augusto Mendes Marques
Testimonials
‘Our long-lasting relationship with this law firm simply confirms our satisfaction with their legal work, which has played a key role in the success of our expansion projects over the last years.’
‘José Augusto Marques is a dynamic and proactive lawyer with a solid background in Maritime Law and a strong focus on shipping matters.’
‘They deliver what they promise. Very substantiated comments supported with evidence of jurisprudence. Reasonable prices.’
‘Roberto Farinon, Ruy Fernando, Jose Augusto Mendes Marques – very experienced lawyers who complement each other, resulting in the delivery of a good job.’
Key clients
Steamship Mutual Management (Bermuda)
Steamship Insurance Management Services
SMIT SALVAGE
Bulkhaul Limited
Boskalis Do Brasil Dragagem e Serviços Marítimos
Frota de Petroleiros do Sul (PETROSUL)
SINDOP RG (Association of Port Operators of Rio Grande, RS)
SAAM Towage
TT Club
Work highlights
- Advised the owners of the barge “Prof. Luiz L. De Faria” on the approval of a salvage plan after it ran aground in Porto Alegre.
Kincaid | Mendes Vianna Advogados
Kincaid | Mendes Vianna Advogados fields a ‘hands-on, knowledgeable, efficient and practical' team, with practitioners who are among ‘the best maritime lawyers in Brazil'. The practice covers every aspect of the market, from insurance, cargo and charterparty disputes, through to debt recovery proceedings and maritime accidents and ship arrests. On the non-contentious side, it provides corporate advice on the launch of new shipping companies, and assists in shipbuilding and financing agreements, as well as related employment, registration, environmental and customs issues. The firm’s deep bench of partners includes disputes expert Godofredo Mendes Vianna (‘a star individual'), and Camila Mendes Vianna Cardoso
and Lucas Leite Marques, who ‘maintain constant contact to position cases, recommend strategies and warn of possible problems that may arise'. Iwam Jaeger is also active in contentious and non-contentious insurance matters.
Practice head(s):
Camila Mendes Vianna Cardoso; Godofredo Mendes Vianna; Iwam Jaeger
Testimonials
‘They are among the best maritime lawyers in Brazil. Hands-on, knowledgeable, efficient and practical.’
‘Godofredo Mendes Vianna is a star individual.’
‘Kincaid offers expertise in all matters related to maritime law, including the handling of labor claims involving seafarers or port workers. Furthermore, it is familiar with the treatment to be given to P&I Clubs, providing regular reports, possible strategies for each case and recommendations.’
‘Camila Mendes Vianna Cardoso and Lucas Leite Marques maintain constant contact with our team to position cases, recommend strategies, and warn of possible problems that may arise with suggestions for preventive measures.’
‘The team is very responsive and always able to support within a short time frame.’
‘Very good understanding of the local legislative practices and are able to provide meaning advice.’
Key clients
TMS Offshore
CMM
CBO Companhia Brasileira Offshore
Bram Offshore (Edson Chouest Group)
MSC
CMA – CGM
Celba – Centrais Elétricas de Barcarena
Bravante
Maersk Brasil
Solstad / Farstad
Work highlights
- Advised a joint venture between Atlantis, SK Tecnologia Subaquática and Boskalis do Brasil Dragagem e Serviços Marítimos on its successful public bid for a dredging services contract in the port of Paranaguá.
- Represented Solstad in a lawsuit against Petrobras following the early termination of a charter contract.
- Representing Saipem in lawsuits against Petrobras concerning several unpaid debts.
Shipping Consultoria
Shipping Consultoria is praised for its ‘very collaborative team‘ and ‘very good lawyers‘. The shipping boutique fields a selection of highly experienced partners, including Fernando Porto Filho, who is considered by clients to be ‘outstanding in maritime transport litigation – an excellent lawyer with deep knowledge in the area’. Other key individuals include Fernando Porto, who has over 40 years of experience in the market, handling both ship financings and disputes. On the dry shipping side, Luciano Luz advises on cargo and bills of lading disputes.
