Campos Mello Advogados bolsters its team with new partners in oil, natural gas, maritime, environmental, litigation and arbitration

The arrival of the five partners strengthens strategic practices of the Brazilian market

Rio de Janeiro, 19 October 2021 – DLA Piper announced today that five new partners have joined Campos Mello Advogados (CMA), in cooperation with DLA Piper. The expansion strengthens its capabilities in oil and gas, maritime, litigation and arbitration, with a particular focus on environmental and sustainability initiatives. This significant lateral group expansion, which includes one of the region’s foremost indigenous practitioners, represents the latest step in CMA’s alignment with DLA Piper and its relationship firms throughout the region and in Canada.   

 “We have been working with our Latin America and Brazil leaders and clients to identify key areas where we need to respond to marketplace demands,” said Frank Ryan, DLA Piper’s Americas chair. “This outstanding group of partners demonstrates the commitment of CMA and DLA Piper to meet the critical needs of our clients in the global legal marketplace.”

To strengthen its energy offering in response to the ongoing and heightening legal needs of the changing energy industry, Campos Mello Advogados has added two partners in oil and gas, energy transition and maritime. Alexandre Calmon is one of the leading oil and gas lawyers in Brazil and brings vast experience in acquisitions of oil and gas exploration and production assets and the development of energy projects in Brazil. In addition to his regulatory, contracts and general business practice, he has significant M&A experience advising clients in oil and gas and natural resources on large, high-value transactions over the past 20 years. He has extensive experience in onshore and offshore oil and gas concession contracts, production sharing agreements, JOAs, farm-in and farm-out operations, JBAs and marketing agreements, as well as midstream oil and gas-related projects, including gas transportation, regasification projects and gas sale agreements. The 2021 edition of Chambers Global described Alexandre as “Extremely courteous and intelligent,” with “vast experience and knowledge of the oil and gas sector.” A client also commends “his excellent and extensive oil and gas regulatory and contractual knowledge,” adding, “He is always available to attend urgent matters.”

Marcelo Frazão advises domestic and international companies on matters related to shipping, oil and gas, and energy projects. He has extensive experience in mergers and acquisitions, finance, and oil and gas and energy projects involving ships, maritime terminals and offshore works. His experience includes projects with floating storage regasification units (FSRU), floating production storage and offloading units (FPSO), drilling rigs, support vessels and subsea construction. He also has wide experience advising Asian investors in projects and deals related to Brazil, which fits into DLA Piper’s Latin America China Special Projects Team strategy.

CMA has added partners Paulo de Bessa Antunes and Vilmar Gonçalves to its environmental and ESG practice. Bessa Antunes served for 30 years as Regional Federal Prosecutor at the Brazilian Federal Prosecution Office and as Head of Legal of the Secretariat of Environmental Protection of Rio de Janeiro State. He has extensive experience in environmental law and has frequently dealt with environmental, indigenous and diffuse rights issues. He has worked on environmental licensing for large infrastructure projects, construction of thermoelectric centrals, ports, transmission lines, contaminated areas, large real estate developments and biological diversity, including patents and benefit sharing. While he has a strong litigation background in administrative proceedings and judicial lawsuits, his practice focuses on preventing disputes and seeking solutions for complex cases.

Vilmar Gonçalves joins the firmwide, global International Arbitration group and will be an active participant in DLA Piper’s Latin America regional practice group. He is an environmental law and strategic litigation expert and Arbitration Officer at CBMA, the Brazilian Center of Mediation and Arbitration. Vilmar focuses his practice on representing clients in various industries in legal and administrative proceedings, providing legal-environmental consultancy, environmental crisis management and alternative dispute resolution methods, including for multi-party cases. He has experience with individual and class action legal proceedings, representing, in particular, shipping, energy, agribusiness, mining, real estate and telecom companies, and has been recognized by The Legal 500 and Leaders League – 2021. He is a member of the Arbitration Commission of the Brazilian Bar Association (Rio de Janeiro chapter), coordinator of the Environmental Law MBA program at Universidade Candido Mendes – UCAM, and Arbitration Officer at CBMA – the Brazilian Center of Mediation and Arbitration.

CMA has also added João Marçal Martins to its civil litigation and arbitration practice. He has more than 10 years of experience in litigation and arbitration and has been recognized by The Legal 500 – 2021 as a “rising star in litigation.” He is a master of laws candidate in business law at Fundação Getulio Vargas in Sao Paulo and holds an LL.M. degree from University of Pennsylvania, an LL.M. degree in public and regulatory law from Fundação Getulio Vargas in Rio de Janeiro, and a business and law certificate from Wharton School. He joins the panel of arbitrators of the Brazilian Center of Mediation and Arbitration (CBMA) and of the Sao Paulo State Arbitration Council (CAESP). He is also Vice Chair for Special Projects of the American Bar Association (ABA), Section of International Law, a member and Brazilian Ambassador of YCIArb, and a lecturer, and has several publications on arbitration and international trade law.

