Souto Correa Advogados

Souto Correa Advogados comprises experienced lawyers united by the same principles and values. The firm is made up of professionals with outstanding work and academic backgrounds. The team advises clients in Brazil and abroad in all areas of business law. For this purpose, it relies on professionals fluent in several foreign languages, which enables them to meet the requirements and requests from different countries, especially through their Asian, German and Latin desks.

Goal: Build a solid and enduring organization committed to its customers and community and composed of connected and motivated individuals capable of achieving competitive advantage.

Clients: The firm represents Brazilian and foreign clients in various sectors, such as agribusiness, automotive, aviation, chemicals, construction, education, electronics, energy, entertainment, commercial banking, food and beverage, forestry, health, hotels, insurance, IT, logistics and transportation, media, metallurgy, music and audiovisual, shipping, oil and gas, paper, packaging, petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, private equity, retail, tobacco, and others. Souto Correa represents community-oriented companies, and e-commerce players and advises start-ups, among others.

Corporate and M&A: Souto Correa’s Corporate & M&A area assists national and international clients in matters related to corporate and corporate governance matters, providing complete legal counselling for structuring, and implementing M&A transactions, including the purchase and sale of ownership interest and assets, corporate reorganizations, negotiation and drafting of shareholders’ agreements, negotiation of joint ventures and consortia, and coordination and execution of due diligence. Our clients range from large traditional industries that are well established in their sectors, financial institutions, investment banks, and the so-called “new economy” companies in sectors such as technology and medicine.

Environmental and Sustainability: The practice involves consulting services and litigation representation to ensure compliance with environmental legislation, assisting with environmental permits and due diligence, finding the best solutions to any disputes regarding the environment, and defending clients’ interests in environmental administrative and legal proceedings such as civil investigations and public civil actions. We also provide services for all stages of settlement negotiations with government agencies. The team has solid expertise in strategic environmental issues to meet the demands of national and international clients from a wide range of economic sectors, such as retailers, financial market institutions, pesticide and electronics manufacturers, energy (photovoltaic plants, wind farms, and biomass power plants), and the pulp and paper industry. The scope of activities also includes solid waste management and implementation of reverse logistics programs, management of contaminated areas and environmental liabilities, risk prevention and management of environmental accidents, environmental permits and technical records, and exploration of forest resources, including intervention in Permanent Preservation Areas (APPs), Legal Reserves, and other legally protected areas. In addition to that, we are also involved in surface and underground water resource management, mineral and energy resource exploitation, and compliance with environmental conservation and sustainability practices.

Real Estate: Souto Correa’s Real Estate Law team has experience in complex transactions regarding real estate and all rights involved, providing services to national and international clients, especially in corporate real estate matters. Our team handles a variety of transactional and litigation matters, with experience in due diligence; urban and rural real estate acquisitions and sales; commercial, logistics and industrial leases; build-to-suit and sale and leaseback agreements, rural real estate leases and partnerships, infrastructure and M&A projects related to real estate matters, real estate development, land subdivisions and condominium developments; real estate regularization; and in conducting administrative proceedings and strategic litigation related to real estate.

Administrative/Regulatory

The firm has expertise in procurement and government contracts, concessions, permissions and authorisations, expropriation and administrative easements, sanctioning proceedings, misconduct actions, anticorruption law etc. The firm represents clients in infrastructure-related matters, particularly regarding energy, oil and gas, sanitation, harbours and airports, railways and mining.

Agribusiness

This area represents national and international clients from various sectors operating in the complex Brazilian agriculture industry. Our representation includes input supply operations, design of credit operations involving agribusiness securities and guarantee structures, economic and financial restructuring of agribusinesses and cooperatives, and litigation involving commodity purchase and input supply. Our practice also comprises representation in the precautionary seizure of crops and other agribusiness assets and the acquisition and leasing of rural properties. Among our clients are agricultural cooperatives of many sizes, trading companies and commercial companies.

