Our Team
Name Partners
Antonio Luis de Miranda Ferreira made his career in Shell Brazil from 1971 to 1998. During his last 10 years in the company he acted as the general legal counsel responsible for oil products, mining, chemicals, aviation, gas and power and E&P sectors, as well as for the tax department. After being an of counsel at Veirano Advogados for two years, he joined Machado, Meyer, Sendacz e Opice Advogados as partner from 2000 to 2006. He represents domestic and international clients in mining, O&G and corporate transactions. He has a solid practice and has been actively participating in the review and discussion of bills of law related to the energy industry. He was nominated "most admired lawyer" by Análise Advocacia, 2006 and 2009, in commercial contracts and infrastructure and regulatory law. He is listed in the 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 editions of The International Who's Who of Business Lawyers in the oil and gas sector, and was nominated as a leading lawyer in Energy and Natural Resources by Chambers and Partners for 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011. He was nominated as a leading lawyer in the 2007 to 2008 and 2010 Expert Guides to the World's Leading Energy and Natural Resource Lawyers and by Best Lawyers in 2009.
e-mail: alferreira@svmfa.com.br
Guilherme Guerra D´Arriaga Schmidthas an extensive practice in energy, infrastructure, arbitration, M&A, tax and corporate transactions. From 1990 to 1993, he worked for Shell in Brazil as a tax lawyer. He joined Veirano Advogados in 1993 and worked until 2000, first as a lawyer and then as a partner acting in commercial contracts, infrastructure and regulatory law. He was a former visiting associate at O'Melveny & Myers LLP, New York, from 1998 to 1999. For six years he was a partner of Machado, Meyer, Sendacz e Opice Advogados, responsible for matters involving commercial contracts, infrastructure, regulatory law and arbitration. He was nominated as a leading lawyer in Energy and Natural Resources by Chambers and Partners in the 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 editions, in Corporate/M&A in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 and Projects in 2008, 2009 and 2011. He was listed as one of the leading lawyers in Energy and Natural Resources by the Expert Guides, in 2007, 2009 and 2010. He was also listed in the The International Who's Who of Business Lawyers 2010, in the oil and gas sector. He graduated from the Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ) in 1989 and has a postgraduate degree in tax law from the Universidade Candido Mendes (UCAM), under the coordination of the Brazilian Financial Law Association (ABDF). He is an arbitrator at the Câmara de Arbitragem Empresarial, Brazil, in the state of Minas Gerais.
e-mail: gschmidt@svmfa.com.br
Paulo Valois Pires' practice involves the representation of clients in O&G, energy, shipbuilding, offshore supply, platform and pipeline finance and construction, M&A, infrastructure domestic and international transactions and tax related matters. He started his career in 1989 as an in-house counsel for Shell in Brazil. Between 1993 and April 2007, he worked at Ulhôa Canto, Rezende e Guerra - Advogados. He was made partner and head of the O&G practice group of the firm in 2001. He studied at the Université Robert Schuman, Strasbourg, FR, (Certificat des Hautes Études Européennes - 1992) and has a Master's Degree in international law from the University of São Paulo (1999). He is author of the book The Evolution of the Oil State Monopoly (2000). He was quoted in the 2003 Latin Lawyer energy survey, and nominated as a leading lawyer in Energy and Natural Resources by Chambers and Partners for 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011. He was appointed to the 2007 energy arbitrators' list of the International Centre for Dispute Resolution (ICDR) of the American Arbitration Association (AAA) and ranked in the 2008 and 2010 Guide to the World's Leading Energy and Natural Resource Lawyers by Euromoney. He is also listed in Best Lawyers 2009, and The International Who's Who of Oil & Gas Lawyers, 2009 and 2010.