Practice head(s):
Fernando Porto
Testimonials
‘We have found them very collaborative, and meeting client requirements with personal attention.’
‘The personal attention to clients’ demands within required deadlines.’
‘Very collaborative team, very good lawyers and good focus on the overall result we want to achieve.’
‘For a number of years we have been working with Shipping Consultoria and we can highlight the competence, professionalism, readiness, availability, partnership and pro-activity in solving commercial and legal problems in the field of maritime law.’
‘It is a unique firm because, in addition to the extreme competence and professionalism that this area demands, the treatment is differentiated and humanised.’
‘Fernando Porto Filho is outstanding in maritime transport litigation – an excellent lawyer with deep knowledge in the area.’
‘Good technical capacity and availability of service.’
Key clients
Companhia de Navegação Norsul
Lyra Navegação Marítima
Hapag-Lloyd
MSC
Camorim Serviços Marítimos
Wilson Sons Shipping Services
Oceanpact
Salinor
Sulnorte Serviços Marítimos
Best Oasis
Work highlights
- Advised a Brazilian shipping conglomerate in obtaining a R$600m financing before BNDES.
- Advised Olam Agricola in arrest proceedings to obtain a R$35m guarantee.
- Advised Coscol (HK) Investment & Development on a charterparty dispute relating to a bankruptcy proceeding and credit recovery in excess of R$100m.
Escritório Jurídico Carbone
Rio de Janeiro-based maritime boutique Escritório Jurídico Carbone has a strong market presence, particularly for contentious claims. Clients include major ship owners, P&I clubs, and trading and salvage companies. Artur Carbone has established a good reputation for shipping advice.
Castro Barros Advogados
Castro Barros Advogados is praised for its ‘quick and hands on’ shipping practice, which has ‘great capacity in maritime litigation’. The popular team handles a broad range of dry and wet shipping disputes and also acts for shipowners, insurers and shipyards on transactional issues, including finance and charterparty agreements. Practice head Olympio Carvalho ‘excels in maritime litigation and advice’ and is noted for his ‘remarkable international experience’. Recently promoted partner Camilla Werneck has ‘extensive experience in the maritime area, with excellent client service’. Associate Ana Luiza Rizzo Cardoso is also singled out for the ‘quality of her work and her dedication’.
Practice head(s):
Olympio de Carvalho e Silva
Testimonials
‘Practical concise advice. Compared to other Brazilians firms we worked with the team is quick and hands-on.’
‘Easily approachable, quick to reply and practical advice instead of long theoretical statements.’
‘I have dealt with Olympio de Carvalho e Silva and Camilla Queiroz Werneck whose assistance was swift, on the spot and clear. I would recommend them to any maritime company seeking assistance in Brazil.’
‘Great capacity in maritime litigation and international experience. High quality professionals, with very well prepared professionals. Great knowledge of the peculiarities of the Navigation market. Excellent client service. We know that the office is a signatory to the UN Global Compact and has created committees to reinforce its responsible social and environmental initiatives. From the professionals who serve us, it seems to us that there is parity between men and women in the maritime team.’
‘Olympio Carvalho is the head of the maritime practice and excels in maritime litigation and advice; he has remarkable international experience.’
‘Camilla Werneck has extensive experience in the maritime area, with excellent client service. Ana Luiza Rizzo is a fully fledged lawyer who already stands out for the quality of her work and her dedication.’
‘The team is always ready to help us at any time and efficiently. Excellent lawyers with a high quality service, who know the market very well. They were always 100% available and dedicated to answering questions. They prioritize client service over charging fees.’
Key clients
Brasbunker Participações
Posidonia Shipping & Trading
Mizuho Sangyo Co.
