Dias Carneiro Advogados

Number of senior partners: 16
Number of associates: 60

Firm Overview:
With almost two decades of existence, Dias Carneiro is an internationally minded, full-service law firm. Its work covers a wide range of practices in a coordinated and integrated manner that enables it to identify trends and opportunities on Brazil's fast growing market. It advises international and domestic companies across all the key industry sectors, such as telecommunications, media, technology, aviation, chemicals, financial services, energy and infrastructure, among others. The team is well-known for its sophisticated approach — that combines the technical knowledge and businessoriented vision of the partners with the transforming dynamism of the associates — and its award-winning ability to offer effective and tailor-made solutions to a broad scale of legal needs. Over the years, the firm has developed a solid track record of high-value cross-border matters, also strengthening our long-standing institutional relationships with some of the most prestigious law firms around the globe.

Diversity & Inclusion:
Dias Carneiro is committed to creating a safe and inclusive workplace where people can be themselves and feel empowered to succeed. It promotes initiatives to encourage authenticity and constructive dialogue while also supporting projects and organisations, such as He- ForShe (UN Women) and Incluir Direito, dedicated to creating opportunities for minority groups.

Main Areas of Practice:  

Anti-Corruption, Compliance & Internal Investigations:
Prevention, identification, monitoring and management of potential illegal activities that may affect businesses in view of Brazilian and foreign anticorruption laws, such as corruption, bribery, bid rigging and money laundering.

Antitrust:
Advice to local and foreign companies in antitrust and competition matters; filling merger review cases before Brazil’s antitrust authority and representing third parties’ claims. The firm files leniency applications, defending companies, individuals and trade associations investigated in administrative proceedings for alleged anticompetitive conducts.

Corporate/M&A:
Strong track record in domestic and cross border M&A transactions, advising buyers and sellers from a variety of business sectors, for both strategic and financial investors. The firm has extensive experience in the structuring and implementation of custom, complex and sophisticated corporate structures and reorganisations for a variety of purposes. Dias Carneiro also advises domestic companies on compliance with commercial and corporate legislation, whether privately held or public companies.

Data Protection & Privacy:
Includes internal audits and preparing impact reports to identify risks, drawing up codes of conduct, internal policies and personalised procedures in line with preexisting internal governance policies, including their continuous performance monitoring. Training and performance assessments to ensure compliance with data protection and privacy rules and standards, as well as damage limitation.

Debt Restructuring & Insolvency: 

The firm regularly assists domestic and international investors, creditors and debtors in high-profile debt restructuring and related corporate reorganisations. Dias Carneiro also represents creditors in court supervised insolvency proceedings and acts on behalf of investors in distressed acquisitions.

Digital Law & Technology:
Dias Carneiro assists technology companies, including startups, across the most diverse markets advising on intellectual property, labour, tax, regulatory, data protection, consumer defense and commercial agreements, among others. The firm also has a practice specialising in the video game industry, with experienced lawyers for the different market segments, including eSports.

Dispute Resolution, Civil Litigation & Arbitration:
Representation of domestic and international clients in civil and commercial proceedings involving contract disputes, personality rights, and intellectual property in general. As well as disputes between shareholders, health care insurance, liability and expropriations.

Commercial Contracts & Intellectual Property:
Advice on acquisition, enforcement and commercialisation of intellectual property assets, including counselling, technology transfer, outsourcing and licensing agreements, and other transaction-related services. The firm is also well recognised for assisting franchisors, retailers and suppliers to expand their businesses in Brazil and internationally.

Labour, Social Security & Immigration Law:
Includes audit work, due diligence, preventive strategies, labour liability reduction and assistance in connection with health and safety labour conditions; labour and employment structures; outsourcing projects, creation of profit-sharing plans, flexible benefits, stock options, complementary social security and executive compensation. The firm also advises clients on hiring foreign employees and directors in Brazil as well as Brazilians workers abroad. Dias Carneiro provides complete support to labour litigation in all Brazilian jurisdictions and at the administrative level before the Ministry of Labour.

Project Finance, Credit operations, Banking Law & Capital Markets:
The firm provides advice to local and international financial institutions and to syndicates of banks on loans and corporate, project, acquisition and export financing transactions. Dias Carneiro also advises clients on the development, structuring and implementation of transactions involving securities and financial instruments.

Public Law, Regulatory & Infrastructure:
The firm assists clients in the negotiation of consortium agreements, EPC, O&M, PPAs and related financing. Dias Carneiro provides advice on environmental law, public tenders, PPPs, negotiating with public authorities, designing financing structures and managing public contracts.

Real Estate:
Dias Carneiro assists clients in a wide variety of property and property-related transactions, including the drafting and negotiation of lease agreements for residential and commercial properties. Its expertise includes the acquisition of real estate property for residential, commercial or industrial purposes, due diligence exercises, drafting and negotiation of terms and conditions for the sale of property. The firm assists clients in negotiating turn-key construction contracts acting for owners, developers, contractors and suppliers.

Tax & Customs:
The firm represents clients in tax and customs disputes at administrative and judicial levels. Dias Carneiro’s tax practice is involved with complex and innovative matters, domestic and cross-border, working closely with other areas to structure and implement deals, M&A, project finance, commercial agreements setting up in Brazil, real estate deals and litigation.