Due to its economic greatness and high degree of innovation, Brazil has been increasingly attracting the creation of Latin American regional offices of companies from many different sectors. Additionally, Brazil has historically strengthened its business ties with Latin American partners, especially those in the Mercosur. Foreign trade exchanges via several sales channels – such as agency, distribution, and franchising – are also high in volume. Over the past few years, there has also been an increasing number of intra-regional corporate transactions, either from Latin American companies investing in Brazil or Brazilian companies setting up operations in that region. Given this business scenario, Souto Correa Advogados has a Latin American Desk dedicated to meeting the demands of international companies seeking opportunities, Latin American companies with interests in Brazil, and Brazilian companies looking to carry out operations in Latin America.

The Latin American Desk is comprised of lawyers from different practice areas who have a track record of working in Latin America and Spain. Most of our team is fluent in written and spoken Spanish, which allows our firm to work directly and assertively with Spanish-speaking clients.

The legal counseling provided by the firm’s Latin American Desk includes consultancy and litigation in all practice areas of law, covering, for example, the incorporation and structuring of new businesses, investment and risk analysis, corporate transactions, distribution and sales representation agreements, consumer relations, tax efficiency studies, import and export, due diligence, regulatory aspects, intellectual property, agribusiness, sustainability, ESG and environmental law.

Recent representations and counseling:

• An M&A transaction involving a cryptoactive platform in Brazil, Chile, Peru and Argentina, with office management, risk analysis and structuring of the operation (corporate and tax – including transfer pricing analysis).
• The assessment of local requirements for import and distribution of food products, including relevant sanitary and regulatory approvals for Chile, Colombia, and Paraguay, as well as drafting distribution agreements.
• Legal counsel to a Colombian company for the incorporation of a company in Brazil to operate in the carbon credit market for Brazilian indigenous communities in REDD+ projects, including analysis of regulatory and environmental matters.
• Drafting for an Asian electronics company of a standard draft of a distribution agreement to be implemented in Latin and Central American countries.
• Coordination and review with local lawyers in 16 countries of the documents and drafting of a guide with the main features of foreign standards.
• Drafting of an intercompany agreement for cost sharing between elevator industry companies with a presence in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Peru and Uruguay.
• Structuring of international franchise operations for a Brazilian footwear industry to operate in a project in Peru. Partnership with local offices for formalization and relevant adjustments.