Latin Lawyer
15/05/2025
Por: Isabella Ankerson
Brazil’s L O Baptista Advogados has boosted its energy, infrastructure and real estate groups by hiring an ex-partner of Elite outfit TozziniFreire Advogados and the founder of local firm Kfuri Advogados.
The Highly Recommended firm announced the arrival of Vladimir Miranda Abreu and Felipe Kfuri to the partnership on 7 May. L O Baptista now counts a total of 21 partners.
Daniela Zaitz, M&A partner at L O Baptista, says the two new partners “bring valuable expertise that perfectly aligns with our visions of providing integrated, high-quality legal solutions.”
Abreu spent almost 30 years at TozziniFreire before leaving the firm in February. He made partner in 2002. The partner specialises in real estate deals, including agro-industrial ventures and forestry assets, as well as carbon markets and climate change. Among previous roles, Abreu counts tenures at local Recommended firm Goulart Penteado Advogados, HSBC Brazil and time as a foreign associate at international Elite outfit Milbank.
Reflecting on his new role, Abreu explains that “combining [his] experience with L O Baptista’s well-established capabilities feels like a natural step” in his career. He also notes that, as ESG, climate and land-related issues gain traction in the market he believes the firm “can deliver even more comprehensive legal solutions in these areas.”
A spokesperson for TozziniFreire thanked Abreu for the years he worked at the firm and wishes him success in his new role.
New energy partner Kfuri counts almost three decades’ of experience in power generation, transmission and concession deals, while he also is experienced in infrastructure, mining and waste management. He joins after 11 years running Kfuri Advogados, which came after seven years in the partnership of Highly Recommended outfit Schmidt, Valois, Miranda, Ferreira & Agel. He also counts tenures at Brazilian Elite Machado Meyer Advogados and in-house at tyre manufacturer Michelin.
Kfuri says he is “pleased to join a firm as solid and reputable as L O Baptista” and assures that he is “committed to contributing to the firm’s growth in infrastructure and regulatory matters, with a special focus on the energy and public concessions sectors.”
Looking to the market, Zaitz explains that the team has observed “a growing interest from investors in the infrastructure and energy sectors – particularly in projects aligned with the energy transition – as well as in the real estate and agribusiness markets, where the demand for innovative solutions and high-level legal counsel has become increasingly pronounced.”
“The arrival of partners with recognised expertise in these areas not only reinforces our strategic positioning but also enhances our capacity to anticipate market developments and capitalise on emerging opportunities across these and other sectors,” Zaitz concludes.
L O Baptista is best known for its M&A, labour and disputes offerings. The firm has made several additions to its partnership over the past year. In October, for example, it added firepower to its life sciences practice group by hiring a former partner from SPLAW – Spiewak e Carneiro Advogados. Four months before that, it recruited the ex-head of legal from livestock management group iRancho as an M&A partner.
In August, the firm flexed its M&A muscle by advising Brazilian agricultural technology company InCeres in its sale to Swedish power equipment group Husqvarna .
TozziniFreire is commended for its offerings in real estate, infrastructure, M&A and energy law among others. The firm recently hired two partners from fellow Elite outfit Lefosse, including Carlos Mello, to its M&A department, as well as the head of capital markets at fellow Elite firm Cescon Barrieu, Daniel Laudisio.
Since the start of the year, lateral hires have surged among Brazilian firms. Latin Lawyer data has identified energy partner as being in particularly high demand, while disputes, tax, labour and M&A expertise are also popular. A full analysis of partner hire trends across Latin America in the first quarter of the year is available here.
