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LATIN LAWYER THE BUSINESS LAW RESOURCE FOR LATIN AMERICA

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LATINLAWYER 2014 REVIEW

A YEAR IN REVIEW With politica l and economic change on the horizon for many Latin American countries, 2014 was marked by a slew of strategic hires in the region's legal markets. Whether it be Mexico's energy reforms, Argentina's upcoming presidential elections or Brazil's newly elected parliament, law firms spent 2014 gearing up for what is expected to be a busy year ahe~d . Vincent Manancourt takes a look at some of the most memorable developments in Latin America 's lega l markets over the last 12 months

Argentina With presidential elections scheduled for next year, law firms in Argentina have been gearing up for a surge in foreign investment following an expected change of govemment. A new five-partner firm, Tavarone, Rovelli, Salim & Miani - Abogados, was set up in Buenos Aires by lawyers from Bazán, Cambré & Orts and Bruchou, Fernández Madero & Lombardi, and will focus mainly on banking and finance transactions. Busso & Farina Abogados, another new firm, was formed when three partners left Argentinc firm Negri, Busso & Farina. Bruchou, meanwhile, hired Sergio Arbeleche1

and Sebastián Vedoya2 from ZabaUa Carchio - Abogados to jointly head a new mining practice, and Pérez Alati, Grondona, Benites,Arntsen & Martínez de Hoz (h) opened upa new ofticc in Neuquén province to tap into increased work arising from exploitation in the Vaca Muerta shale gas field. Elsewhere, Brons & Salas partner Lisandro Allende3 and of counsel Gustavo Ferraute4 left the firm to set up Allende & Ferrante.

Bolívia Ferrere added two new practice arcas in Bolívia - labour and natural resources - with the hire of new partner Alejandro Pemintel5 from Pemintel Abogados, while Guevara & Gutiérrez SC - Servicios Legales added strength in energy with the hire of Rodolfo Mercado6

, a former manager at Bolivia's state-run oil companyYPFB, as partner.

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2014 REVIEW

Brazil With the football World Cup and presidential elections, 2014 provcd an eventful year for Brazil - and it was no difterent for the country's legal market. Siqueira Castro Advogados, the country's largest firm, saw a number of developments. At the start of the ycar, the firm agreed a strategic partnership with Chinese law firm DeHeng Law Offices - signalling the first such tie-up by a large Brazilian firm. It went on to announce a major shakeup at its management levei, with Carlos Fernando Siqueira Castro (the founding partncr's son), stepping down as CEO to be replaced by Alfredo Ferrari7, a former general counsel-turned-business executive ofNextel, while announcing the creation of equity partners for the first time. Siquiera Castro rounded off the year by ope1úng a new office in the southcrn city of Curitiba. The firm also saw a number of departures: Marcelo Freitas Pereira8 and Maria Cibele Crepaldi Affonso dos Santos9 moved to Costa, Waisberg e Tavares Paes Sociedade de Advogados and tax partner Jorge Henrique Zaninetti1° joined Ara(tio e Policastro Advogados.

Tauil & Chequer in association with Mayer Brown also had a busy year; launching a hiring spree in 2013 that showed little sign of abating by the end of2014. Injanuary, Tauil & Chequer added Gustavo Fernandes11 and Roberto Figueiredo12 from disputes boutique Sérgio Bermudes Advogados; March saw the firm increase its partnership by three with the lúres ofLeonardo Morato13,

Luciana Celidonio14 and Adriana Maria Dias15 from Veirano Advogados; and in November the finn beefed up its tax offering by hiring Celso Grisi16 and two associates fi:om Ferreira e Brancher. Two other partners at Veirano Advogados, Pedro Maciel 17 and Cario Verona18, also left the firm, this time in the direction of Lefosse Advogados. Elsewhere, partner Paulo de Bessa Antunes19

and four associates were added to Tauil & Chequer Advogados in association with Mayer Brown from Bessa, Homem de Carvalho & Gonçalves Advogados to boost the environmcntal departrnent following the departure of practice head Luiz Gustavo Bezerra20

to Motta, Fernandes Rocha - Advogados. Last year also saw the departure from Tauil & Chequer of banking and finance partner Marcelo Cosac21 for Madrona Hong Mazzuco - Sociedade de Advogados.Tauil & Chequer was not the only firm to bolster its tax department - Leite, Tosto e Barros Advogados Associados hired Fernando Vaisman22 from Almeida Advogados and Elisabeth Libertuci23 returned to Trench, Rossi e \Vatanabe Advogados' tax practice to develop its wcalth management offering. In another return, the general counsel of a steel plant project company, Alberto Vieira, rejoinedVieira, Rezendc, Barbosa e Guerreiro Advogados.