Fernando Pellenz ([email protected])

Capital Markets

Souto Correa’s Capital Markets team has many years of experience in capital market operations by participating in public offerings of securities, including IPOs, follow-on and take-over bids, debentures (including incentive debentures), commercial notes, investment fund shares, participating in securitization transactions, such as real estate receivables certificates, agribusiness receivables certificates, and debt restructuring. Our professionals also participate in the structuring of investment funds, such as real estate investment funds (FII, FIAGRO, FIDC, FIP and FI-Infra), providing assistance to officers, managers, consultants and investors. Our practice covers all sectors of the economy in several areas of the capital markets, including counselling to national and international companies and financial institutions. Moreover, our practice includes consultancy to regulated agents and investors in complying with regulatory requirements, in addition to lawsuits, administrative procedures and queries before regulatory and self-regulatory market agencies. Our team conducts sanctioning proceedings before the Securities and Exchange Commission of Brazil (CVM), the Central Bank, and BSM Supervisão de Mercados, including negotiating settlement agreements, filing administrative defences, and representing clients in lawsuits or arbitration proceedings whose background is in relationships within the capital or financial markets.

Consumer & Product Liability

The firm manages strategic lawsuits involving consumer rights, such as collective actions. Experience includes handling public civil inquiries and strategic administrative cases filed by consumer protection and defence authorities. The team handles product liability lawsuits and recall campaigns. The area advises clients on consumer internal policies.

Contracts

Souto Correa’s Contracts practice area encompasses national and international contracts, with full legal counselling to domestic and international clients in all phases of the process, from negotiation to drafting, review and discussion of contractual matters, both in court and in arbitration. The department provides counselling on drafting choice of court and arbitration clauses, negotiation of guarantees, review of penalties for breach and effects of contract termination, and recommendation of best practices to minimize the risk of liabilities for the contract term. The professionals in our team have wide experience with cooperation contracts in many legal formats to facilitate the flow of goods and services, including distribution, commercial concession, commercial representation or agency, and franchising. Our team also has relevant experience in infrastructure contracts, such as Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) agreements, which includes counselling in negotiating any claims arising from such transactions. The area’s experience also includes consultancy in supply agreements, service agreements, transportation and logistics agreements, technology, confidentiality agreements, certificates of indebtedness and renegotiations.

Fernanda Girardi ([email protected])

Corporate & M&A

The team handles all matters related to a company’s day-to-day corporate and governance routines. Attorneys take part in several transactions including mergers and acquisitions, shareholder agreements, and due diligence procedures. On the contractual side, the team negotiates and drafts commercial, distribution and agency agreements. The corporate team works with related practice areas, such as real estate, timberland investment and agribusiness.

Rodrigo Tellechea ([email protected])

Corporate Criminal

The area covers corporate criminal issues from a truly multidisciplinary angle. The team assists natural and legal persons regarding criminal matters during criminal investigations and in lawsuits before federal and state courts. This area’s deep involvement in each case and the technical knowledge of the team guarantee quick responses and efficient solutions in all stages of the criminal process.

Emília Malacarne ([email protected])

Dispute Resolution: Arbitration & Mediation

The team handles domestic and international mediations and arbitrations, arbitral letters, challenging and annulment of arbitral awards, recognition and enforcement of foreign arbitral awards. Advises clients in the negotiation and drafting of arbitral clauses. Team members also act as arbitrators and mediators.

Rafael Sirangelo Abreu ([email protected])

Dispute Resolution: Litigation

The firm has experience in the prevention and resolution of complex litigation in the administrative and judicial spheres, representing clients before all courts. It also cooperates with clients in the definition of strategies to reduce litigation, and advises them in accordance with the needs of their businesses.

Rafael Sirangelo Abreu ([email protected])

Environmental & Sustainability

The firm provides consultancy services regarding compliance with environmental legislation, analysing possible opportunities arising from legal benefits. The team also assists with environmental, administrative and legal proceedings, including monitoring civil inquiries and public civil actions, negotiating settlements with public authorities, and providing assistance with licensing.

Mariaa Níquel ([email protected])

Intellectual Property & Entertainment

The firm advises clients on issues related to trademarks, brands, franchises, copyright law, domain names, industrial design, know-how, business secrets, software, unfair competition, e-commerce, corporate name disputes, trade dress, biotechnology, cultivation, genetic patrimony access (CGen), and all related areas, including application and protective measures. It assists clients in matters related to the recording and audiovisual industry, events, online content providers, TV broadcasters, advertising agencies, copyrights, image and voice rights, sponsorships, advertisements and branded entertainment.

