Recommended for its ‘technical excellence and availability‘, the corporate and M&A practice at BMA Advogados acts for a variety of blue-chip clients – both buyers and sellers – in big-ticket transactions across a broad range of sectors, including healthcare, insurance, logistics and real estate. The group has a strong track record in innovative deals, and has recently advised on first-of-a-kind acquisitions in the football segment. Focused on M&A, corporate reorganisations and corporate law matters, Rafael Calabria in Rio jointly leads the department with São Paulo-based Roberto Dias Carneiro, who in addition to business transactions also advises public listed entities on CVM regulations and shareholder disputes. Monique Mavignier handles buy and sell-side public M&A and private equity deals. Amir Bocayuva Cunha is another name to note for M&A, joint ventures, contract negotiations and corporate disputes. In addition to public M&A, Ana Paula Reis assists with corporate governance issues and corporate restructurings. Paulo Cezar Aragão has recently advised on multi-billion-dollar M&A deals in the real estate and healthcare segments.

Cescon Barrieu ‘has specialised and qualified professionals to deal with diverse and complex legal issues‘ in the context of high-value M&A transactions at the national and international level. Its impressive workload features takeovers, mergers, corporate restructurings and high-value acquisitions and sales in a wide range of industry sectors, such as education, energy, food and beverages, and sports. A leading authority in this market, founding partner Maria Cristina Cescon has a strong track record in industry-first transactions on behalf of major financial investors, public listed companies, privately held corporates and PE funds. She leads the practice alongside Marcos Flesch and Ronald Herscovici, who in addition to their strong M&A background advise on corporate governance issues. M&A, joint ventures and corporate reorganisation are among Darkson Delmondes Galvão‘s key areas of focus. Eduardo Lanna is a name to note for deals in the power sector, while Luciana De Castro Mares Torres is particularly active in the energy, retail and agribusiness spaces. Senior associate Maria Julia Argollo shines on matters concerning public companies, often advising on governance issues, M&A and corporate restructuring.

A ‘very experienced firm in the M&A segment‘, Demarest Advogados is home to a ‘high-performance team, extremely capable of solving complex and multidisciplinary issues in a timely manner‘. With extensive experience in both domestic and cross-border transactions, the group advises multinational corporations and private equity firms active in a range of industries, from agribusiness, to energy and consumer goods. Co-head Ana Carolina Botto Audi focuses on PE and venture capital investments, acting for a range of blue-chip clients. Fellow co-leader Thiago Sandim stands out for his wealth of experience in unsolicited takeover bids. Also at the helm of the practice, José Setti Diaz handles a mix of M&A deals and corporate reorganisations, with a particular focus on the agribusiness, chemicals, life sciences, mining and retail sectors. He will succeed corporate and M&A specialist Paulo Coelho da Rocha as managing partner in April 2025. Luciana Cossermelli Tornovsky is another notable practitioner in the field of M&A, joint ventures and corporate governance. The team has been further strengthened by the arrival of João Busin, the former corporate and M&A co-head at TozziniFreire Advogados, in May 2024. Marcelo Peloso stands out at the associate level for his involvement in M&A, PE deals, corporate reorganisations and foreign investments.

Offering legal support to an impressive client roster comprising Brazilian and international companies, financial investors, governmental entities, pension and investment funds, Machado Meyer Sendacz e Opice Advogados excels in big-ticket transactions at the domestic and international level. Its varied workload features public M&A, PE deals, joint ventures, asset divestments and privatisations in a wide range of industries, including financial services, retail, education, agribusiness, mining, telecoms and energy. The practice is under the joint leadership of Arthur Bardawil Penteado, who handles a combination of domestic and cross-border M&A, PE and corporate restructuring matters, and Guilherme Bueno Malouf, whose expertise covers share and asset deals, mergers, joint ventures and PE investments. Corporate law, governance and M&A specialist Adriana Pallis is a key point of contact for public listed and private companies, which also regularly turn to Mauro Cesar Leschziner for legal advice. Ivandro Maciel Sanchez Junior heads up the Latin American and Iberian desks, assisting several Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American clients with their investments in Brazil.

Mattos Filho is consistently engaged in the most high-profile M&A transactions in the Brazilian market, acting on behalf of both sellers and buyers, including private equity funds. Drawing on the firm’s strong capabilities in tax and regulatory issues, the group is well placed to handle the entire lifecycle of deals – both domestic and cross-border – and is singled out for its stellar track record in public M&A in a host of sectors, most notably insurance, technology, energy, manufacturing, retail, and agribusiness. A key contact for publicly-held companies, foreign investors and PE funds, João Ricardo de Azevedo Ribeiro is a reference for corporate transactions, governance issues and strategic investments. Moacir Zilbovicius is a strong performer in public M&A, while Marcelo Sampaio Góes Ricupero focuses on PE and distressed deals. Pedro Whitaker De Souza Dias, who took on the role of managing partner in April 2024, has worked on several transactions in the healthcare, agribusiness and PE spaces. The latter is a notable area of practice for Rodrigo Figueiredo Nascimento; Sabrina Naritomi is especially active in the technology and infrastructure sectors. Paula Vieira de Oliveira, the firm’s resident partner in New York, maintains solid relationships with funds in the region.