Navigators Syndicate 1221 at Lloyd’s (now The Hartford)
Golar Spirit UK
Norte Marine Indústria, Reparos e Operações Fluviais
Canpotex Shipping Services
Shipowners’ Club
Fugro Brasil Serviços Submarinos e Levantamentos
Shipowners P&I Club
Work highlights
- Assisted Brasbunker in a group of 43 lawsuits brought by ER Offshore over the non-payment of operational agreements connected to six charter parties entered between ER/Brasbunker and Petrobras.
- Acting as Brasbunker’s counsel in seven of its largest charter-related lawsuits against Petrobras.
- Assisted an FSRU owner in negotiations with Petrobras and litigation against the federal tax authorities regarding the compensation fee arising from the early termination of a charterparty.
Cescon, Barrieu, Flesch & Barreto Sociedade De Advogados
Cescon, Barrieu, Flesch & Barreto Advogados has a versatile practice with a good reputation in the market. The firm’s full-service offering and strong transactional focus give it an edge in high-value and complex corporate and financing mandates, as well as port terminal and offshore oil and gas infrastructure projects. Key partners include Maurício Teixeira Dos Santos for related infrastructure and project financings, and Rafael Baleroni, who leads the firm’s shipping and oil and gas team. Salvador-based partner Gabriel Seijo Leal de Figueiredo is also active on the disputes front. The department's clients include major banks, shipping companies and offshore oil and gas companies.
Practice head(s):
Mauricio Teixeira dos Santos; Rafael Baleroni
Key clients
Bourbon Offshore Marítima
Empresa de Navegação Elcano
Helexia BR
Norskan Offshore
Seadrill Limited
Yinson Boronia Production
ABN AMRO Bank
Credit Agricole Asia Shipfinance
Nordic Trustee
Banco Itaú BBA
Banco Santander (Brasil)
Work highlights
- Advising Bourbon Offshore on the business combination between the Bourbon group and the MLog group.
- Provided assistance to Helexia on a demurrage dispute resulting from a truck drivers’ strike and from contractual disagreements with the foreign exporter of equipment.
- Represented Norskan Offshore in a lawsuit against Petrobras regarding an offshore accident that resulted in the rupture and submersion of the anchoring system of one of the Petrobras’s oil platforms.
Mattos Filho
Mattos Filho is a popular choice for shipping-sector clients seeking a broad range of non-contentious advice. The firm regularly assists clients on major M&As, restructurings, asset sales and acquisitions, financings, and customs and licensing issues. Its clients include major ship owners, energy companies, offshore drillers and port operators, which use the firm for advice on various stages of their supply chains. The full-service firm is also equipped to provide support in related disciplines such as environmental law and litigation when required. Rio de Janeiro-based partner Nilton Mattos heads the young team, which often works alongside major Norwegian, Danish and UK law firms in cross-border shipping transactions.
Key clients
Agropalma
AKOFS
Alunorte (Norsk Hydro)
Blu Logistics
CBO – Companhia Brasileira Offshore
COSCO Shipping
GDE – Grupo Dislub Equador
Ecopetrol
Mercosul Line (CMA-CGM)
Navemazônia (Atem)
Oceânica Engenharia e Consultoria
SBM Offshore
Karavan Seacreast
Shell Brasil
Trident Energy
Valaris
Work highlights
- Represented the CBO Group in the acquisition of Finarge Apoio Marítimo (including the vessel AH Giorgio P).
- Assisted Norsk Hydro in the emergency response involving a ship unloader and a bulk carrier at the Port of Vila do Conde in the state of Pará.
- Represented Grupo Dislub Equador in negotiations to charter a power-ship to make electricity generation capacity available to the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MMA) under an emergency Energy Offer Procedure.
Pedro Calmon Filho & Associados (PCF&A)
Shipping boutique Pedro Calmon Filho & Associados (PCF&A) has been in the market since 1962. Based in Rio de Janeiro, it represents a mix of domestic and international shipowners, P&I clubs, and energy and natural resources companies. Key partners include Pedro Calmon Neto and Henrique Oswaldo Motta.