Letícia Provedel ([email protected])

Labour

The team acts in litigation cases and in consultancy. Experience includes managing the relationship with union entities and negotiating collective agreements. The team deals with due diligence and the management of financial liabilities and reviews HR proceedings. Also in its purview is drafting contracts, internal policies and codes of conduct, and conducting in-company training sessions on labour-related matters.

Manoela Pascal ([email protected])

Life Sciences

Souto Correa’s Life Sciences and healthcare practice joins the experience and solid background of our professionals in pioneering and multidisciplinary proceedings involving companies of this industry in the Brazilian market. Our team is well acquainted with the daily routine of the regulated industry, which allows us to quickly understand the goals and challenges faced by our clients and then develop customized and efficient solutions, preventively or reactively. Our team comprises professionals of renown in the areas of sanitary regulation, intellectual property, administrative law, contracts, public tenders, public policies, and compliance. This allows us to take a comprehensive approach to commercial, consultancy, and litigation matters. Attentive to the uniqueness of the regulated industry, we provide legal counselling to national and multinational companies in sectors such as pharmaceutical products, medical equipment, food and beverages, biodiversity and biotechnology, cosmetics, health techs, telemedicine, and health services.

Matheus Montecasciano ([email protected])

Real Estate

The firm is strongly specialised in high-end commercial, industrial and rural leases, BTS, sale and lease back and represents a wide range of national and international clients in connection to real estate issues, in many regions throughout Brazil. The team is experienced in agribusiness contracts, surface rights, and large construction projects, such as football arenas, industrial plants, administrative easements for the implantation of electric transmission lines, hydroelectric and wind energy, property regularization procedures, fiduciary sales, mortgages and property developments. The team regularly carries out due diligence for acquisition, sale, guarantees and other investments made by local and foreign companies in real estate properties, both urban and rural. Within the firm, the real estate team is connected with the environmental, regulatory, dispute and resolution, tax, capital markets, wealth and estate planning and labour departments, and together provide comprehensive support on these matters related to real estate projects.

Fábio Machado Baldissera ([email protected])

Restructuring & Insolvency

Regularly assists and represents debtors and creditors involved in judicial and extrajudicial restructuring, bankruptcies and companies' extrajudicial liquidation. Acts in the restructuring of debts, negotiating with debtors and creditors, as well as in the sale or acquisition of companies and/or distressed assets.

Gilberto Correa ([email protected])

Tax

The firm offers a wide range of tax consultancy and litigation services at the federal, state and municipal levels, including issues such as social security contributions, operation restructuring, tax benefits, mergers and acquisitions, tax replacements, transfer pricing and due diligence, as well as the legislative process. The team is recognised for its expertise in customs law, analysing foreign trade taxation, and tax classifications, among others.

Valter Tremarin ([email protected])

Wealth and Succession Planning

The team advises on estate and succession planning for Brazilians and foreigners to organize, enhance, and protect their assets, both in Brazil and abroad. The firm has vast experience in leading projects with a focus on planning strategies to minimize economic risks, aiming to identify the best available structures and implement the plan to achieve asset protection, wealth preservation and organization, as well as tax and succession efficiency. It also advises individuals and family businesses, including the support for family offices since their inception, through family governance documents such as family contracts, wills, and trusts, as well as shareholder agreements and other corporate organization documents. The team has multidisciplinary expertise in areas such as Succession, Family, Tax, Corporate, Real Estate, and Intellectual Property Law.

Frederico Hilzendeger ([email protected])

Administrative/Regulatory

The firm has expertise in procurement and government contracts, concessions, permissions and authorisations, expropriation and administrative easements, sanctioning proceedings, misconduct actions, anticorruption law etc. The firm represents clients in infrastructure-related matters, particularly regarding energy, oil and gas, sanitation, harbours and airports, railways and mining.

Agribusiness

This area represents national and international clients from various sectors operating in the complex Brazilian agriculture industry. Our representation includes input supply operations, design of credit operations involving agribusiness securities and guarantee structures, economic and financial restructuring of agribusinesses and cooperatives, and litigation involving commodity purchase and input supply. Our practice also comprises representation in the precautionary seizure of crops and other agribusiness assets and the acquisition and leasing of rural properties. Among our clients are agricultural cooperatives of many sizes, trading companies and commercial companies.

