Marcelo Frazão
‘The firm does an excellent job. Alexandre Calmon and Marcelo Frazão are incredible. Unrivalled experience in regulatory and M&A matters.’ – The Legal 500, 2024
Marcelo Frazão focuses his practice on mergers and acquisitions, project development, and disputes within the energy sector.
He advises a diverse range of companies engaged in both conventional and renewable energy projects, including within the wind, solar, and hydrogen energy generation spaces. His clients include developers, global suppliers, sponsors, and financiers, as well as sovereign wealth funds from the Middle East and Japanese trading conglomerates with interests in Brazil.
With a strong focus on sustainability, Marcelo is actively involved in energy transition works including carbon capture and storage (CCS) and biofuel projects in Brazil. He has advised on the structuring of the first commercial project for CCS in Brazil and the construction of the largest biorefinery in Brazil, with an estimated CAPEX of USD 2.5 billion, among others.
Marcelo is frequently sought to speak at energy events, present papers, and provide training within both the private and public sectors.
DLA Piper and Campos Mello Advogados (CMA) are separate and independent law firms, which work in cooperation with one another. Partners of DLA Piper are not partners of CMA; and CMA partners are not partners of DLA Piper.
EXPERIENCE
- Assisting a major renewable energy company in the structuring of a pioneer renewable fuels project in the state of Bahia, Brazil, using high-energy agricultural crops (soy, macaúba, and palm oil) as inputs, from seed planting to the production of renewable fuels
- Assisting a major port in structuring a sustainable hydrogen hub in the state of Ceará, Brazil, including advising on governance and regulatory aspects
- Assisted a global power development and investment company in the acquisition of 50 percent of interest in a JV which currently owns a 600 MW greenfield gas-to-power project in Santa Catarina
- Assisting global suppliers and operators of offshore floating platforms on regulatory disputes regarding the local content regulation of FPSOs built outside of Brazil
- Assisting a global supplier and operator of offshore floating platforms on Petrobras’s bidding proceeding for the procurement of Barracuda FPSO
- Assisting a global supplier and operator of offshore floating platforms on Petrobras’s bidding proceeding for the procurement of Albacora FPSO
- Assisting MISC Berhad in contractual and regulatory matters for the structuring of the project regarding the operation of third FPSO to be employed at the ultra-deepwater Mero field (Mero 3), including contractual issues. We had previously advised MISC Berhad in Petrobras’ bid proceeding for the procurement of Mero 3 FPSO
- Assisting EN.IT in the structuring and development of an onshore wind project of 24 wind farms, which can fluctuate between 21 to 29.4 MW each, in the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The total estimated power is 630 MW, provided by 150 wind turbine generators
- Assisting a Brazilian renewable energy company in structuring the first EPCI contract for a bioenergy energy and carbon capture and storage project in Brazil
- Assisting an energy company in a potential acquisition of a Brazilian legal entity held by Solatio Energy, Solatio Desenvolvimento, and Luiz Priori which owns a portfolio of 10 greenfield photovoltaic plant projects with a capacity of 550MW under development
- Assisted Golar in the bid proceeding held by Petrobras for the lease of a LNG regasification terminal, located in the state of Bahia, the Terminal de Regaseificação de Gás Natural da Bahia (TR-BA)
- Advised Baker Hughes in the negotiation of services agreement with a port lessee for the development of a drilling fluids plant inside the Public Port of Rio de Janeiro, which will include storage and mixing tanks, and completion of oil and gas wells
- Assisting a global partner in the oil and shipping industries on corporate, regulatory, and tax matters on the structuring of its business of sale of bunker fuels in Brazil, including logistic arrangements and contractual aspects for the company’s operations in the Port of Santos, the largest port in Latin America
- Assisting a global supplier and operator of offshore floating platforms on contractual matters related to the construction and charter FPSOs to a Brazilian multinational corporation in the petroleum industry. These will be some of the largest FPSOs in the world
- Assisting a worldwide provider of equipment and components within the oil and gas sector on discussions with a Brazilian multinational corporation in the petroleum industry regarding the performance of three contracts whose scope mainly consist of the supply and installation of equipment
- Assisted a private port company in the drafting and negotiation of services agreements for the performance of ship-to-ship operations by the client in its private port. Our work included negotiations with major players in the O&G sector, extensive discussions on knock-for-knock provisions and its effects on ship-to-ship operations; and advice on port’s insurance policies
