We were founded in 1972, in São Paulo, under the name of Barros e Freire Advogados. Brazil was growing at a fast pace. We were as well. We started by developing our banking and tax areas, with a specific focus on helping companies renegotiate their debts and restructure their corporate structures.
The 1980s was the so-called lost decade for Brazil. Brazil declared default and had to negotiate its foreign debt. The firm advised creditors and prepared legal structures for assignment and negotiations of public sector securities. Some investors left the country, and the firm advised them on these divestments. There were many deals to buy assets and companies and, in the tax sector, many unconstitutional actions and countermeasures to frustrated economic plans.
In the 1990s, driven by the privatization movement and the opening of the economy, we were the first law firm in Brazil to have an area dedicated to infrastructure projects in regulated sectors, such as telecommunications, transportation, and energy. It was when we consolidated our performance as representatives of national and foreign companies interested in investing in Brazil.
After the turn of the century, we participated in the most important IPOs of Brazilian companies and in the largest M&A transactions in the country, providing legal advice to both the companies involved and the banks engaged. In the last few years, we have also consolidated our Compliance and Corporate Integrity area and strengthened our Litigation, Competition, and Restructuring and Reorganization areas.
During this period, we repositioned our brand. We also took to our visual identity values that have long been present in our DNA, such as innovation and a pioneering spirit.
