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Rapidly expanding Brazilian Latin Lawyer 250 firm Mattos Engelberg Advogados has followed up recent hires with an international cooperation agreement with UK firm Penningtons Manches Cooper LLP.
The agreement is not exclusive, but encourages referral work in the jurisdictions where the firms have offices (Penningtons Manches has seven offices in the UK and a presence in France, Greece, Singapore, Spain and the US).
The tie-up comes after both firms recently merged with two local counterparts. Mattos Engelberg absorbed São Paulo agribusiness boutique Favacho Advogados in April, which saw arbitrator Frederico Favacho join the partnership. Favacho had an association agreement with UK firm Thomas Cooper LLP, which later merged with Penningtons Manches in June.
Following the mergers, Mattos Engelberg and Penningtons Manches announced their agreement on 30 July.
Name partner Ubiratan Mattos says London is an important centre for commodity trade as well as maritime and finance law, which are important areas for the firm’s clients. Penningtons Manches’ offices in other European countries and Singapore will also come in handy because they represent strategic markets for the firm’s clients, Mattos adds.
David Raine, Penningtons Manches’ CEO, says both Penningtons Manches and Thomas Cooper have been active in Brazil for some time. “Thomas Cooper has had a regional practice in commodities and shipping for twenty years, while Penningtons Manches has longstanding Brazilian clients in the corporate sector,” he says. Raine adds that the firm’s clients will benefit greatly from Mattos Engelberg’s legal services in Brazil, but also in Argentina, where the Brazilian outfit has a representative office.
Penningtons Manches is best known for its offering in maritime law and disputes resolution. Its merger with Thomas Cooper brought further strength to its maritime law services, and added to its trade and finance capabilities.
Ubiratan Mattos and Fernando Engelberg de Moraes founded Mattos Engelberg in 2016, after splitting from Mattos Muriel Kestener. It has since doubled in size and has 26 partners and more than 100 lawyers. It is well known for its antitrust, tax and trade capabilities, but it also boasts strong transactional practices.
The merger with Favacho added further strength to its agribusiness and maritime law services. Earlier this year, it hired two associates as partners from Madrona Advogados and Veirano Advogados to boost its tax and compliance departments.
