Roberto Zarour > Lefosse Advogados > Sao Paulo, Brazil > Lawyer Profile

Commended by clients for its ‘in-depth knowledge of the regulations affecting financial institutions in Brazil and globally‘, the banking and finance practice at Lefosse Advogados is singled out for its transactional capabilities. The firm is home to highly experienced partners well-versed in debt capital markets, securitisations, and various forms of financing deals such as structured, asset, and project finance. Cross-border financings and restructurings also feature on the team’s impressive workload, which is further populated by regulatory mandates involving the payments and fintech sectors. The firm’s roster of partners includes Roberto Zarour, who specialises in structured finance, Kenneth Ferreira, a key contact to note for regulatory issues, Ricardo Prado, who focuses on financial and capital markets transactions, and Renata Cardoso, who alongside senior associate Fabio Perez, is praised for her ‘quick deliveries and extreme technical quality of work‘. Miriam Signor is proficient in project finance.

Considered a ‘national benchmark in capital markets’, Lefosse Advogados offers a ‘great’ regulatory and transactional services. Led by managing partner Rodrigo Junqueira, the practice excels in equity capital markets, acting for a wide range of issuers and underwriters in both domestic and cross-border initial and secondary offerings. The team is also noted for its strong capabilities in debt issuances, where it advises banks and issuers. Key corporate partners, including Carlos Mello, provide crucial support to the team. Ricardo Prado, Roberto Zarour, who focuses on capital markets transactions, debt restructurings and structured finance, and senior associate Lucas Padilha are among the lawyers noted for their ‘organised and proactive manner’ and for ‘always bringing innovative ideas to better serve the client’. Other noteworthy individuals include Jana Araujo, who has led on some of the largest equity public offerings in Brazil, Felipe Gibson, Bruno Massis (a key contact for issuers, underwriters, investors, creditors and debtors), and senior associate Mariana Pollini, who handles both DCM and ECM work, including public offerings and private placement of securities.

Lefosse Advogados has invested heavily in its restructuring and insolvency practice over the past year with several high-profile partner recruits. These included former Cescon Barrieu practice head Fábio Rosas and partner José Luis de Rosa, who are ‘both very experienced’ in acting for financial institutions, creditors, lenders, and investors in restructurings, judicial and extrajudicial reorganisations and distressed transactions. Bernardo Carneiro, who joined from Chamon Santana Sociedade de Advogados in late 2022, brings a wealth of experience in distressed M&A, DIP lending and credit recovery. They add to an already strong team with proficiency in both contentious and non-contentious matters, particularly for banking clients. Practice head Roberto Zarour possesses expertise in debt restructuring, capital markets and securitisation matters, while Raphael Nehin Corrêa is the name to note for restructuring and insolvency-related litigation.