Tauil & Chequer Advogados in association with Mayer Brown promoted three lawyers to the partnership across the firm’s core practice areas on 1 January. They are Gustavo Lasalvia, 38, in aviation and insurance and reinsurance, Ludmila Arruda Braga, 33 in real estate and Luis Otero Montes, 32, in banking and finance. The promotion round takes the total partner count to 33.

Managing partner Alexandre Chequer expects the insurance and reinsurance practice to be busy and keep growing in 2018, irrespective of the country’s economic development and the uncertainty surrounding the presidential elections in October. He says real estate and banking and finance are more influenced by the economy’s health. “As Brazil recovers and starts growing again, these practice areas will continue to grow and provide better results,” he says.

Chequer notes that Tauil & Chequer’s partners work closely with each other across multiple practice areas. Lasalvia works alongside the firm’s prominent insurance partner Julio Costa, while Braga works closely with real estate partner José Paulo Marzagão. Montes is often seen on deals with banking and finance head Eduardo Lima, global co-head of energy and managing partner Alexandre Chequer and corporate practice head Carlos Motta.

Campos Mello Advogados has opted to strengthen its corporate practice with two new partners to meet client demand. Carolina Sant’Angelo, 35, and Luiz Augusto, 36, were promoted on 1 January bringing the firm’s total partner count to 28. Augusto joined the firm in 2005 and specialises in M&A, private equity, venture capital and contracts. Sant’Angelo joined Campos Mello from Pereira Neto | Macedo Advogados in 2014 and has extensive experience in M&A and contracts. Augusto and Sant’Angelo work alongside corporate partners Cristiano Chaves de Melo, Fabiano Gallo, Marcelo Araujo de Castro Pereira and Marcus Bitencourt.

Campos Mello has made a significant comeback after a major setback, losing numerous partners in 2015. Managing partner Fabio Campos Mello says that Augusto and Sant’Angelo join the partnership at a time of significant growth in the corporate team. “It has virtually doubled in the last three years,” says Campos Mello. In August 2016 Leonardo Costa joined the team from Tauil & Chequer. “Despite Brazil’s challenging environment we believe that our consistent growth will continue in 2018, especially in M&A and private equity deals,” adds Campos Mello.

Carolina Sant’Angelo, Luiz Augusto & Alexei Macorin Vivan

A third firm promoting is Schmidt, Valois, Miranda, Ferreira, Agel Advogados, which is best known for its energy practice. Alexei Macorin Vivan, 43, was promoted on 1 January taking the partner count to 12. Vivan has more than 15 years of experience in the electric power sector specialising in energy law, but he also practices arbitration, litigation and corporate law. He works alongside energy and corporate partner Guilherme Schmidt, project finance and corporate lawyer Celina Ozorio and project finance and banking partner Isabela Faria. Vivan notes that the firm’s expertise in energy law goes hand in hand with its expertise in corporate and project finance to offer broad services to its clients.