Environmental Law

Our team comprises lawyers who are specialists in environmental law and, in addition, are well-versed in similar legal areas. The outcome is a team of professionals with multi-disciplinary skills, enabling them to identify relevant environmental questions in issues that at first glance would present no environmental content. In this context, we offer our clients detailed analyses of environmental liabilities and options to reduce or eliminate such contingencies.

We draw on our teams distributed among the offices in São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brasilia, Rio de Janeiro and Porto Alegre. Our Brasilia office plays an important role in matters that involve the Ministry of the Environment, IBAMA (Brazilian Institute of the Environment) and CONAMA (National Environment Council).

The experience of our environmental law team include, mainly:

• Consultancy and audits in: (i) operations of merger, acquisition and joint ventures; (ii) legal compliance and evaluation of contingencies; (iii) appraisal and/or optimization of legal aspects of productive processes; (iv) assessment of management systems; (v) obtaining funding and contracting domestic and international financing; (vi) contacting insurance policies; (vii) buying and renting real estate; (viii) preparation of socio-environmental balance sheets.
• Administrative proceedings and lawsuits, including civil inquiries;
• Negotiating agreements with environmental agencies and the Department of Public Prosecutions;
• Preparation and negotiation of environmental clauses for contracts, including contracts for the purchase/sale of carbon credits;
• Support in processes of environmental licensing and in public hearings; and
• Following-up new legislation and regulations, plus pertinent case law.

Some of the advantages in retaining legal advice in environmental matters are:

• Enhancement of the company's brand and image on the market;
• An increase in the level of satisfaction among shareholders, investors and stakeholders, due to the greater transparency of its operations;
• An increase in the company's competitiveness in its market segment;
• Lower costs and potential environmental liabilities;
• Greater chances of eligibility in obtaining domestic and international financing and funding;
• A reduction in premiums for contracting certain insurance policies; and 
• An increase to the value of the company's stock.

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