Machado, Meyer, Sendacz e Opice Advogados has helped TAM get antitrust approval for its purchase of Pantanal, just days after Brazil′s largest airline announced plans to merge with Chilean flag carrier LAN.

Brazil′s antitrust tribunal, CADE, announced on 18 August that TAM could take over the airline without restrictions.

"Some competitors complained that TAM would increase its market power in the Congonhas airport, in São Paulo... But these two airlines do not operate the same routes," says Machado Meyer partner Tito Amaral de Andrade.

Andrade adds that the competitor′s arguments before CADE had more of a regulatory nature than a competition angle. Competing airlines such as Azul were concerned about how slots would be distributed following the merger, but this is an issue for the airline regulator, ANAC, not CADE, says Andrade.

On 13 August TAM announced that it was to merge with LAN and that it had retained Machado Meyer together with Cariola, Diez, Pérez-Cotapos & Cía Ltda and Clifford Chance LLP for the deal.

TAM purchased Pantanal, an airline that operates routes in south and central Brazil, in January after the company entered bankruptcy proceedings.

Counsel to TAM

Machado, Meyer, Sendacz e Opice Advogados

Partner Tito Amaral de Andrade and associate Heloisa Monteiro

(Latin Lawyer 23.08.2010)

(Notícia na Íntegra)