Mr Maurício Pellegrino De Souza  > Cescon Barrieu > Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil > Lawyer Profile

Rated as one of the top mining and metals practices in the country, Cescon Barrieu is singled out for its ‘deep knowledge of the sector‘, which makes it well placed to advise on the full array of mandates, ranging from consequential M&A and financing deals to administrative and judicial proceedings. The Belo Horizonte-based team is the first port of call for some of the largest mining companies operating in Brazil and several financial institutions. Crisis management matters and tailing dams-related regulatory issues are other core areas of focus. With over 30 years’ experience in the industry, Marcelo Mendo Gomes De Souza is a reference in the mining market. He oversees the practice with regulatory and transactional expert Maurício Pellegrino De Souza, whose previous in-house and academic experience is noteworthy; Paula Azevedo De Castro, who is regularly instructed by key mining players in relation to mining dam regulations; and Daniel Ribeiro Pettersen, a contact for real estate and mining contractual matters. Senior associate João Raso regularly works on tax issues and mining assets transactions.

One of the first ports of call in Belo Horizonte for major mining clients, the team at Cescon Barrieu stands out for its extensive experience in financing transactions in this space. On the transactional front, the firm also fields strong credentials in M&A deals and joint ventures; crisis management, judicial litigation and administrative disputes also feature on the workload. Marcelo Mendo Gomes De Souza specialises in mining, regulatory and environmental matters, while Frederico Viana Rodrigues is a key contact for project finance and corporate transactions. Paula Azevedo De Castro and Maurício Pellegrino De Souza are other key individuals, who regularly assist mining clients.

Cescon Barrieu is active across a range of sectors where environmental issues are commercially relevant or heavily regulated, including oil and gas, mining, energy, agribusiness, telecoms and real estate. The group, which works closely with the firm’s corporate and M&A department, is routinely retained by local companies, multinationals, investment funds and financial institutions in relation to corporate, financing and capital markets transactions with substantial environmental implications. Advising clients on negotiations with environmental agencies and the Public Attorney’s office is also among the team’s core areas of focus. Based in Belo Horizonte, Marcelo Mendo and Maurício Pellegrino De Souza specialise in mining and environmental mandates. In July 2023, the team was reinforced by the addition of environmental law specialists Roberta Jardim and Mayara Alves Bezerra, who were formerly at Milaré Advogados.