Gouvêa Vieira Advogados

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Gouvêa Vieira Advogados (GVA), a law firm founded in the early 1930s by João Pedro Gouvêa Vieira, is committed to professionalism and excellence, with an emphasis on tax and commercial law. GVA aims at strengthening Brazil’s corporate capabilities and has played an active role in the country’s economic development, handling a wide range of legal matters and meeting the needs of the business community, providing clients with a comprehensive and dedicated service. GVA’s client portfolio includes both Brazilian and foreign companies seeking a variety of planning and advisory services related to national and international transactions and litigations. A team consisting of lawyers, consultants and trainees with experience in a variety of practice areas, who work in an integrated environment, ensures professional expertise is allocated wherever needed. In the course of 2011, GVA carried out a management reorganisation in order to adapt to the current competitive market and better serve its clients.

In Brazil, GVA has offices in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, relying on a network of independent law firms throughout the country, in order to assist clients who wish to concentrate their legal issues across fewer law firms, for cost-efficiency, quality and reporting purposes.

GVA has also been in Paris (CCO) since 1998, assisting both European companies with investments in Brazil and Brazilian companies or individuals with properties and investments in Europe.

GVA has participated in numerous M&A and joint venture transactions, assisting Brazilian and foreign companies, and contributed to the establishment of foreign capital companies in Brazil, in which it has vast experience, having taken part in the privatisation of companies in virtually all segments of the economy.

In the field of insurance and reinsurance, the expertise of its partners in both the public and private sector allows GVA to efficiently assist clients interested in developing activities in Brazil.

GVA is also well-equipped to handle administrative and judicial disputes in civil, commercial, labour and tax law fields.

In tax matters, GVA is dedicated to continuously devising new legal strategies related to federal, state and municipal taxes, aiming at reducing the clients’ tax burden. The firm works on cases involving aspects of labour and employment, corporate and civil law, acting before all the Brazilian courts. With regard to tax-related specific issues, GVA has successfully challenged tax claims directed against its clients. Throughout the firm’s history, it has succeeded in such cases before several judicial courts, while also succeeding in various administrative decisions before the treasury departments and taxpayers councils. In a consultancy capacity, GVA develops tax strategies and provides legal opinions, studies and responses to queries in all areas of law, besides performing due diligences to assess the labour, tax and litigation status of companies in mergers and acquisitions.

GVA is dedicated to expanding its capacity to assist clients in environmental aspects of their corporate activities, providing advice for obtaining and renewing licences with the environmental authorities.

GVA also works with its clients in outsourcing their legal activities where needed, through personalised secondments, providing clients with efficient, high-standard and low-cost services. The firm is prepared to serve clients nationwide at competitive cost, in large-scale lawsuits, with the same excellence which has earned its reputation in the Brazilian legal ambience.

GVA acts in all areas related to intellectual property, including trademarks, patents, industrial design, non-patented technology, trade-dress, internet, computer programs, company names, domain names and copyright. Our services provide clients with guidelines and representation in the administrative spheres (Brazilian Trademark and Patent Office, Registro.br, copyright entities, etc), and in preventing disputes.

GVA has been active in structuring corporate governance for Brazilian family-owned companies as well as assisting wealthy families with their estate, tax and inheritance planning.

Finally, GVA is renowned for its high commitment to pro bono work with a variety of non-governmental organisations throughout Brazil and abroad.

Av. Rio Branco, 85

Rio de Janeiro RJ

CEP 20040-004

Tel: +55 21 3849 4400

Fax: +55 21 3849 4600

eagvrj@eagv.com.br

Rua Líbero Badaró, 471

CEP 01009-903

São Paulo, SP

Tel: +55 11 3466 3030

Fax: +55 11 3466 3329

escalasp@eagv.com.br

Av. Nove de Julho, 5.109, 2º andar CEP 01407-200

São Paulo, SP,

Tel: +55 11 2134 5050

Fax: +55 11 2134 5000

eagvsp@eagv.com.br

3, Av Franklin Roosevelt

Paris 75008

Tel: +33 1 4256 0325

Fax: +33 1 5376 0416

eagv-paris@eagv.com.fr