Growing optinúsm among firms regarding the economy saw many increase their headcount in a host of transactional practice areas. Souza, Cescon, Barrieu e Flesch - Advogados added former Machado, Meyer, Sendacz e Opice Advogados equity markets partner Daniel Facó24, wlúle Demarest Advogados boosted its M&A department with the hire ofWald e Associados Advogados partner Marcos Schroeder25 and Costa Waisberg Tavares Paes Sociedade de Advogados hired Gustavo Dezouzart to develop its

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2014 REVIEW

capital markets practice. Similarly, Lilla, Huck, Otranto, Camargo Advogados hired two new partners, including the former head of capital markets, Almir Rogerio Gonçalves26

• Other firms chose to strengthen their labour otferings in 2014:Araújo e Policastro Advogados and Azevedo Sette Advogados hired labour specialists Ana Lúcia Pinke27 from Trench, Rossi e Watanabe Advogados and Mariá Gnitti28 from Lefosse Advogados respectively.

Azevedo Sette also made moves to boost its real estate practice, which held steady over the last year thanks to demand for housing from the country's swclling middle class. The firm hired real estate and agribusiness partner Wagner Botelha29 from Vella Pugliese, Buosi e Guidoni. Barbosa Müssnich & Aragão also hired real estate partner Cristiane Mamprin30 from Lobo & de Rizzo Advogados. Similarly, Mattos Filho, Veiga Filho, Mârrey J r e Quiroga Advogados added real estate partner Rossana Duarte31 from Siqueira Castro Advogados, shortly bcfore associate Paulo Octaviano Diniz Junqueira Neto joined insurance boutique DR&A Advogados as of counsel. The firm also rehired Cassio Gama AmaraP2

, who left to join Azevedo Sette Advogados two years ago before hdping to sct up a boutique.

\Vith many firms betting on a future spike in activity in Brazil's energy sector, Barrctto Ferreira e Brancher recruited Comgás general counsel Leonardo Lerner33 to hcad a new energy practice, andVella Pugliese Buosi e Guidoni added Luis Felipe Valerim Pinheiro34, former head of the infrastructure and energy division at thc Officc of thc Chief of Statf's legal team, to coordinate its infrastructure and public law department. Sirnilarly, Isabela Faria35

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thc general counsel of oil rig contractor Sete Brasil, returned to the Rio de Janeiro office of LO Baptista, Schmidt,Valois, Miranda, Ferreira,Agel, which also saw partners Roger Bêiing and Marcos Gleich leave to set up a new corporate boutique in Rio de Janeiro: BOing, Gleich, Gomes de Mattos, Rodrigues Advogados. Heading in the opposite direction, sustainable energy company Renova Energia poached Ricardo de Lima Assaf from Machado, Meyer, Scndacz e Opice Advogados. Meanwhile, in a first for the firm, Stocche Forbes Padis Filizzola Clapis Advogado hired Marcos Castro36, the ex-assistant general counsel ofbankrupt shipyard company OSX - the first time the young firm has laterally hired a partner.

Heated competition for talent has also seen increasing consoli­dation between firms. Dias Carneiro, Flores, Sanches e Thomaz Bastos Advogados merged with civil litigation and arbitration boutique Arystóbulo Freitas Advogados to create a firm with 102 fee-earners overall, while TozziniFreire Advogados continued the rapid expansion ofits competition practice by welcoming Márcio de Carvalho Silveira Bueno and Marcel Medon Santos, the antitrust practice heads of two rival firms. On the international front, two firms opcned new foreign law consultancies: Hogan Lovells LLP launched in São Paulo with the hire of Clitford Chance LLP partner Isabel Carvalho37, adding to its Rio de Janeiro presence, while Norton Rose Fulbright opened in Rio, hiring the former assistant general counsel ofUK oil and gas company BP to co-head the office.

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