Biography: Mergers and Acquisitions

Valdo Cestari de Rizzo is one of the founding partners of Lobo & de Rizzo Advogados and is also the managing partner of the firm. He specialises in mergers and acquisitions, both domestic and cross-border, corporate law, joint ventures, and commercial agreements. He has advised US, European and Asian multinational corporations on complex cross-border transactions in different Latin American jurisdictions, and has also represented Brazilian corporations doing business abroad.

He has acted on a large number of complex corporate matters relating to trading and investment policy and general corporate advice, as well as the implementation of projects. His clients have included Alstom, Cargill, Nestlé, Odebrecht and Stora Enso, among others. Valdo has been representing ThyssenKrupp CSA Siderúrgica do Atlântico, the biggest industrial investment in Brazil in a decade.

Valdo de Rizzo has been quoted as a leading M&A and corporate lawyer in several international guides and directories. In recognition of his outstanding work, he has recently received the award 'Client Choice Awards 2011 – Winner of General Corporate in Brazil', given by International Law Office in 2011. Moreover, he is championed as an 'excellent strategist' by Chambers Latin America 2011 and is ranked among the 'top 10' pulp and paper lawyers in Brazil, according to the 2010 research carried out by Análise Advocacia 500.

Valdo graduated from the University of São Paulo and is author of The Brazilian Environmental Perspective and International Law Practicum. He is fluent in Portuguese, English and Italian.