Promare | Rabb Carvalho Advocacia
Based in Fortaleza in the northeast of Brazil, popular maritime boutique Promare | Rabb Carvalho Advocacia can regularly be seen representing clients from across the country. Major shipowners and operators instruct the firm on their dry and wet shipping matters, as well as international trade and customs. Regular contentious mandates for the department involve ship arrests, maritime accidents and cargo damage, among other matters. Clients also benefit from a 24/7 emergency response team. Lead partner Larry Carvalho is highly regarded. ‘The specialisation of the lawyers allows them to respond quickly to questions’, with partner Mariana Félix a key contact for labour and personal injury issues.
Practice head(s):
Larry Carvalho
Testimonials
‘I’d highlight Larry Carvalho for his availability in the solving of problems, often outside the normal working hours.’
‘The specialisation of the lawyers allows them to respond quickly to questions.’
Key clients
Aliança Navegações
The Standard
Happag Lloyd
Thomas Miller (Hellas)
Marimar
Aço Cearense
Transglobal
Gard
American P&I Club
Shipowners P&I Club
Work highlights
- Advising Galaxia Marítima on a lawsuit regarding the operation agreement for six vessels operating in the Brazilian oil and gas industry.
- Advising Thorco Management, the shipowner, on the need to ratify a sea protest issued weeks before by the captain of a maritime vessel that had just arrived in a Brazilian port.
- Assisting MARFRET in lifting a quarantine imposed on one of its container vessels in French Guiana, where some crew members had tested positive for Covid-19.
Siano & Martins Advogados Associados
Siano & Martins Advogados Associados is a well-regarded shipping boutique with offices in Rio de Janeiro, Santos and Paranaguá. Its clients include shipowners and P&I clubs, and the firm regularly advises on casualty, salvage, cargo loss and damage, and maritime pollution issues. Fabiana Simões Martins and Luiz Roberto Leven Siano are two of the lead partners.
Vieira, Rezende, Barbosa e Guerreiro Advogados
Vieira, Rezende, Barbosa e Guerreiro Advogados has a well-regarded multidisciplinary shipping and offshore practice, which provides ‘clear, helpful, conscientious and practical advice and assistance' and is noted for its ‘extensive knowledge of the Brazilian maritime sector'. Clients include major shipowners, port and terminal owners, P&I clubs and offshore operators. Dry and wet shipping disputes feature prominently in the department's workload, as do insurance claims and support on broader non-contentious matters, including charter and transportation agreements. Bernardo Mendes Vianna is praised for his ‘insightful and clear advice and his considerable knowledge and expertise in the maritime sector', while Daniela Ribeiro Davila is particularly experienced in offshore oil and gas. Former partner Joyce Jacobsen left the firm in November 2021.
Practice head(s):
Bernardo Mendes Vianna; Daniela Ribeiro Davila
Testimonials
‘Clear, helpful, conscientious and practical advice and assistance. They work as if they were a part of our in-house team.’
‘We have worked with Bernardo Mendes Vianna for a number of years and have the highest regard for his insightful and clear advice and his considerable knowledge and expertise in the maritime sector and especially when it comes to the conduct of proceedings in Brazil.’
‘The response was very quick and polite’.
‘Helpful lawyers with extensive knowledge of the Brazilian maritime sector.’
‘Bernardo Mendes Vianna – extensive knowledge in the maritime sector, prompt service and experience in dealing with processes.’
Key clients
Odfjell Terminals (Granel Química)
Japan Ship Owner’s Mutual P&I Association
Nippon Express do Brasil
Nippon Express
Amaggi Navegação (Hermasa Navegação da Amazônia)
SISTAC – Sistemas de Acesso
BW Offshore Serviços Marítimos
The Meco Group (Carina) P&I Club
Ocyan (Gard P&I Club)
Bunge GVA
Yara Brazil
Fertimport
Work highlights
- Represented BW Offshore and three of BW’s foreign crew members in an incident that occurred inside the pump room of the FPSO Peregrino.