- Advising a global provider of engineering and construction solutions to the energy industry on contractual matters relating to the contract entered into with a Brazilian petroleum company for the engineering, procurement, and installation of rigid subsea lines for the Sépia field, and the contract entered into with a supplier. Our work included assistance in the participation in a Brazilian petroleum company’ bidding proceeding and subsequent negotiations
- Advised BP Energy on an integrated gas-to-power project in Porto do Pecem, Brazil, which includes a thermal power plant fueled by LNG, to be imported and regasified through a floating LNG terminal. The project will have an installed capacity of around 2.2 GW
- Represented GE Capital in connection with the equity acquisition of a special purpose company that developed a greenfield project for the construction and operation of UTE Porto de Sergipe I, a 1.5 GW gas combined cycle thermo power plant associated with a floating LNG Terminal in the State of Sergipe
- Advised Karpower in an energy power project involving the employment of two fl oating gas-fired thermoelectric power plants totaling 370MW of installed capacity to be installed in Rio de Janeiro. The client was one of the winners of Brazil’s emergency backup energy tender on October 25, 2021
- Assisted New Fortress Energy in a bid proceeding of Petrobras for the lease of an LNG regasification terminal located in the state of Bahia, Brazil
- Advised BW LNG on the financing and operation of a floating LNG Terminal for the supply of gas to the Thermal Power Plants of Gás Natural Açu (GNA) in Açu Port, Brazil. The project includes four natural gas-fired combined-cycle thermal power plants (UTE GNA I, UTE GNA II, UTE GNA III, and UTE GNA IV), with a capacity to generate 6.4 GW
- Assisting Karoon in project matters including the Baúna project. Our work included assistance in the procurement of supporting services and goods, FPSO, supply vessels, development of the infrastructure to connect the Baúna field to other existing fields, and support for financing matters related to the project
- Portuguese
- English
- London School of Economics and Political Science, LL.M.
Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF), Bachelor of Law (JD equivalent)
Awards
The Legal 500 Latin America
- Next Generation Partner, Brazil, Energy and Natural Resources: Hydrocarbons (2025)
- Recommended, Brazil, Energy and Natural Resources: Hydrocarbons (2022-2024)
- Recommended, Brazil, Energy and Natural Resources: Electricity and Renewable Energy (2024)
Leaders League
- Excellent, "Best Law Firms for Oil and Gas 2022," represented by Alexandre Calmon and Marcelo Frazão
- Excellent, "Best Law Firms for Oil and Gas 2023," represented by Alexandre Calmon and Marcelo Frazão
- Excellent, "Best Law Firms for Oil and Gas 2024," represented by Alexandre Calmon and Marcelo Frazão
Publications
"Brazil has been investing to expand the logistics and social infrastructure." February, 2023
"Natural gas production and pipeline transportation & storage" February, 2022
Co-author,: “A Bright Future for Offshore Wind Projects in Brazil”, Brazilian Business Brief magazine, published by Brazilian Chamber in Great Britain, September 2022
Co-author,: “Regulatory Perspectives for Hydrogen in Brazil," Nordic Light Magazine, Norwegian Brazilian Chamber of Commerce and Swedish-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, July, 2022
Co-author,: “Chambers Energy: Oil and Gas 2022 Guide,” Chambers & Partners, June, 2022
Co-author,: “In brief: natural gas production in Brazil,”, Marcelo Frazão and Alexandre Calmon, Lexology, February, 2022
Co-author,: “At a glance: natural gas pipeline transportation and storage in Brazil,”, Marcelo Frazão and Alexandre Calmon, Lexology, February, 2022
Co-author,: “A new horizon for K4K provisions in Brazil”, Nordic Light Magazine, Norwegian Brazilian Chamber of Commerce and Swedish-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, July, 2021
Co-author, of the book “The Transport Finance Law Review,”- The Law Reviews, May 2016
Media Mentions
- Discussed changes into governance rules of Petrobras governance rules in an interview with Valor Economico
- Discussed the Brazilian Ministry of Mines and Energy’s public consultations on offshore wind farms in an interview with Valor Economico
- Discussed opportunities for development of the offshore wind farms in Brazil in an interview with FDI Intelligence
- Discussed the privatization of Eletrobras in an interview with O Globo
- Discussed the opening of the free electricity market in an interview with O Globo
- Discussed Brazilian solar and wind energy projects in an interview with O Globo
Prior Experience
Memberships And Affiliations
- Association of International Energy Negotiators (AIEN), Houston
- Foundation for Natural Resources and Energy Law
- Brazilian Association of Maritime Law
- Norwegian-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce
