- Managing Partners: Heller Redo Barroso,Yuan Ai Ping
THE FIRM: Niche-oriented boutique highly specialised in global projects (notably a very strong practice in projects/foreign investment in Brazil, Latin America, India, the Middle East, and Africa): oil and gas (upstream, midstream, downstream),petroleum offshore industry, shipping, energy, mining, infrastructure (in particular Government relations and Government contracts, procurement law, RFP’s, construction law and project financing). The core businesses of the firm in Brazil assisting foreign players, contractors and vendors in tenders, direct negotiations, associations, and various projects with major oil and gas industry players, and in particular PETROBRAS, ELECTROBRAS, BNDES and federal and local branches of Government; internationally, to assist major Brazilian oil and gas and infrastructure players in their internacionalization, especially in Latin America, India, the Middle East, and Africa.
Heller Redo Barroso is particularly reputable for its handling of projects involving: construction and operation of ships,offshore rigs and floaters. (oil services), the refining and petrochemical industry, and construction contracts and financing in infrastructure, domestically and internationally. Awarded most admired Brazilian attorney in infrastructure law practice and highly regarded for his multidisciplinary approach and uncommon understanding and familiarity with commercial and technical aspects of his projects, Heller has participated in Brazil’s major oil and gas, energy and infrastructure projects in the past 15+ years, not to mention his participation in projects in eight different African countries, most notably in Angola, the Democratic Republico of Congo – RDC, and Equatorial Guinea, and in a host of countries in Latin America.
The firm represents foreign clients in Brazil and Brazilian clients abroad, in all areas related to project development, including major infrastrcuture projects as the construction of refineries, power plants, roads, water and sewage systems, dessalinisation plants, LNG terminals, gas treatment plants, gas liqufaction plants, pipelines, oil and gas rigs and other offshore floaters, ships, anda plethora of facilities and utilities.
In this field, the firm takes care of project development, but also M&A, purchase and swap of assets, oil and gas exporation blocks, farm-ins/farm-outs, environmental licencing and due diligence, and the entire range of transactions inherent to the global industry. The firm stands out as a very specialised one-stop-shop for infrastructure clients. Clients rely on firm’s assistance in all aspects of construction law. Many firm’s lawyers have significant “hands on”experience in the engineering and construction industry. The firm also has a dedicated practice of infrastructure contracts management, which encompasses claims management and litigation/arbitration. Based on the information comprised in Petrobras’s database of validate suppliers and service providers (‘RCC’), companies are invited companies to participate in tenders and direct purchase negotiation. Recently considered as a mandatory step in Petrobras’s acquisitions, companies have been disqualified in Petrobras’ tenders due to the lack of RCC registration or out-of-date information regarding the inclusion of a particular product line or service. The RCC registration is a long and complex procedure, where companies are required to submit literally more than a hundred in-depth detailed documents, information and certificates. The registration also involves some complicated issues, such as the Petrobras’s on-site inspection at Company’s sites, which may take several months to be scheduled. The firmhas an international reputation as counsel in such complex procedure. Owing to the expertise developed over the years, the firm is now in a position to obtain CRCC in a fraction of time that most competitors are able to.
Heller is also a recognised expert in dispute resolution, most notably in major infrastructure and energy EPC projects, handling complex contracts, negotiating litigious change orders, and facing claims and domestic and international arbitrations.
The webpage www.hrblaw.com.br contains innumerable presentations, newsletters and articles specific to the industry niches where the firm specialises.
MAIN AREAS OF PRACTICE: Global projects; environmental law; construction law; joint ventures; banking and finance; capital markets; competition/ antitrust; corporate/M&A; energy and natural resources regulatory and transactional practice; insurance law; international trade; government contracts; real estate; shipping law; tax law; litigation and arbitration (domestic and international).
LANGUAGES: English, German, Italian,Portuguese, Spanish, French, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Chinese,Arabic, Japanese, Russian, Korean.
INTERNATIONAL OFFICES
CHINA
Jianguo Avenue 88 A, 2808, Chaoyang, Beijing
Tel: +86 10 85895228
Ruijinnan Avenue 1, 12c, Luwan, Shanghai
Tel: +86 21 64046858