Luis Inácio Lucena Adams > Tauil & Chequer Advogados > São Paulo, Brazil > Lawyer Profile

Tauil & Chequer Advogados
AV JUSCELINO KUBITSCHEK 1455
5TH, 6TH AND 7TH FLOORS
04543-011 SÃO PAULO, SP
Brazil
Luis Inácio Lucena Adams photo

Position

Luis Adams is a partner of the Litigation and Compliance practices of Tauil & Chequer Advogados in the Brasília Office.

Career

He is responsible for matters related to Superior and Supreme Courts. Adams has extensive tax experience, working as counsel for the Federal Treasury at the Ministry of Finance for 24 years, from 1993 until his resignation request in 2017. He worked as Secretary-General of Litigation for the Attorney-General of Brazil (2001-2002) and as Legal Counsel and Adjunct Executive Secretary of the Ministry of Planning, Budget and Management (2003-2006). In 2006 he was named General Counsel of the Ministry of Finance until he was chosen to be Attorney-General of Brazil, a position he kept from 2009 to 2016.

As Attorney General, Adams conducted major cases in the judiciary, being responsible for coordinating the environment agreement between the Brazilian Government and Samarco, Vale and BHP. He is a columnist for the legal website CONJUR, publishing articles on legal, tax and constitutional issues every Monday.

Languages

Portuguese, English

Memberships

Counselor of the Superior Council of Legal Affairs – CONJUR of FIESP

Acted as Attorney-General of Brazil from October 23, 2009 until March 3, 2016.

Acted as General Counsel of the Ministry of Finance from 2006 to 2009.

From 2004 to 2006, he served as the Deputy Executive Secretary for the Minister of Planning, Budget, and Management (MPOG).

In 2003, he was the General Counsel for the Minister of Planning, Budget, and Management, where he coordinated the Deliberative Commission responsible for the management of the Integrated System for Control of Judicial Actions of the Union (SICAU).

In 2001, he was named the Secretary General of Litigation for the Cabinet of the Attorney-General of Brazil.

Currently acts as professor of Tax and Constitutional Law at the Public Law Institute of Brasília (IDP) and at the University Center of Brasília (CUB).

Taught Tax Law at Universidade do Vale do Itajaí and General Theory of the State at the Fundação Educacional de Brusque (SC).

Education

Faculdade de Direito da Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Bachelor of Law (JD equivalent), Graduation in Legal and Social Sciences

Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC), Bachelor of Law (JD equivalent), Specialization in Law

Lawyer Rankings

Brazil > Dispute Resolution: Litigation

With extensive experience in state and federal proceedings, Tauil & Chequer Advogados has been engaged in a growing number of strategic disputes, most notably cases arising in the oil and gas, energy, construction and telecoms sectors. Other areas of particular focus include administrative enforcement proceedings brought by the Federal Court of Accounts and various regulatory agencies. The practice is jointly chaired by Rio de Janeiro-based partner Gustavo Fernandes de Andrade, who focuses on corporate and commercial disputes; Fabio Peixinho Gomes Correa in São Paulo, who is noted for his expertise in dispute resolution in the energy, construction, corporate, banking and real estate segments; and high court litigation veterans Mauro Pedroso Gonçalves and Luis Inácio Lucena Adams, both of whom are based in the Brasília office. João Cople is a name to note in Rio for administrative, tax and insurance litigation. Other key members include associates Maria Rita Dutra and Núbia Bufarah in São Paulo, and the Brasília-based Louise Dias; all maintain diverse practices in litigation and arbitration. Counsel Juliana Barbosa Pechincha joined from Baker Botts L.L.P. (New York office) in July 2022.

Brazil > Compliance

Tauil & Chequer Advogadosis a top choice for any compliance and investigations matter in Brazil’.  Some of the country’s largest companies and several international household names in the technology, infrastructure and energy sectors, among others, turn to the firm for assistance in internal investigations, administrative liability proceedings and in the review and enhancement of their compliance programmes. Former Attorney-General of Brazil Luis Inácio Lucena Adams, who is based in Brasília, heads the practice alongside Michel Sancovski in São Paulo, ‘a seasoned expert who can easily handle the most complex and sophisticated cases‘, including cross-border investigations which require cooperation with Brazilian and US authorities. Key support is offered by a strong team of associates: Maria Eugenia Kanazawa has extensive experience in anti-corruption and tax-related compliance matters; Marcelo Ramos Leite is singled out for his track record in internal investigations; and Rio de Janeiro-based Luiz Santiago focuses on enforcement actions, investigations and due diligence. All practitioners sit in the São Paulo office, unless stated otherwise.

Brazil > City focus - Brasilia > Litigation

Tauil & Chequer Advogados has a strong track record in public law appellate litigation, representing clients from the construction, energy, telecoms, and banking sectors before the superior courts. Regulatory disputes against state governments, administrative improbity cases, and proceedings before the TCU and the CGU are all core areas of activity for the firm. Cross-border matters are further facilitated by the firm’s association with Mayer Brown. Luis Inácio Lucena Adams boasts substantial tax law experience; he jointly oversees the practice with Mauro Pedroso Gonçalves, who is well versed in administrative proceedings at the federal level.