Biography: Mining

Pedro Garcia is a partner of Veirano Advogados, based in the Rio de Janeiro office. He is currently Veirano Advogados' regional coordinator of the infrastructure and natural resources group. He has been a member of the firm since 1996, specialising in corporate, mining and antitrust law.

Pedro has wide experience in local and cross-border transactions, negotiation and drafting of commercial agreements, regulatory and environmental aspects of mining ventures and client representation in antitrust proceedings.

Among other corporate, contractual and regulatory matters, his practice includes primarily the acquisition of mining rights (including pre-acquisition due diligences, drafting, reviewing and negotiation of the relevant agreements), incorporation of mining companies, applications for governmental licences and concessions with the National Department of Mineral Production, mergers and acquisitions of mining companies, financing of mining projects, administrative proceedings pertaining to mining rights and typical agreements of the industry, such as lease, joint ventures and royalty agreements.

Pedro is also an antitrust specialist dealing with merger control issues and investigations of anti-competitive practices. He is very well-versed in the analysis of potentially anticompetitive agreements, submission and approval of M&As before the Administrative Council of Economic Defense (CADE), negotiation of terms of performance commitment and economic restrictions with the antitrust authorities, anticompetitive practice proceedings and compliance programmes. Pedro has represented clients from a variety of industries in antitrust proceedings, including in the pharmaceuticals (human and animal health), mining, oil and gas, telecommunications and the financial sector.

His international experience encompasses two years in Europe as a foreign attorney at Simmons & Simmons, Lisbon (2002 to 2003) and London (2003 to 2004). Mr Garcia's academic degrees are from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (LLB, 1998); a postgraduate course in International Contracts, University of Lisbon (2002 to 2003); and a postgraduate diploma in EC Competition Law, King's College, University of London (2003 to 2004).

As a fluent Spanish speaker, Pedro is deeply involved with the Latin American Legal Alliance in which Veirano participates with other sizeable law firms in Latin America. He is also a member of the Brazilian Bar Association and the Portuguese Bar Association. Pedro is an active contributor to the legal commission of the Brazilian Mining Institute, a speaker in mining seminars and co-author of the book Mining Law in Evolution. He is fluent in Portuguese, Spanish and English. He has also basic knowledge of French.