“We are certain that the new partners’ vast experience, alongside CMA’s 40-year history, will bolster our capabilities. We were seeking a team with a strong background and focus on high-demand areas of practice – in particular energy, infrastructure and environmental. These areas have been constantly growing, and our clients are attentive to ESG. It is not a coincidence that we have seen a 50 percent increase in CMA’s business volume in connection with Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance issues. By strengthening our team with these additions, we will certainly expand our capabilities even more,” said CMA managing partner Fabio P. Campos Mello.

The new partners joined the CMA team on Wednesday, 10/13.

 

Learn more about our new partners:

 

Alexandre Calmon – Alexandre focuses his practice on regulatory and transactional work involving large transactions in the natural resources area. In addition to his regulatory, contracts and general business practice, Alexandre has significant M&A experience. He has been advising clients in oil, natural gas and natural resources on large, high-value transactions over the past 20 years. Alexandre has extensive experience in onshore and offshore oil and natural gas concession contracts, production sharing agreements, JOAs, farm-in and farm-out operations, JBAs, marketing agreements, as well as midstream oil and natural gas projects, including gas transportation and gas sale agreements.

 

Paulo de Bessa Antunes – Paulo has extensive experience in environmental law and served at the Office of Brazil’s Federal Attorney General for 30 years. At the Brazilian Federal Prosecution Office, Paulo dealt with environmental, indigenous and diffuse rights issues. As a lawyer, Paulo has worked on environmental licensing for large infrastructure projects, construction of thermoelectric centrals, ports, transmission lines, contaminated areas, large real estate developments and biological diversity (patents and benefit sharing). While he has a solid litigation experience in administrative proceedings and judicial lawsuits, his practice focuses on preventing disputes and seeking solutions for complex cases.

 

Marcelo Frazão – He has advised domestic and international companies on matters related to shipping, oil & gas, and energy projects. Marcelo has extensive experience in mergers and acquisitions, finance, and oil and gas and energy projects involving ships, maritime terminals and offshore works. His expertise includes projects with floating storage regasification units (FSRU), floating production storage and offloading units (FPSO), drilling rigs, support vessels and subsea construction. He also has wide experience in advising Asian investors in projects and deals related to Brazil.

 

Vilmar Luiz Graça Gonçalves – Vilmar focuses his practice on representing clients in various industries in legal and administrative proceedings, providing legal-environmental consultancy, environmental crisis management and alternative dispute resolution methods, including multi-party cases. He has experience on legal proceedings concerning individual and class action, representing, in particular, shipping, energy, agribusiness, mining, real estate and telecom companies, having been recognized by Legal 500 and Leaders League – 2021. Vilmar is a member of the Arbitration Commission of the Brazilian Bar Association (Rio de Janeiro chapter), coordinator of the Environmental Law MBA program at Universidade Candido Mendes – UCAM, and Arbitration Officer at CBMA – the Brazilian Center of Mediation and Arbitration.

 

João Marçal Martins – João has over 10 years’ experience in litigation and arbitration, being recognized by Legal 500 – 2021 as a “rising star in litigation.” He is a Master of Laws candidate in Business Law at Fundação Getulio Vargas in Sao Paulo and holds an LL.M. degree from University of Pennsylvania, an LL.M. degree in Public and Regulatory Law from Fundação Getulio Vargas in Rio de Janeiro, and a Business and Law Certificate from Wharton School. João joins the panel of arbitrators of the Brazilian Center of Mediation and Arbitration (CBMA) and of the Sao Paulo State Arbitration Council (CAESP). He is also Vice Chair for Special Projects of the American Bar Association (ABA), Section of International Law, a member and Brazilian Ambassador of YCIArb, a lecturer and has several publications on arbitration and international trade law.

 

About Campos Mello Advogados:

With a global presence, Campos Mello Advogados is a full-service law firm offering safe, innovative, effective solutions for the continuous growth of its clients’ businesses. In the Brazilian market for 40 years, CMA has an international partnership with DLA Piper, a global law firm based in over 40 countries in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. CMA has built its high reputation by excelling in ethics, transparency, and legal expertise, and by valuing its people and exceeding the expectations of clients in various industries and sectors in Brazil.

 

For more information:

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Bruna Nascimento –  bruna.nascimento@cdn.com.br
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