Brazil: Banking
Brazil’s economy, the largest in South America, has enjoyed mixed fortunes over the past year. The economy continued to display the stability with which it negotiated the global financial crisis, posting 7.7 per cent growth in 2010. On the other hand, inflation, government debt and strength of the Brazilian real against the US dollar have all given the country’s new administration cause for concern and prompted the Central Bank to raise interest rates. The 11 lawyers we list in this chapter are recognised as the leading experts in this exciting and rapidly developing legal sector.
Mattos Filho Veiga Filho Marrey Jr e Quiroga Advogados is one of the best represented firms in this section, with two of its partners earning prominent listings. Ary Oswaldo Mattos Filho has formerly held numerous posts in Brazil’s major economic bodies, including acting as a member of the National Monetary Council, chairman of the Securities Commission and president of the Federal Commission for Fiscal Reform, and sources praise him as a “superb name” in the country’s banking bar. Joining him is investment funds and corporate and project finance “expert” José Eduardo Carneiro Queiroz.
Demarest e Almeida Advogados is similarly well represented. Head of the firm’s banking and finance team Eduardo Amaral Gurgel Kiss is well recognised by peers, who describe him as a “thought leader” in this sector. A former legal counsellor of the International Banking Association, Roberto Luz Portella has a “very well established” practice in banking and finance as well as corporate and capital markets work.
At Trench Rossi e Watanabe Advogados - Associated with Baker & McKenzie International, Swiss Verein, José Roberto Baldoini Martins is an “excellent” practitioner who combines banking and finance expertise with a strong project finance, energy and infrastructure focus.
José Luis Leite Doles held the positions of senior counsel at Citibank Brazil and general counsel at BankBoston Brazil before joining Barcellos Tucunduva Advogados where his banking, finance, corporate and capital markets work is “held in high regard”.
The “first rate” Eduardo Salomão Neto of Levy & Salomão Advogados is known for his work with syndicated loans, complex securitisations, capital markets and insurance matters for domestic and international clients.
Securities, capital markets, foreign exchange and corporate specialist Bruno Balduccini represents Pinheiro Neto Advogados in this section and is recognised by respondents to our survey as a “world class” lawyer and a “go-to-guy” in finance matters.
Proskauer Rose LLP’s David Fenwick earns a prominent listing in this chapter for his international finance and cross border transactional expertise, having recently advised BNDES, the Brazilian development bank, in its US$1 billion mandatory exchange offer.
Nei Schilling Zelmanovits of Machado Meyer Sendacz e Opice Advogados boasts extensive experience in the banking and insurance sectors alongside strong project finance and infrastructure development expertise, and sources hailed him as a “brilliant” practitioner.
Peers place Antonio Felix de Araujo Cintra of TozziniFreire Advogados “in the front rank” of Brazilian banking lawyers in recognition of his “outstanding” project finance, private equity and capital markets knowledge.