e-mail: pvalois@svmfa.com.brRogério Sobral de Miranda is a founding partner of Schmidt, Valois, Miranda, Ferreira & Agel Advogados, and represents clients in local and international transactions, relating to infrastructure projects (in particular O&G, power generation, mining, ports and terminals), corporate matters, M&A, banking and project finance. From 2001 to 2006, he was a partner at Machado, Meyer, Sendacz e Opice Advogados, and member of the management committee of the firm during 2006. In 2000, he was head of the gas and power and oil products in the legal practice of Shell in Brazil, where he was extensively exposed to all related legal and contractual matters of the industry. He was awarded a Certificate of Distinction (2001 LLM programme) by the Centre for Energy, Petroleum and Mineral Law and Policy, University of Dundee, Scotland. Rogério Sobral de Miranda is listed in The International Who's Who of Business Lawyers for oil & gas (2008, 2009 and 2010). He was nominated as a leading lawyer in Energy and Natural Resources by Chambers and Partners (2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011), and ranked in the World's Leading Energy and Natural Resource Lawyers by Euromoney (2007, 2008 and 2010). He is also listed in Best Lawyers (2009). Rogério Sobral de Miranda is a member of the ethical tribunal of the Rio de Janeiro Bar Association, for 2010, 2011 and 2012.
Sônia Agel has a strong practice in the public sector with more than 25 years of experience. Among other assignments, she was a federal state attorney working in different public departments related with the energy sector. She is also former general counsel of the National Oil and Gas Agency (ANP) during the first five-year term of the agency, between 1998 and 2002. She played an outstanding role in the development of the O&G regulatory framework in Brazil, with a relevant contribution to the structuring of the first bid rounds of exploratory areas in Brazil. During her career in the public and private sectors, she has acquired an extensive practice in judicial and administrative litigation. Sonia Agel was nominated as a leading lawyer in Energy and Natural Resources by Chambers and Partners in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011. She is ranked in the World's Leading Energy and Natural Resource Lawyers by Euromoney in 2007, 2008 and 2010, and is listed in The International Who's Who of Business Lawyers.
e-mail: sagel@svmfa.com.brPartners
Ana Lucia Soares practice involves consulting and tax planning, related to direct and indirect taxes. She started her career in 1989 at Pinheiro Neto Advogados, where she stayed for 12 years. Among other experiences she worked as visiting lawyer for the Latin American Department of the International Bureau of Fiscal Documentation (1997), in the Netherlands and as legal counsel for Companhia Siderurgica Nacional - CSN (1998-2002). She graduated in 1989 at Universidade do Rio de Janeiro, has a Post Graduation in Tax Law at Faculdade de Direito da Universidade Cândido Mendes, both at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
e-mail: asoares@svmfa.com.br
e-mail: abpodcameni@svmfa.com.br
Bruna Zoghbi Brick practice involves corporate law, mergers and acquisitions, capital markets, negotiations, contracts, banking and project finance, and civil and corporate litigation. Trainee at Gustavo Padilha e Advogados Associados. Trainee and Junior Associate at Escritório de Advocacia Sergio Bermudes. Associate at Vieira, Rezende, Barbosa e Guerreiro Advogados. Associate at Barbosa, Müssnich & Aragão Advogados. Graduated in Law from the Pontifícia Universidade Católica of Rio de Janeiro (2003), Post-Graduate Diploma in Private Property Law from the Pontifícia Universidade Católica of Rio de Janeiro (2006). Member of the Brazilian Bar Association of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Languages: Portuguese and English.
Email: bbrick@svmfa.com.br
Celina Ozorio has extensive experience in infrastructure project development, finance, corporate transactions, mergers and acquisitions. Ms. Ozorio energy project development experience specifically includes structuring and negotiating power purchase agreements, fuel supply, gas transportation and interconnection agreements, EPC, O&M, hydrocarbon sales, land acquisition and other energy related contracts. She has also experience in complex financial and stockholder matters and in cross-border corporate transactions. For over ten years, she worked as in-house counsel for Enron South America, Prisma Energy International and Ashmore Energy International with responsibility for overseeing and managing legal matters for energy assets in the Southern Cone region. Ms. Ozorio served as lead counsel in negotiations with the Bolivian Government for the nationalization of over US$1 billion in privately held energy assets and managed disputes involving bilateral investment treaty matters and arbitration before the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce. Her prior legal experience includes positions with Brazilian investment bank, Banco BBM and the law firms of Castro, Barros, Sobral & Xavier Advogados and Veirano Advogados. She is a graduate of Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro (PUC-RJ) in 1994, and earned an LL.M degree in International Law from Golden Gate University School of Law in San Francisco, California in 1997. Ms. Ozorio is a member of the Association of International Petroleum Negotiators. She is fluent in Portuguese, English and Spanish.
E-mail cozorio@svmfa.com.br
Danielle de Aquino Ludwig Pereira worked at the Public Defense Attorney’s Office with a main focus on Public Finance and, later, at Andrade & Fichtner Advogados Associados law firm, for a year and a half with a main focus on civil litigation. Later on, she was part of the administrative tax litigation team at Ulhôa Canto, Rezende e Guerra Advogados, for one year. She has the Certificate of Advanced English - CAE, University of Cambridge, and the certificate of proficiency in French (DELF - all levels and degree of completion of the course of the Alliance Française). She was approved in ABITOUR - certificate of completion in german high school, has also other degrees of proficiency in the language (KMK I and II). She participated in the exchange program of the University of Law from Paris II – Université Panthéon Assas, getting Le Certificat Elementaire de Droit Français et Européen. She is a graduate of Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro – UERJ.
e-mail: dludwig@svmfa.com.br
Felipe Kfuri Moreira da Silva dedicates himself to the implementation of infrastructure projects (bids, electricity sector, port terminals, highways, railways, mining, oil, gas and the commercialization of carbon credits). He graduated in Law in 1994 at Universidade do Estado Rio de Janeiro and holds a Master in International Relations at the International Relations Institute of Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro(1999). He was internal legal counsel for Sociedade Michelin de Participações Ind. e Com. Ltda (1994 - 1996), and Sepetiba Tecon S.A., a container terminal formerly held by Companhia Siderúrgica Nacional - CSN and Companhia Vale do Rio Doce - CVRD (1999 - 2003). After that, he joined Machado, Meyer, Sendacz e Opice Advogados, where he worked for three years in the infrastructure department. Since 2007 he is partner at Schmidt, Valois, Miranda, Ferreira e Agel Advogados and a member of the Board of Directors of two concessionaires. Felipe Kfuri was nominated as an "Up and Coming lawyer" in "Energy & Natural Resources: Power" by Chambers & Partners 2010 and 2011 editions.
e-mail: fkfuri@svmfa.com.br
Juliana Sá de Albuquerque worked at Tauil, Chequer e Mello Advogados, a firm associated with Thompson & Knight LLP, in the analysis of O&G contracts and in the representation of clients before the National Oil, Natural Gas and Biofuels Agency – ANP, and at Mello, Martins Advogados, the analysis and drafting of O&G contracts and in the structuring of joint-ventures. She is fluent in English and is a graduate of the Universidade Estácio de Sá. She is currently studying at the port-graduate course in Corpotate and Business Law at the Universidade Cândido Mendes.
e-mail: jalbuquerque@svmfa.com.br
Marcio Silva Pereira has solid experience in the environmental and sustainability areas, and has been worked on consultancy, litigation and institutional relationships involving the production, governmental and non-governmental sectors. He started his career at Milaré Advogados (between 1997 and 2004), where He had experience in several business areas (farming, energy, industrial, mining, transport, forestry, real state and civil construction). During this time, he was also a professor in post-graduate courses in Environmental Law at the Faculdade de Saúde Pública (Public Health School) at Universidade de São Paulo (São Paulo University), amongst others. Later on he worked at the Legal Department of Vale S.A. (2004 to 2009), a Brazilian mining company, where he was the Social-Environmental Legal Coordinator, working on mining, ports, railways, maritime, energy, forestry, conservation projects, and community conflicts, amongst other issues in Brazil and in specific projects in South America. In 2008, through a program offered by the company, while working for four months at Reed Smith Richards Butler LLP, based in London England, he took part in the development of the UK’s climate change regulation. Throughout his career, he has been participating in proposals for legal issues and rules, having published articles in specialized magazines. He is fluent in English and has a post-graduate in Environmental Management from the Faculdade de Saúde Pública (Public Health School) of Universidade de São Paulo (São Paulo University), and a law degree from Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo (Catholic University of São Paulo).
e-mail: mpereira@svmfa.com.br
Marina Cyrino started her career at Ulhôa Canto, Rezende e Guerra - Advogados (2001-2008), working with tax litigation. Graduated in 2004 from Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro - UERJ, and Postgraduated in Tax Law by the Instituto Brasileiro de Estudos Tributários in Rio de Janeiro (IBET-RJ) in 2007. She has a master degree in Tax Law (LL.M.) from Northwestern University School of Law (2009). Professor of Tax Law at the Post Graduation Program of IBET-RJ. She is a member of the Associação Brasileira de Direito Financeiro (ABDF).
e-mail: mcyrino@svmfa.com.br
Marcos Gleich works in the areas of corporate law, corporate and tax transactions, mergers and acquisitions and capital markets, negotiations, contracts, banking and project finance, and has also extensive experience in corporate litigation. He served as na associate lawyer at Mundie e Advogados, Castro, Barros, Sobral, Gomes Advogados and Brasil, Pereira Neto, Galdino, Macedo Advogados. Graduated in Law from the Pontifícia Universidade Católica of Rio de Janeiro (2005), Post-Graduate Diploma in Corporate Law with Concentration in Corporate Law and Capital Markets from Fundação Getúlio Vargas (2007) and Masters in European Law (LL.M.) from the Universidade Católica Portuguesa and Université de Rouen - Erasmus Mundus Scholarship (2009), and has participated in an exchange program in Law at the University of Notre Dame - Program FIPSE-CAPES Scholarship (2003). Member of the Brazilian Bar Association of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Former Director of the Association of Brazilian Researchers in France - APEB. Languages: Portuguese, English and French.
e-mail: mgleich@svmfa.com.br
Maria Claudia Barros Carvalho Fugagnoli worked at the Construtora Norberto Odebrecht S/A, in the contracts and bidding area, and at Escritório de Advocacia Sergio Bermudês Law firm, with a main focous on civil litigation. She is graduated from the Universidade Católica de Pernambuco (2006).
e-mail: mcfugagnoli@svmfa.com.br
Peter Lawrence de Figueiredo Landsberg worked in Walmyr Mattos Advogados & Consultores with a main focus on labor law and litigation. He graduated from the Universidade Candido Mendes' Law School, and has a port-graduate in the LL.M. in Corporate Law from the the Instituto Brasileiro de Mercado de Capitais – IBMEC. He has a Cambridge Proficiency in English diploma.
e-mail: plandsberg@svmfa.com.br
Roger Maier Boing acts mainly in the energy and infrastructure sectors, more specifically with matters related to oil, natural gas and mining. Roger Maier Boing holds deep expertise in the oil and mining industries, with focus in corporate transactions, contracts in general and regulatory matters. His expertise includes assisting foreign and national clients in farm-in and farm-out operations, assignment of mining rights, due diligence, M&A, drafting, revision and negotiation of contracts in general (JOA, Joint Venture, Charter, Services, Seismic, Lifting, Participation, etc.), in addition to RFPs and EPCs, and drafting of legal opinions and memorandums, he also assists clients in public and private bids. Through the association with Carneiro e Sesana Advogados and, further, Veirano Advogados, he worked for the Canadian firm Macleod Dixon LLP, headquartered in Calgary, he was also an associate of the infrastructure department of Bastos-Tigre, Coelho da Rocha e Lopes Advogados and of the M&A team of Machado, Meyer, Sendacz e Opice Advogados, at São Paulo. He graduated in Law at Universidade Candido Mendes, Centro. He holds a post-graduation degree in Oil and Gas in the MBP/COPPE/UFRJ. Roger Maier Boing was nominated by Chambers and Partners (2011) an up-and-coming leading lawyer in Projects. He is responsible for the firm's mining department. He is a member of the Technical Commission of Legal and Legislative Matters of the Brazilian Mining Association - IBRAM (Comissão Técnica de Assuntos Jurídicos e Legislativos do Instituto Brasileiro de Mineração - IBRAM). He is a member of the Association of International Petroleum Negotiators - AIPN, where he participates in the Young Negotiators committee, and is also a member of the Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation - RMMLF.