Fernando Pellenz ([email protected])

Capital Markets

Souto Correa’s Capital Markets team has many years of experience in capital market operations by participating in public offerings of securities, including IPOs, follow-on and take-over bids, debentures (including incentive debentures), commercial notes, investment fund shares, participating in securitization transactions, such as real estate receivables certificates, agribusiness receivables certificates, and debt restructuring. Our professionals also participate in the structuring of investment funds, such as real estate investment funds (FII, FIAGRO, FIDC, FIP and FI-Infra), providing assistance to officers, managers, consultants and investors. Our practice covers all sectors of the economy in several areas of the capital markets, including counselling to national and international companies and financial institutions. Moreover, our practice includes consultancy to regulated agents and investors in complying with regulatory requirements, in addition to lawsuits, administrative procedures and queries before regulatory and self-regulatory market agencies. Our team conducts sanctioning proceedings before the Securities and Exchange Commission of Brazil (CVM), the Central Bank, and BSM Supervisão de Mercados, including negotiating settlement agreements, filing administrative defences, and representing clients in lawsuits or arbitration proceedings whose background is in relationships within the capital or financial markets.

Consumer & Product Liability

The firm manages strategic lawsuits involving consumer rights, such as collective actions. Experience includes handling public civil inquiries and strategic administrative cases filed by consumer protection and defence authorities. The team handles product liability lawsuits and recall campaigns. The area advises clients on consumer internal policies.

Roberta Feiten ([email protected])

Contracts

Souto Correa’s Contracts practice area encompasses national and international contracts, with full legal counselling to domestic and international clients in all phases of the process, from negotiation to drafting, review and discussion of contractual matters, both in court and in arbitration. The department provides counselling on drafting choice of court and arbitration clauses, negotiation of guarantees, review of penalties for breach and effects of contract termination, and recommendation of best practices to minimize the risk of liabilities for the contract term. The professionals in our team have wide experience with cooperation contracts in many legal formats to facilitate the flow of goods and services, including distribution, commercial concession, commercial representation or agency, and franchising. Our team also has relevant experience in infrastructure contracts, such as Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) agreements, which includes counselling in negotiating any claims arising from such transactions. The area’s experience also includes consultancy in supply agreements, service agreements, transportation and logistics agreements, technology, confidentiality agreements, certificates of indebtedness and renegotiations.

Raquel Stein ([email protected])

Fernanda Girardi ([email protected])

Corporate & M&A

The team handles all matters related to a company’s day-to-day corporate and governance routines. Attorneys take part in several transactions including mergers and acquisitions, shareholder agreements, and due diligence procedures. On the contractual side, the team negotiates and drafts commercial, distribution and agency agreements. The corporate team works with related practice areas, such as real estate, timberland investment and agribusiness.

Rodrigo Tellechea ([email protected])

Corporate Criminal

The area covers corporate criminal issues from a truly multidisciplinary angle. The team assists natural and legal persons regarding criminal matters during criminal investigations and in lawsuits before federal and state courts. This area’s deep involvement in each case and the technical knowledge of the team guarantee quick responses and efficient solutions in all stages of the criminal process.

Emília Malacarne ([email protected])

Dispute Resolution: Arbitration & Mediation

The team handles domestic and international mediations and arbitrations, arbitral letters, challenging and annulment of arbitral awards, recognition and enforcement of foreign arbitral awards. Advises clients in the negotiation and drafting of arbitral clauses. Team members also act as arbitrators and mediators.

Guilherme Rizzo Amaral ([email protected])

Rafael Sirangelo Abreu ([email protected])

Dispute Resolution: Litigation

The firm has experience in the prevention and resolution of complex litigation in the administrative and judicial spheres, representing clients before all courts. It also cooperates with clients in the definition of strategies to reduce litigation, and advises them in accordance with the needs of their businesses.

Guilherme Rizzo Amaral ([email protected])

Rafael Sirangelo Abreu ([email protected])

Environmental & Sustainability

The firm provides consultancy services regarding compliance with environmental legislation, analysing possible opportunities arising from legal benefits. The team also assists with environmental, administrative and legal proceedings, including monitoring civil inquiries and public civil actions, negotiating settlements with public authorities, and providing assistance with licensing.

