Overview

The Ports & Maritime practice at Tauil & Chequer Advogados has a full-time team in Brazil which represents the full spectrum of industry participants. Through our association with Mayer Brown, we also draw upon the talent and experience of lawyers in multiple offices across the globe, including key ports and maritime hubs such as Hong Kong and Singapore, and in the United Kingdom and the United States. This places our team in a unique position to help our clients navigate the most complex and multi-jurisdictional projects in Brazil.

Shipping

Offshore Sector

We are a market-leading law firm in the offshore sector, with experience acquired over years at the forefront of the development of the oil and gas industry in Brazil. Our practice includes assisting clients on bids and negotiations to charter offshore vessels and units (including floating production storage and offloading units – FPSOs, drilling rigs, and construction and supply vessels), as well as on all aspects of corporate and commercial matters in the offshore sector, including mergers and acquisitions, finance, sale and purchase of vessels, regulatory and litigation matters.

Regulatory

Our experience extends across the full range of regulatory issues related to the shipping industry in Brazil, including regulations from the Brazilian Maritime Authority (Marinha do Brasil), Brazilian National Agency of Waterway Transportation (ANTAQ) and Brazilian Ship Registry (Tribunal Marítimo) in areas such as importation and operation of ships, ship-to-ship, ship registration, construction, chartering, flagging and tonnage rights.

LNG Projects

We advise sponsors, operators and ship owners with interests in liquefied natural gas projects in Brazil in all aspects of their business, including commercial arrangements, regulations and finance. Over the years, our team has been active in the leading projects in Brazil employing floating regasification vessels (FSRUs).

Shipping Finance

Our team is experienced in advising some of the world's top lenders and borrowers on international ship finance (including syndicated, bilateral and export financing loans), and on loan transactions in Brazil with the Merchant Marine Fund (Fundo de Marinha Mercante). Our practice includes structuring and negotiating financings to fund the construction of vessels, to fund working capital, and to support the issuance of performance guarantees for projects.

Shipping Litigation

We advise on the full range of litigation work, such as detention of vessels, enforcement of securities, sale and purchase, and charter party disputes. Our practice also includes handling P&I and insurance claims and legal proceedings before the Brazilian Maritime Tribunal. We also have in-depth expertise in charter party disputes and renegotiations with national and international oil companies. With our litigation experience, we excel in the resolution of complex disputes, both in arbitral tribunals and judicial courts.

Ports

We have one of the strongest combined domestic and cross-border infrastructure practices in the market, and we are recognized as a market-leading law firm in port infrastructure projects. Our lawyers advise a variety of clients across the port industry, including concessionaires of public ports, companies holding authorization for private terminals (TUP), banks and transnational companies from various sectors, such as the food and mining industries.

Our team is skilled in all matters related to the port industry, with extensive knowledge of the implementation of public ports and private terminals in Brazil, port regulations and licensing with the Brazilian Maritime Authority and ANTAQ, acquisition of ports and terminals, lease of port facilities, negotiation of consortium contracts, contracts with public authorities, and corporate and regulatory structures for port expansion projects.

Moreover, our experience includes legal auditing, judicial proceedings, administrative and judicial measures involving bids held by public authorities, implementation of compliance programs, financing, formation of infrastructure funds, and joint ventures involving port facilities with the negotiation of shareholders’ agreements and future capitalization obligations.