Alexandre Chequer > Tauil & Chequer Advogados > Rio de Janeiro, Brazil > Lawyer Profile

A premier choice for oil and gas clients engaged in sophisticated transactions and complex regulatory matters, Tauil & Chequer Advogados fields a sizeable team of specialists whose expertise spans the upstream, midstream and downstream segments. The group, which is a popular choice for E&P companies, banks, private equity clients and funds, manages a busy workload where high-value M&A, financings and project development feature alongside regulatory and litigation matters. A reference in the national market, Alexandre Chequer has advised on the largest oil and gas projects in Brazil; he splits his time between Rio de Janeiro and Houston, where he offers assistance to clients in transactions, regulatory issues and project development. Corporate and M&A specialist Bruno Belchior is often retained by leading industry players – including floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) operators, drilling companies and oilfield service providers – in deals across the hydrocarbons value chain. M&A and project development are core areas of focus for Victor Galante, while Tiago Macêdo stands out for his regulatory expertise. Recently promoted partner Luciana Sodré handles contractual and transactional matters in the oil and gas sector. Senior associate Henrique Rojas is proficient in cross-border asset acquisitions and projects, and associate Leandro Duarte Alves regularly assists hydrocarbons companies in Brazil and Africa. Juliana Pizzolato Furtado Senna joined the Rio de Janeiro office from Kincaid | Mendes Vianna Advogados in September 2023.

Infrastructure and energy companies are at the core of Tauil & Chequer Advogados’ client base, which retains the ‘highly qualified team’ on a host of transactions, ranging from mergers to corporate restructurings and spin-offs. Boasting an extensive, cross-border M&A platform through its association with Mayer Brown, the firm is also well placed to act for boards of directors, private equity funds, investment banks and pension funds on all aspects of corporate law and M&A deals. The department is under the joint leadership of a capable trio: Carlos Motta, who assists publicly-held companies, financial advisors and multinationals with M&A, private equity and compliance matters; Victor Galante, in the Rio de Janeiro office, is a name to note for oil and gas, mining and infrastructure clients; and Alexandre Chequer, who is especially active in energy-related deals. The ‘excellent’ Daniel Gunzburger focuses on domestic and cross-border M&A involving players from the infrastructure, chemicals, and agribusiness sectors, while Bruno Salzano is noted for his knowledge of the power sector. Guilherme Tranquillini, whose ‘excellent argumentation capacity’ is rated by clients, is a seasoned public M&A practitioner. The group was boosted by the arrival of Christian Roschmann from Lefosse Advogados in April 2022; he brings a wealth of experience in cross-border M&A and private equity deals. Luciana Sodrée was raised to the partnership in Jan 2023.

Showcasing experience in the structuring, financing, construction and operation of large-scale projects in Brazil, Tauil & Chequer Advogados is seen with great regularity advising on matters in the power, renewable energy, oil and gas, and transport sectors. Besides its strong credentials in local projects, the team is also often engaged in cross-border mandates, drawing on its association with international firm Mayer Brown. Clients from the energy, oil and gas, and heavy industries routinely turn to Alexandre Chequer for assistance in asset deals, project development and regulatory issues. In addition to a strong track record in M&A, concessions and privatisations, Bruno Werneck is a seasoned project finance and development practitioner. Banking and finance partner Eduardo Lima advises financial institutions, multilateral organisations, sponsors and corporate clients on the financing of energy and infrastructure projects, while Luis Montes specialises in project finance and construction law. Juliana Deguirmendjian, who has been particularly active in water and sewage concession projects, and Julio Barboza are names to note at the associate level.

Mayer Brown is a leading name in energy (including oil and gas), mining and infrastructure M&A. Much of the firm’s Latin America M&A capabilities sit in Houston where Argentina native Pablo Ferrante and Peruvian Jose Valera have decades of experience in big-ticket transactions. They work closely with the firm’s growing Mexico City office and Brazilian partner firm Tauil & Chequer Advogados; global head of oil and gas, Alexandre Chequer splits his time between the Houston and Rio de Janeiro offices and has an outstanding record in inbound and outbound Brazilian M&A. Carlos Motta  is another key figure in Sao Paulo; he was part of the team that advised Brazil-based footwear company, Alpargatas, on its $475m Series B investment in online eco-friendly footwear retailer, Rothy’s. Along with the firm’s prestigious background in conventional energy, the Latin America M&A team is increasingly active in green energy and mining deals; it advised LSC Lithium on the sale of all of the outstanding shares of Lithea Inc, the owner of the Pozuelos-Pastos Grandes lithium mining properties located in Salta, Argentina, to GFL International. Energy and mining deals in Mexico, Colombia, Chile and Peru are also a forte for the team, which is additionally building its presence in Guyana’s developing oil and gas sector. Mexico oil and gas M&A specialist Gabriel Salinas rejoined the Houston office as a partner from Shearman & Sterling LLP  in April 2023.

Mayer Brown has an outstanding reputation for project development and M&A in the energy (including oil and gas), mining and infrastructure sectors. The Houston office features senior practitioners, Argentine-born Pablo Ferrante and Jose Valera , who is from Peru. The firm represents a wealth of Latin American businesses in the energy sector and has seen further growth in green energy and mining engagements; it advised LSC Lithium on the sale of all of the outstanding shares of Lithea Inc, the owner of the Pozuelos-Pastos Grandes lithium mining properties located in Salta, Argentina, to GFL International. The group frequently works alongside other offices including its partner firm in Brazil, Tauil & Chequer Advogados, which provides a steady flow of inbound and outbound Brazil transactions; Alexandre Chequer is global head of oil and gas, and splits his time between Houston and Rio de Janeiro. The Houston team also works closely with the firm’s Mexico City office, and has an outstanding record in energy deals in Mexico, Colombia, Chile and Peru. Notably, it is also increasingly active in Guyana’s developing oil and gas sector.

Mayer Brown focuses its Angola practice on the Oil and Gas sector, notably infrastructure, project development, and construction matters. Gonçalo Falcão is well-versed in oil and gas, foreign investment, labour, immigration, and foreign exchange issues, while Alexandre Chequer advises energy companies across Brazil, Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Together, Chequer and Falcão lead the Angola practice from Rio de Janeiro and Houston.