e-mail: rboing@svmfa.com.br
Tácito Ribeiro de Matos started his career in 1992 as tax lawyer of PricewaterhouseCoopers Auditors. During 15 years, besides working for PricewaterhouseCoopers, he worked for Intelig Telecomunicações Ltda. and for Machado, Meyer, Sendacz e Opice Law Office, where he was responsible for the tax consultancy and tax planning area of the Rio de Janeiro branch. His practice involves providing tax consultancy, tax planning and tax litigation to clients from several economic areas, such as, oil & gas, energy, telecommunications, transport, food industry, among others. From 1995 to 1999, he was the Tax Planning Professor in the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. He is a member of the International Fiscal Association (IFA), of the Associação Brasileira de Direito Financeiro (ABDF) and of the Associação Brasileira de Estudos Tributários das Empresas de Telecomunicações (ABETEL).
e-mail: trmatos@svmfa.com.br
Thiago Freitas was a partner at Rodrigues e Freitas Advogados for four years, working in the judicial and administrative litigation area, contracts and public law, for private and public organizations. He concluded Post Graduation in "State Law" at Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro-UERJ (2007) and graduated in 2001 at Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro-PUC/RIO, both at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
e-mail: tfreitas@svmfa.com.br
Tiago do Valle Janke worked at the Legislative Chamber of Rio de Janeiro State for two years, and at Petrobras law department for one year and nine months, working with contracts and corporate law. He is a graduate of Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro – UFRJ law school in 2010.
Of Counsel
Eduardo Briggs has widespread experience in the shipping and reinsurance areas and started his career at J-Potter van Loon (Switzerland) in 1990 and later spent two years as visiting junior counsel at Clyde & CO Solicitors (England), with a main focus on legal research and drafting of legal documents in international public and private Law, Transport Law (Maritime and Aeronautical) and Arbitration. For nine years he worked at the IRB Brasil Re., the governmental entity responsible for reinsurance in Brazil, and which until recently held exclusive rights in this market, and while at IRB Brasil Re., he coordinated the international part of the legal department of the reinsurer, and worked with a main focus on research and consulting on Insurance Law in Brazil and abroad; Technical and Legal operations to obtain reimbursement; as well as in the development of the rules for the reinsurance market in Brazil. Eduardo Briggs is also a consultant for the Brazilian Transportation Law Institutes’ (IBDTrans – Instituto Brasileiro de Direito dos Transportes).He is a law graduate of Universidade Cândido Mendes and has a post-graduate degree in Commercial Operations of Shipping from the Guildhall University (London, England), coordinated Fundação Getúlio Vargas’ MBA in Transportation and Logistic. Eduardo Briggs is a member of the Latin American Maritime Law Institute (ILADM – Instituto Latino-Americano de Direito Marítimo), of the International Association of Insurance Law (AIDA – Association International de Droit d’Assurance) and ABDM (Associação Brasileira de Direito Marítimo).
email: ebriggs@svmfa.com.br
Trainees
Bianca Castro
worked at the Rio de Janeiro Public Defense's Attorney's Office (Defensoria Públicado Estado do Rio de Janeiro), on criminal matters. She took part in the Energy Contracts and Oil & Gas Contracts Courses, promoted by IBDE. She also studied Legal English at the London School of English and was recently part of a 6 months academic exchange program to the University Friedrich-Alexander Erlangen-Nürnberg, in Germany. She is currently studying at the Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro Law School.