Led by the highly regarded Carlos Alberto Moreira Lima Jr, the sizeable corporate and M&A group at Pinheiro Neto Advogados handles a significant volume of large-cap deals on behalf of major multinational and domestic public corporations, privately-held companies, private equity funds and financial investors. The group is equally adept in public and private M&A transactions, and demonstrates strength in cross-jurisdictional mergers, acquisitions, disposals, and joint ventures in a variety of industries, including insurance, infrastructure, agribusiness, energy, life sciences and technology, to name a few. Co-managing partner Fernando Alves Meira possesses an impressive track record in multijurisdictional M&A. Marcelo Viveiros de Moura is especially active in the oil and gas and telecoms industries, while Miguel Tornovsky handles a mix of cross-border deals, corporate reorganisations and PE matters. João Marcelo Pacheco and Joamir Müller Romiti Alves are other names to note for PE and M&A mandates. PE fund managers and corporate clients regularly turn to Eduardo Paoliello Jr. for advice on transactional work. Camila Carvalho Gomes and Tiago Eler Silva handle buy and sell-side instructions in the context of PE and strategic deals in Latin America.

Praised for its ‘technical knowledge and proximity to the client’s business‘, Lefosse Advogados has recently worked on many of the largest M&A deals in Brazil, and stands out for its credentials in transactions involving listed companies. Highlights from the past year have included high-value acquisitions, sales, joint ventures, and private equity investments – both domestic and cross-border – in the energy, cosmetics, healthcare, food, and financial services sectors. Leading the practice is Luiz Octavio Lopes, a key contact for some of the largest companies listed on the Brazilian Stock Exchange. Carlos Mello, an ‘experienced negotiator‘, is active in consequential M&A deals and corporate restructurings. Other noteworthy individuals include managing partner Rodrigo Junqueira and André Calumby, the latter of whom regularly acts for private and public companies, PE and VC funds in a wide range of transactions.

At Stocche Forbes Advogados, the corporate and M&A team is well positioned to handle big-ticket transactions – both investments and divestments – in a wide range of sectors, including but not limited to private equity, telecoms, real estate, education, agribusiness and energy. The latter is a particular area of strength for the group, which has a notable track record in M&A involving publicly held companies. André Mestriner Stocche is the trusted adviser to several clients engaged in high-value corporate deals, public offerings and restructurings. He jointly oversees the practice with Flavio Meyer, who handles buy and sell-side mandates on behalf of listed companies and PE funds, and Fabiano Milani. Cross-border transactions involving Brazilian assets are a key area of activity for Bruno Bercito, while Luciana Stracieri shines in M&A in the PE and real estate segments. Teo Silva Galvão is noted for his experience in distressed deals and foreign investments in regulated sectors.

‘Made up of highly qualified professionals, with extensive experience and specialisations in various areas of law‘, Lobo de Rizzo Advogados is prepared to handle high-end M&A, private equity deals and joint ventures on behalf of household name clients from the worlds of technology, food and beverage, infrastructure, energy and manufacturing, among other sectors. Otávio Lucas Solano Valério is especially active in transactions, commercial contracts and corporate matters in the food and beverage segment, while Rodrigo Millar De Castro Guerra is a name to note for Brazilian, North American and European companies seeking assistance with their investments in Brazil and Latin America. Founding partner Valdo Cestari De Rizzo often advises domestic and international players in M&A, joint ventures, contractual issues and corporate disputes.

Public and private entities, as well as investment banks, private equity funds, pension funds and investors regularly turn to Tauil & Chequer Advogados for advice on big-ticket M&A transactions. Benefitting from access to an extensive international workload, the firm is well positioned to handle cross-border deals, with a special focus on the energy and infrastructure sectors. In addition to merger, spin-offs, and consolidations, the group is also skilled in corporate restructurings and governance issues. Carlos Motta, who has handled numerous deals in the infrastructure, energy, education, sports and technology segments, jointly leads the practice with Victor Galante, who brings together experience in M&A and project development, and energy specialist Alexandre Chequer. A key contact for companies, funds and financial institutions, Christian Roschmann ‘is highly accessible, easy to work with and has great experience both in Brazil and abroad‘. Lilian Toscani stands out for her knowledge of the agribusiness space. Associate Stefano Braga’s ‘effective performance and assertive contributions bring great quality to the negotiations carried out‘.

