Campos Mello Advogados opens Brasilia office, launches Government Affairs practice with addition of two new partners

Campos Mello Advogados, which has a cooperation agreement with DLA Piper, today announced the opening of the firm’s new Brasilia office, as well as the arrival of new partners Carolina Caiado and Paulo Renato Barroso, who will lead the firm’s new Government Affairs practice. The firm also has offices in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo.

With the launch of the Government Affairs practice, CMA will expand its services to include the preparation of strategies for clients monitoring the progress of bills in Congress and proposals of interest in Ministries, in addition to preparing risk reports, political scenario reports and technical notes for public hearings, and providing advice for interactions with public authorities. The firm will also increase its existing work in litigation before superior courts and will provide clients with assistance in government procurement, including information technology, life sciences, transportation, defense and cybersecurity.

The addition of Renato Barroso and Caiado will reinforce the firm’s public sector capabilities, as they bring extensive experience with Brazil’s Executive Branch, National Congress, superior courts and regulatory agencies.

“In addition to the pleasure of having Carolina and Paulo lead such a promising practice group, we are meeting our goal to have a stronger operation in Brasilia by opening an office in the capital,” said Fabio Campos Mello, CMA’s managing partner.

In the last few years, Brazil has seen a gradual reduction of the state presence in the country’s economy, as various utilities have been transferred to the private sector through concession agreements and public-private partnerships. This transformation has led domestic and foreign companies in the privatized industries to require differentiated services in view of Brazil’s complex legal regulatory framework, according to Caiado and Renato Barroso.

“We will work transversally with several of the firm’s practice groups, providing contributions to clients in sanitation, telecom, oil and gas, logistics, urban mobility, defense, life sciences and other industries,” said Paulo Renato Barroso. “The new privatization programs already announced, such as the PPI (Partnership and Investment Program), the new sanitation legal framework, and the new Gas Bill, for example, will require even more rigorous intelligence work in providing legal services to clients, making CMA’s portfolio even more complete.”

Caiado has more than 15 years of experience in administrative law, infrastructure, regulated industries and compliance. She has broad experience assisting domestic and foreign corporate clients and has worked as a legal consultant to the Minas Gerais State Economic Development Department. She has a law degree from UFMG (Federal University of Minas Gerais, a master’s degree in public law from USP (University of Sao Paulo), and a specialist title in corporate law from CEU Law School, in a partnership with ISE.

Renato Barroso has experience in government contracts and public procurement proceedings and has advised foreign and domestic companies in structuring and conducting activities in Brazil, including investment and partnership negotiations. He has a law degree from UERJ (Federal University of Rio de Janeiro) and is obtaining an M.B.A. in government relations at FGV (Getulio Vargas Foundation) in Brasilia. He was previously a partner at Barroso Fonteles, Barcellos, Mendonça & Associados, as well as at Cascione Pulino Boulos Advogados. He also previously served as the chief legal officer at a company in the oil and gas technology industry for 10 years.