Azevedo Sette Advogados > Belo Horizonte, Brazil > Firm Profile

Azevedo Sette Advogados > The Legal 500 Rankings

City focus - Belo Horizonte > Commercial, corporate and M&A Tier 1

Azevedo Sette Advogados remains one of the premier teams for corporate and commercial matters in the Minas Gerais market, typically handling a varied workload of M&A and private investment acquisitions, disposals and infrastructure projects, among other areas. Its stellar client list includes players from an array of industries covering banking, agribusiness, retail, mining, energy and healthcare. Practice head Fernando Azevedo Sette is an expert in complex mandates involving commercial and financial contracts. Heading the infrastructure team is Frederico Bopp Dieterich, a key contact alongside Bruna Bouissou for infrastructure projects, PPPs and project finance transactions. Also noted are Luis Ricardo Miraglia, Ana Paula Terra Caldeira and Roberto Ribas Wilson, who together combine extensive experience in mergers and acquisitions, foreign investment and other corporate law matters.

City focus - Belo Horizonte > Dispute resolution Tier 1

Azevedo Sette Advogados has considerable expertise in complex litigation and arbitration, often handling a varied caseload of consumer law, IP, public law, corporate and banking disputes. Large domestic and international companies from various sectors such as mining, telecoms, construction and energy turn to the group for legal representation. With more than 25 years of experience in litigation and arbitration, João Capanema is a key name for product liability and insurance disputes. Felipe Moraes is well versed in arbitration proceedings involving concession contracts and energy and infrastructure projects. Also noted are Leonardo Farinha Goulart and Marcos Augusto Leonardo Ribeiro, who together combine expertise in competition, environmental, IP and corporate matters.

City focus - Belo Horizonte > Labour Tier 1

Azevedo Sette Advogados regularly assists large national and international clients with the gamut of labour law matters. The team offers consultancy services in human resources practices, due diligence in the context of M&A transactions, and employment contracts. The firm is also equipped to represent clients in administrative and judicial disputes, with the group often handling collective and class actions, applications for restraining orders and injunctive relief, and negotiations with trade unions. Leila Azevedo Sette, who draws on more than 45 years of experience in labour, social security and corporate matters, leads the practice alongside Luanna Vieira de Lima Costa and Gustavo Magalhães Assis.

City focus - Belo Horizonte > Natural resources and regulation Tier 1

Large international and domestic mining and energy companies turn to Azevedo Sette Advogados for assistance with all matters concerning natural resources and regulation. As part of its advisory offering, the group is equipped to handle concession agreements, PPPs, joint ventures, including the antitrust aspects, and environmental matters. The practice also houses strong capabilities in contentious matters, often representing clients in judicial and administrative proceedings before regulatory bodies. Leonardo Pereira Lamego, whose expertise spans litigation, environmental permits and compliance matters, oversees the environmental and mining teams. He is supported by a team of senior associates, including environmental specialist Cynthia De Souza Cardoso and mining expert Gabriela Salazar Silva Pinto.

City focus - Belo Horizonte > Tax Tier 2

National and international companies operating in the mining, healthcare, construction, automotive, retail and technology segments turn to Azevedo Sette Advogados for assistance in a range of contentious and non-contentious tax matters. In addition to its notable strength in tax planning, periodic tax reviews, due diligence and foreign investment transactions, the group stands out for its expertise in litigation. The team is well versed in administrative disputes at the state, municipal and federal levels, as well as cases before the superior courts in Brasilia. Leandra Guimarães focuses on complex transactions involving tax and corporate law; Clarissa Cerqueira Viana Pereira is a key contact for tax planning and litigation; and Bruno Felippe Almeida has extensive experience in strategic matters related to tax and corporate law.

City focus - Brasilia > Tax Tier 2

Azevedo Sette Advogados' Brasília-based tax team excels in tax consultancy, litigation and mediation and is frequently instructed by the firm’s national network of offices to handle judicial tax proceedings before the Brazilian Supreme Court (STF) and the Brazilian Supreme Court of Justice (STJ). The group is equipped to assist with municipal, state and federal administrative proceedings, tax planning, tax credit recovery claims and social security due diligence. The practice is jointly led by Rodrigo Badaró de Castro, who has extensive experience in litigation and arbitration, and senior associate Maíra Konrad De Brito, a key contact for complex tax transactions and disputes. Another key practitioner in the team is associate Sara Crislaine Soares Guimarães.

Brazil > Compliance Tier 2

FCPA and anti-corruption expert Isabel Franco brought her compliance practice to Azevedo Sette Advogados in 2019 and continues to act for clients in sensitive investigations, as well as integrity due diligence, risk assessments and compliance training. In these matters, Franco often works alongside Glaucia Ferreira, who also joined the firm in 2019 and specialises in internal investigations and due diligence, and also assists clients on the adoption of codes of conduct and internal anti-corruption procedures. Another key practitioner in the department is Luiz Eduardo Salles, who balances a varied practice covering compliance, economic law and international trade, areas in which senior associate Ingrid Bandeira Santos – who is also admitted to the New York Bar – likewise specialises. Giuliana Sampaio Alves Mascari Bonilha and Flora Ricca de Weber are active associates in the compliance and investigations practice.

Brazil > International trade Tier 2

Azevedo Sette Advogados is a popular choice for WTO disputes and trade remedies claims. The ‘very professional‘ team, whose lawyers ‘cover a lot of areas of expertise‘, including trade sanctions, import/export controls, foreign trade policy, and related domestic and international litigation, is a ‘trusted local counsel‘ for several international companies. Clients range from major manufacturers and food producers, to trade associations and sovereign governments, including Brazil. Practice chair Luiz Eduardo Salles is an ‘excellent trade lawyer‘ who is ‘well known among the Brazilian trade officials’. Senior associates Lucas Bianchini and Ingrid Bandeira Santos are also names to note. Since publication, Bianchini was promoted to partner in January 2023.

Tax > Customs Tier 2

City focus - Recife > Leading firms Tier 3

The Recife-based team at Azevedo Sette Advogados is particularly active in the construction, education, retail and technology sectors, where it handles M&A transactions, contractual matters, and arbitration and litigation proceedings on behalf of domestic and multinational companies. The group benefits from the strong expertise of practice head Marcelo Padilha Cabral, who draws on more than 15 years of experience in strategic litigation, M&A and real estate matters. He is supported by associate Renato Veras Salgado, who is well versed in corporate matters and complex commercial contracts.

Energy and natural resources > Mining Tier 3

Leading domestic and international mining companies operating in Brazil regularly turn to Azevedo Sette Advogados' mining group for advice on transactions, projects and regulatory issues. Litigation, administrative proceedings and environmental matters are other areas of activity for the team, which is also noted for its experience in M&A deals involving mining assets. The team, which is located in the Belo Horizonte office, is under the leadership of Leonardo Pereira Lamego. He receives key support from associates Svetlana Maria De Miranda and Gabriela Salazar Silva Pinto, both of whom focus on environmental and mining law.

Brazil > Public law Tier 3

At Azevedo Sette Advogados, the public law department, which is based in São Paulo and Belo Horizonte, is adept at assisting clients in a multitude of industries, including construction, mining, telecoms and financial services, in administrative proceedings and public procurement. On the non-contentious front, the team has a strong profile in matters involving public tenders, concessions, PPPs and regulated industries. The practice is under the joint leadership of Frederico Bopp Dieterich, who has considerable experience in infrastructure projects, PPP structures and administrative law in general, and Leonardo Moreira Costa De Souza, whose areas of expertise include projects, M&A and public law. Bruna Bouissou regularly advises on concessions, privatisations and contractual matters.

Brazil > TMT: Cybersecurity and data privacy Tier 3

Azevedo Sette Advogados’ cybersecurity and data protection practice sits within the firm’s wider TMT practice group. LGDP compliance programmes, impact assessments and data transfer projects are within the team's purview. The team also advises on internet law, assisting in issues involving provider civil liability, net neutrality, and virtual currency and e-payments related to data privacy and cybersecurity. In addition, the practice group has a civil litigation team, which advises Brazilian and foreign clients in judicial and arbitration contexts. Ricardo Barretto Ferreira Da Silva leads the practice and has extensive experience in the areas of IT, internet and TMT. Lorena Pretti Serraglio is also of note within the team, particularly for compliance programmes and digital law.

Brazil > TMT: Tech, innovation and digital business Tier 3

Working in tandem with the firm’s regulatory, corporate, tax and dispute resolution groups, the tech and digital business group at Azevedo Sette Advogados regularly advises clients across a wide range of areas, including internet law, software distribution agreements, IT outsourcing, software as a service (SaaS) contracts, cloud computing, mobile payments and IP technology transfers. The practice is co-led by a trio of lawyers: Ricardo Barretto Ferreira, Danielle Chipranski Cavalcante and Luiz Augusto Azevedo Sette. Ferreira has significant experience in both contentious and non-contentious matters; Cavalcante is a key contact for international clients; and Sette is notable for his M&A transactional practice.

Brazil > Wealth and succession planning Tier 3

Azevedo Sette Advogados‘ wealth planning practice advises domestic and foreign business groups, banks, and HNWIs and families. The team, led by name partner Fernando Azevedo Sette, provides assistance to clients in asset reorganisation, family and inheritance issues, tax structuring and real estate planning. Also of note within the team are Rafael Tavares Bassoli, who focuses on the corporate and M&A side of the practice, and Barbara Rios.