- Represented Odfjell Terminals in a pre-arbitration precautionary lawsuit to recognise the validity of a contract concerning a storage terminal.
- Represented Nippon Express in indemnity lawsuits filed by Tokio Marine seeking reimbursement concerning cargo damages.
Pinheiro Neto Advogados
The experienced team at Pinheiro Neto Advogados
is noted for its ‘advisory and litigation capabilities in maritime law’. The firm is particularly active in oil and gas-related maritime issues, and also has considerable credentials in traditional dry and wet shipping claims, including accidents and cargo disputes. Litigator Luis Claudio Furtado Faria is highlighted as ‘a very complete lawyer who combines extensive experience in litigation and maritime law with a very commercial and pragmatic approach’. Marcello Lobo and Ricardo Coelho handle a broad range of non-contentious shipping matters.
Testimonials
‘Pinheiro Neto is an excellent firm at all levels, especially litigation.’
‘PNA is unique for the quality of the professionals that make up the office – trained, specialized and in constant improvement in the best educational institutions in the country and in the world. This recognition for academic excellence, however, does not prevent PNA from having a practical and business-appropriate vision, personalized for each client in their respective segments of operation.’
‘PNA distinguishes itself from others for its unshakable ethics and transparency in its relationship with its clients. PNA innovates by institutionally adhering to pro bono activities and by implementing diversity within and outside the law.’
‘Pinheiro Neto Advogados has a team specialized in all market segments, which allows it to efficiently handle complex cases.’
‘Luis Claudio Furtado is a very complete lawyer who combines extensive experience in litigation and maritime law with a very commercial and pragmatic approach. Such skills make clients often see him as a trusted advisor on topics that extend beyond maritime law. Luis Claudio is also seen as a great reference by his peers, which further demonstrates his technical ability and personal qualities.’
‘Full service firm that has a team with advisory and litigation capabilities in maritime law.’
‘Luis Claudio Furtado Faria – experienced lawyer, has been working in the field for many years and brings an interesting background in arbitration and civil law. Extremely polite person and easy to work with.’
Key clients
Subsea 7 do Brasil Serviços
Saipem do Brasil Serviços de Petróleo
Alcoa World Alumina Brasil
Work highlights
- Advising Subsea 7 on a bid opened by Petrobras to charter a pipe-laying support vessel.
- Advising Subsea 7 in a charter dispute with Petrobras.
- Advised Saipem do Brasil Serviços de Petróleo on an investigation into a fire that occurred on the FPSO Cidade de Vitória, belonging to Saipem SPA and chartered to Petrobras.
Advocacia Rocha Baptista
Advocacia Rocha Baptista is an experienced shipping boutique with a strong contentious practice. Clients, including insurers, shipowners, agents and freight forwarders, regularly use the firm on cargo claims and ship arrests. Fabricio Rocha is a key partner.
Veirano Advogados
Veirano Advogados has a keen focus on the offshore industry, where it represents a mix of banks and shipowners. Major ship and FPSO financings feature heavily in the firm’s workload, as do refinancings, M&A and project finance deals. The team is also well versed in negotiating charter and transportation agreements. Practice co-head Marcelo Mattos is one of the main contacts for ship financings, while fellow co-head Rogério Campos also advises on maritime regulatory issues and charter agreements.
Practice head(s):
Marcelo Mattos; Rogerio Campos
Key clients
DNB Bank
DVB Bank
Caterpillar Financial Services Corporation
Solstad Offshore
Yinson Holdings
South32 Minerals
Subsea 7
BRF
Expro
DeepWater
Work highlights
- Acted as Brazilian counsel to HSBC in a $670m facility to finance the Anna Nery FPSO, which will be chartered by Petrobras.
- Advising DNB Bank on the $457m financing to Shearwater Geoservices.
- Advising DVB Bank on a $60m loan to Atlantic Offshore Services.