Brazil's Lefosse Advogados has promoted three of its lawyers to partner and another to counsel, boosting its capital markets, competition and regulation practices.

The elevations to partner of Bruno Massis in capital markets, Jana Araújo in capital markets and M&A and Juliana Daniel in competition and compliance bring the firm's total partner count to 38. Lefosse has also promoted Luciana Moutinho to counsel within its capital markets group.

"These promotions reflect our commitment to recognize and award talent within our firm. Our new partners and counsel are outstanding lawyers, client driven, with a strong bond to our culture and values," said managing partner Carlos Mello.

Lefosse has 250 lawyers in all who have been busy during the COVID-19 pandemic advising clients including airlines and real estate companies on crisis needs, while also working on a handful of capital markets transactions in a largely dry market. So far, the firm has not had to make any pay or staffing cuts during the health and economic emergency.

Mello says the firm encourages its partners and associates to anticipate demands from their clients, and to be nimble to react to market changes. 

Brazil, Latin America's largest economy, was headed for a busy year in capital markets prior to the arrival of COVID-19. Quarantines and volatile markets have stamped out much of that activity, though the country is slowly opening to more business.

Globally, Brazil has registered the second-highest number of fatalities from the new coronavirus, after the U.S. The country of 210 million people reported 61,844 COVID-19 deaths as of July 3. 

Lawyers anticipate a host of restructurings, asset sales and mergers as the pandemic lingers — while the International Monetary Fund predicts the Brazilian economy will contract by 9.1% this year.

The new partners at Lefosse include Bruno Massis, who the firm says has extensive experience in capital markets transactions, including equity and debt, advising issuers and underwriters on public offerings and private placements of securities. Previously, he worked as a foreign associate in the New York office of Linklaters.

Partner Jana Araújo, Lefosse says, has represented clients in several domestic and cross border debt and equity public offerings and private placements, while also advising on matters in connection with Brazilian corporate law, securities regulations, corporate governance and foreign capital regulations. She previously worked as a foreign associate in the New York office of White & Case.

Partner Juliana Daniel has extensive experience in domestic and international administrative and court proceedings, Lefosse said. Her practice is focused on anticompetitive conduct investigations with special emphasis on cartels and collusive practices. On the side, she teaches at Brazil's Superior Lawyer's School, Escola Superior da Advocacia, in São Paulo.

Rising to counsel, Luciana Moutinho has worked on significant transactions in the Brazilian capital markets in recent years and developed solid relationships with issuers, coordinators and regulatory authorities, Lefosse said. She previously was a foreign associate in the New York office of Simpson Thacher & Bartlett.

Managing partner Mello has previously said that while his firm is not hurrying to return to its offices in Sao Paolo and Rio de Janeiro, he does envision a slow and cautious return.

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