Fabiana Figueiró ([email protected])

Mariana Níquel ([email protected])

Intellectual Property & Entertainment

The firm advises clients on issues related to trademarks, brands, franchises, copyright law, domain names, industrial design, know-how, business secrets, software, unfair competition, e-commerce, corporate name disputes, trade dress, biotechnology, cultivation, genetic patrimony access (CGen), and all related areas, including application and protective measures. It assists clients in matters related to the recording and audiovisual industry, events, online content providers, TV broadcasters, advertising agencies, copyrights, image and voice rights, sponsorships, advertisements and branded entertainment.

Letícia Provedel ([email protected])

Labour

The team acts in litigation cases and in consultancy. Experience includes managing the relationship with union entities and negotiating collective agreements. The team deals with due diligence and the management of financial liabilities and reviews HR proceedings. Also in its purview is drafting contracts, internal policies and codes of conduct, and conducting in-company training sessions on labour-related matters.

Patricia Alves ([email protected])

Manoela Pascal ([email protected])

Life Sciences

Souto Correa’s Life Sciences and healthcare practice joins the experience and solid background of our professionals in pioneering and multidisciplinary proceedings involving companies of this industry in the Brazilian market. Our team is well acquainted with the daily routine of the regulated industry, which allows us to quickly understand the goals and challenges faced by our clients and then develop customized and efficient solutions, preventively or reactively. Our team comprises professionals of renown in the areas of sanitary regulation, intellectual property, administrative law, contracts, public tenders, public policies, and compliance. This allows us to take a comprehensive approach to commercial, consultancy, and litigation matters. Attentive to the uniqueness of the regulated industry, we provide legal counselling to national and multinational companies in sectors such as pharmaceutical products, medical equipment, food and beverages, biodiversity and biotechnology, cosmetics, health techs, telemedicine, and health services.

Anderson Ribeiro ([email protected])

Matheus Montecasciano ([email protected])

Real Estate

The firm is strongly specialised in high-end commercial, industrial and rural leases, BTS, sale and lease back and represents a wide range of national and international clients in connection to real estate issues, in many regions throughout Brazil. The team is experienced in agribusiness contracts, surface rights, and large construction projects, such as football arenas, industrial plants, administrative easements for the implantation of electric transmission lines, hydroelectric and wind energy, property regularization procedures, fiduciary sales, mortgages and property developments. The team regularly carries out due diligence for acquisition, sale, guarantees and other investments made by local and foreign companies in real estate properties, both urban and rural. Within the firm, the real estate team is connected with the environmental, regulatory, dispute and resolution, tax, capital markets, wealth and estate planning and labour departments, and together provide comprehensive support on these matters related to real estate projects.

Fábio Machado Baldissera ([email protected])

Restructuring & Insolvency

Regularly assists and represents debtors and creditors involved in judicial and extrajudicial restructuring, bankruptcies and companies' extrajudicial liquidation. Acts in the restructuring of debts, negotiating with debtors and creditors, as well as in the sale or acquisition of companies and/or distressed assets.

Gilberto Correa ([email protected])

Tax

The firm offers a wide range of tax consultancy and litigation services at the federal, state and municipal levels, including issues such as social security contributions, operation restructuring, tax benefits, mergers and acquisitions, tax replacements, transfer pricing and due diligence, as well as the legislative process. The team is recognised for its expertise in customs law, analysing foreign trade taxation, and tax classifications, among others.

Anderson Trautmann Cardoso ([email protected])

Valter Tremarin ([email protected])

Wealth and Succession Planning

The team advises on estate and succession planning for Brazilians and foreigners to organize, enhance, and protect their assets, both in Brazil and abroad. The firm has vast experience in leading projects with a focus on planning strategies to minimize economic risks, aiming to identify the best available structures and implement the plan to achieve asset protection, wealth preservation and organization, as well as tax and succession efficiency. It also advises individuals and family businesses, including the support for family offices since their inception, through family governance documents such as family contracts, wills, and trusts, as well as shareholder agreements and other corporate organization documents. The team has multidisciplinary expertise in areas such as Succession, Family, Tax, Corporate, Real Estate, and Intellectual Property Law.

Frederico Hilzendeger ([email protected])

The team assists clients in Brazil and abroad in all areas of business law. To achieve that, it relies on professionals who are fluent in several foreign languages, which enables them to meet the standards and requests from various countries, especially through its Asian, German and Latin desks.