With extensive experience in inbound and outbound investments, Trench Rossi Watanabe is particularly well placed to assist with multijurisdictional transactions, drawing on its association with Baker McKenzie LLP. Buyers and sellers, including public listed and private companies, from an array of sectors – most notably energy, life sciences, agribusiness, education, technology and insurance – regularly turn to the team for advice on M&A, private equity and venture capital deals. The team is jointly led by a capable trio: Rio-based Anna Mello is a go-to adviser for energy and infrastructure clients; Daniel Facó brings together expertise in corporate transactions and capital markets; and Mauricio Pacheco stands out for his strong track record in private equity deals. The team was strengthened in August 2024 with the additions of Cristina de Freitas Bueno and Vitor Stern from Cescon Barrieu.

Veirano Advogados manages a varied M&A workload, where high-end deals involving listed companies feature alongside joint ventures, private equity investments, asset deals and smaller transactions concerning family-owned businesses. Energy, mining, real estate, and technology are key sector focuses for the department, which is often retained by private equity and investment funds. Augusto Cesar Barbosa De Souza, who has a wealth of experience in buy and sell-side M&A involving domestic and international companies, and Lior Pinsky, who brings together expertise in M&A, capital markets and banking and finance matters, jointly oversee the corporate and M&A national practice. Corporate law and transactional expert Fernando Verzoni leads the Porto Alegre-based group. Managing partner Paula Surerus is noted for her experience in transactions in regulated sectors and corporate reorganisations. The firm was significantly strengthened in September 2023 by the arrival of a group of former Souto Correa Advogados lawyers, including Mauricio Negri Machado Paschoal, rated for being ‘very experienced, intelligent, creative and adaptive to all situations that may arise in a corporate deal‘.

A go-to in the market for cross-border deals, Campos Mello Advogados in cooperation with DLA Piper ‘stands out for bringing together very qualified professionals‘ who are skilled in the structuring and negotiation of high-value M&A, minority acquisitions, asset deals, corporate reorganisations and joint ventures, among other corporate matters. The team especially shines when acting for the buyer, and continues to be engaged in a multitude of mid-market transactions in a wide range of sectors, including energy, sports and technology. Fabiano Gallo, ‘a very experienced corporate and M&A lawyer‘ with in-depth knowledge of the energy and infrastructure segments, co-heads the practice with Miriam Machado Kleissl, who handles a mix of M&A work, private equity deals and debt restructuring. The ‘very practical, hands-on and always available‘ Oduvaldo Lara Júnior is routinely instructed by listed companies, foreign investors and private equity funds. Renata Amorim is also noted for her expertise in M&A, private equity and venture capital mandates.

Formed at the beginning of 2023 through the merger of transactional force Madrona Advogados and Belo Horizonte powerhouse Fialho Salles Advogados, Madrona Fialho Advogados manages a balanced M&A workload where high-end corporate transactions – including mergers, business combinations, sales, acquisitions and joint ventures – feature alongside mid-market deals in an array of sectors. The team is proficient in both public M&A and private equity investments, and has recently handled significant matters in the energy, healthcare, education, technology, telecoms, agribusiness and financial services spaces. Danilo Mininel stands out for his knowledge of the technology industry, while Roberto Pary possesses a proven track record in transactions concerning publicly-held and private companies. Other notable individuals include José Senedesi, Ricardo Madrona, and Milena Coimbra, all of whom handle M&A, contractual matters and corporate reorganisations.

‘Known for its high level of collaboration and excellent work ethic‘, Pinheiro Guimarães acts for buyers, sellers, management and target companies in sophisticated M&A transactions, demonstrating particular strength in the banking and financial industry. In addition to its strong credentials in public M&A deals, including matters containing international components, the group is also active in the private equity space, where it advises major international and local funds on acquisitions, divestments and transactions involving distressed assets. Plinio Pinheiro Guimarães N. in Rio and São Paulo-based Francisco José Pinheiro Guimarães and Marcelo Lamy, the latter of whom is noted for being an ‘excellent negotiator and strategist‘ in the context of big-ticket M&A, jointly lead the team. Sérgio Ramos Yoshino possesses a strong track record in mandates involving the sale of distressed assets, divestment strategies and M&A in the context of debt restructuring. Maria Amélia Lisbão Senra has handled several transactions in the healthcare, entertainment, energy and banking sectors, while Carolina Cardoso Ramalho has knowledge of both M&A deals and corporate finance.

TozziniFreire Advogados is routinely sought out by a litany of Brazilian and international clients across the energy, infrastructure, technology, financial services, life sciences, and food and beverage sectors. The team is well placed to advise on public and private M&A deals, but has been particularly active in private equity-driven transactions. With in-depth knowledge of M&A and joint ventures, practice head Marcela Waksman Ejnisman is singled out for her experience in the TMT space. Other noteworthy practitioners include Oswaldo Dalla Torre, who focuses on corporate governance, contracts and M&A in an array of industries, including technology, mining, energy and agribusiness, and Silvia Castro Cunha Zono, who is especially active in the agribusiness sector. Victor Frias Françoso stands out at the associate level for his involvement in the practice. Former co-head João Busin is no longer at the firm.