Graça Couto, Sequerra, Levitinas, Bicudo, Leal & Abby Advogados

Managing Partner: Marcelo Levitinas

Senior Partners: Oscar Graça Couto, Natalie Sequerra, Marcelo Levitinas, Pedro Bicudo, Guilherme Leal, Alexandre Abby and João Nobrega

Number of partners: 8

Number of other lawyers: 31 

Contacts: 

Arbitration: Marcelo Levitinas, Alexandre Abby  

Corporate/M&A: Natalie Sequerra  

Environmental: Oscar Graça Couto, Guilherme Leal

Litigation: Marcelo Levitinas, Alexandre Abby  

Real Estate & Urban Law: Pedro Bicudo  

Tax: João Nobrega 

Firm Overview: 

Graça Couto Advogados provides legal services in corporate/M&A, environmental, litigation/arbitration real estate/urban law and tax law in both advisory and dispute resolution matters. Its clients include leading companies in the domestic market and multinationals with business interests in Brazil. The firm’s lawyers have long-standing experience in their areas of practice and their ability to identify and anticipate the opportunities and restrictions inherent to the Brazilian market allows them to provide expert counsel in a wide range of sectors. Graça Couto Advogados’ extensive track-record in complex and high-profile cases, as well as the academic excellence displayed by its members, is well known — as evidenced by the fact that the firm and its team members are regularly featured in renowned editorials and rankings (in Brazil and abroad), such as Chambers & Partners, The Legal 500, Leaders League and Análise 500.

Main Areas of Practice:  

Corporate/M&A: 

Graça Couto Advogados’ team of highly specialized lawyers advise on the full range of corporate and commercial law with particular focus in mergers and acquisitions, corporate reorganizations and corporate litigation. It also advises assets, institutional investors and investment funds in private equity transactions — including seed capital, early-stage and venture capital investments. Moreover, the firm assists its clients on corporate governance and general corporate consultancy, including CVM and Central Bank regulations, and on foreign investments in Brazil.

Environmental: 

Graça Couto Advogados is widely respected for its environmental practice, in both consulting and litigation. The firm led some of the most important lawsuits in Brazil, such as the Brumadinho and Mariana cases, the two largest in the country’s history. It also conducts administrative proceedings before environmental agencies and other public authorities. It assists in licensing proceedings, risk assessment, water use right permits in the mining, oil and gas, energy and real estate sectors, among others .

Litigation & Arbitration: 

Graça Couto Advogados currently represents some of the most important players in the Brazilian market in complex dispute resolution matters. The firm has long-standing experience in arbitration, representing its clients in IT agreements, EPC agreements, mining contracts, disputes with the public administration, corporate matters, non-compete issues, among others. The firm’s strong litigation practice has been widely successful in public civil actions in connection with the O&G, energy and mining industries. The firm also has a debt recovery litigation practice, regularly representing creditors in foreclosure and bankruptcy proceedings.

Real Estate & Urban Law: 

Graça Couto Advogados assists in structuring complex real estate projects, including project development and land parceling, purchase of rural property, licensing, land regulation and intermediating with regulating agencies. GCA also provides legal advice on urban planning, including drawing up guidelines and redefining urban areas, and leads several public civil lawsuits in the sector.

Tax: 

Graça Couto Advogados provides comprehensive tax advice in a wide range of matters, from routine tax issues to complex domestic and international transactions. The team is renowned for its knowledge of the domestic tax law structure, at Federal, State and Municipal levels, and is particularly reputed for providing strategic and practical advice to businesses and private clients in direct and indirect taxation, business transactions, corporate reorganizations, foreign investments, customs duties and regulations, real estate transactions and wealth planning. It has a strong litigation practice, representing clients before several courts in judicial and administrative tax proceedings.

Languages: English, French, German, Portuguese, Spanish

Clients: 

Relevant clients include: Alphaville Urbanismo, Andrade Gutierrez, B3, Blanver, BMTE, BP, Brookfield Renewable, Caloi, Canopy Growth, Capgemini, Chevron, Cia City, Cosan, CTG Brasil, Dorel, EJA – Estaleiro Jurong Aracruz, Enel, Energia Sustentável do Brasil, ExxonMobil, Equinor, Even Incorporadora, Ferroport, Imerys , Ipiranga, Jive Investments, Merck, Neogás, NTS – Nova Transportadora do Sudeste, Prumo, Radar, Rio Energy, State Grid, Statoil, Tamboré Urbanismo, TechnipFMC, Tegra Incorporadora, Tencent, Total, Ultra, Vale, Valia, Viver Incorporadora and VPower.