e-mail: bcastro@svmfa.com.br
Diana Muniz has experience in the junior business consulting market, having worked for two years at Ibmec Jr. Consultoria Empresarial, Junior Enterprise from Ibmec Rio de Janeiro, in the positions of Legal Coordinator and Commercial Manager, being responsible for prospecting new clients and partnerships, taking care of the association's documents, developing Business Plans, Strategic Plannings, Economic Viability Analysis of Projects, and many other business tools. She is certified in English by Cambridge University and Oxford University, where she attended a summer course. She is currently on the third year of Ibmec Law School.
Gabriela Oliveira Bogossian Roque worked at the Public Defense Attorney’s Office (Defensoria Pública do Estado do Rio de Janeiro), at the 12th Family Court; at the Brazilian Institute of Municipal Administration (IBAM – Instituto Brasileiro de Administração Municipal), with a main focus on legal consultancy, and at the State of Rio de Janeiro Attorney General Office (Procuradoria Geral do Estado), in PG-6 (Heritage and Environment). She is currently studying at the Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro – PUC-Rio Law school.
e-mail: groque@svmfa.com.br
Layla Imia Cavalheiro worked in the corporate area of Denis Borges, Barbosa Advogados law firm, and at Castro, Barros, Sobral Gomes Advogados law firm, and in the corporate and capital market areas of Brasil, Pereira Neto, Galdino e Macedo Advogados law firm. She is currently in the last year of Universidade Federal do Rio De Janeiro (UFRJ) law school, where she has participated of many activities and research study groups related to Constitutional Law, Corporate Law and Capital Market, and is today, UFRJ's monitor of bankruptcy law. Languages: Portuguese, English and Spanish.
e-mail: lcavalheiro@svmfa.com.br
Luíza Albuquerque Mariz has worked at the Fifth Special Civil Court (V Juizado Especial Cível) and was a mediator at the Sixth Special Civil Court (VI Juizado Especial Cível). She has the Certificate of Advanced English - CAE, University of Cambridge. Luíza is currently studying at the Law School of Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio) with a main focus on Corporate Law.
e-mail: lmariz@svmfa.com.br
Marcelo Varella worked at Pinheiro Guimarães Advogados, with a main focus on banking and capital markets. He also worked at Varella Advogados Associados law firm, with a main focus on litigation. He is fluent in English, having studied in The British School of Rio de Janeiro. He is currently in studying at the Instituto Brasileiro de Mercado de Capitais - IBMEC Law School.
e-mail: mvarella@svmfa.com.br
Marianna Flacão worked at the family area at the Center of the Office of legal Practice Model Evandro Lins e Silva tied to college IBMEC/RJ. Participated in the research center in Civil Law, in presenting the 2010 article, "Liability in consumer relations, banking and tourism" in V Jornada Carioca Scientific Initiation. Participated in the core of research in international law, with emphasis on International Child Abduction. Currently studying at the 6th period of the Instituto Brasileiro de Mercados e Capitais- IBMEC Law School
Marlus Newton P. B. V. Oliveira has worked at Rio de Janeiro Public Defense’s Attorney’s Office (Defensoria Pública do Estado do Rio de Janeiro), in criminal matters; at Rio de Janeiro Environmental Licensing Agency Attorney Office (FEEMA) and Rio de Janeiro Environmental Agency Attorney Office (INEA), during the first year after its implementation, working with environmental law matters, with focus on licensing procedures with regard to undertakings. He also took part in Environmental Law courses promoted by the Pontifícia Universidade Católica (PUC-Rio) and by the Brazilian Bar Association (OAB/RJ) and, later on, in a course on Environmental Audit promoted by PUC-Rio. He is currently studying at the Pontifícia Universidade Católica Law School, and is also taking part in an Academic Research Project on Environmental Law, held at Puc-Rio.
e-mail: moliveira@svmfa.com.br
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