Brazil > Corporate and M&A Tier 4

Azevedo Sette Advogados fields a ‘team with excellent technical quality and negotiation skills‘, which is equally adept at handling both domestic and cross-border mid-cap transactions on behalf of domestic and foreign banks and companies. Besides M&A, the team – whose practitioners are based across São Paulo and Belo Horizonte – is seasoned in corporate reorganisations, commercial agreements and regulatory matters involving a range of sectors, such as energy, infrastructure and healthcare. Jointly leading the team, Fernando Azevedo Sette and Luiz Augusto Azevedo Sette each draw upon more than 25 years’ experience in foreign investments and commercial contracts. Leonardo Costa de Souza leads on transactions involving the infrastructure and real estate segments, while Ana Paula Terra Caldeira is counsel of choice for several mining and technology clients in transactional mandates. Frederico Bopp Dieterich is another name to note for infrastructure-related M&A. Roberto Ribas Wilson, Alessandra Martins De Souza and Luis Ricardo Miraglia are other core members of team; they focus on transactional and commercial work. Eleonora Santiago Carneiro Quadro is a key contact for outbound investments into Europe, especially in the fields of technology and real estate. Since publication, partner André de Godoy Fernandes joined from Mattos Engelberg Echenique Advogados, effective as of October 2022, and Natasha Midori Hinata was promoted to partner in January 2023.

Brazil > Projects and infrastructure Tier 4

With lawyers based in São Paulo and Belo Horizonte, Azevedo Sette Advogados houses a team of practitioners adept in public tenders, concessions, privatisations and PPP projects. Singled out for its public law expertise, the practice works on large-scale projects across a range of industries involving both the private sector and public administration. Department head Frederico Bopp Dieterich has more than two decades of experience in transactional and regulatory matters involving infrastructure projects; project finance, concessions and M&A in regulated sectors are among his core areas of activity. Fellow co-leader Leonardo Moreira Costa De Souza, who also heads the real estate group, has combined knowledge of PPPs, corporate and M&A, and financing mandates. Bruna Bouissou is another key name to note in the team, especially in matters concerning the financing of infrastructure projects and contracts. Since publication, Natasha Midori Hinata was welcomed to the partnership in January 2023.

Brazil > Real estate Tier 4

Azevedo Sette Advogados' real estate group is led out of São Paulo and Belo Horizonte by Alessandra Lima Ganz and Henrique Ferreira Antonelli, respectively. The team has a notable track record in litigation, and regularly assists clients in acquisitions and development projects.  Clients commend the ‘very well structured and dimensioned team‘, where ‘the quality of work and delivery is always high‘. The team can regularly be found assisting in matters involving commercial, residential, hospitality, agribusiness, logistics and retail property.

Brazil > Environment Tier 5

Azevedo Sette Advogados is adept in a broad array of non-contentious and contentious environmental matters, including environmental risk assessments, licensing matters and administrative proceedings. Brazilian and international clients from the mining, energy, infrastructure, industrial, sanitation and agribusiness sectors feature prominently in the team’s varied client portfolio. Leonardo Pereira Lamego has considerable experience in negotiations with the public prosecutor, and in environmental litigation and licensing. He oversees the practice from Belo Horizonte, where Svetlana Maria De Miranda and Cynthia De Souza Cardoso are other key practitioners.

Tax > Tax advisory Tier 5

Azevedo Sette Advogados has a multidisciplinary tax team covering compliance, transactional and litigation issues. Clients benefit from a strong bench of experienced partners spread across key offices in Brazil. Mauricio Pernambuco Salin is one of the main partners in São Paulo, where lawyers handle contentious and non-contentious direct and indirect tax issues. The Belo Horizonte group has an experienced advisory practice led by Leandra Guimarães. Brasília-based litigation head Rodrigo Badaró de Castro is the main contact for tax disputes in the superior courts.

Brazil > Dispute Resolution: Litigation Tier 6

Azevedo Sette Advogados has strength across the board in relation to litigation before administrative authorities, regulatory agencies, and federal and superior courts. The team manages a diverse caseload featuring civil, commercial and corporate litigation, as well as lawsuits involving consumer law and credit recovery. Paulo Ciari De Almeida Filho oversees the litigation and arbitration practices in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro; clients from the retail, technology, telecoms and insurance sectors seek his assistance in a variety of contentious matters. The Belo Horizonte-based practice is led by João Capanema, whose experience covers mining, real estate and environmental disputes. Marcos Augusto Leonardo Ribeiro and Leonardo Farinha Goulart are other names to note in the Belo Horizonte office, both for litigation and arbitration proceedings. Danielle Chipranski Cavalcante in São Paulo is particularly focused in civil disputes and cases in the telecoms space.