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The comprehensive guide to the world's leading tax firms

Ernst & Young has increased its transfer pricing practice in the Brazilian market, adding important clients and enlarging its market share. The firm excels at assisting clients with international tax matters. Supply chain management is another strength ... [more]

Ernst & Young has increased its transfer pricing practice in the Brazilian market, adding important clients and enlarging its market share. The firm excels at assisting clients with international tax matters. Supply chain management is another strength for the tax group. There are 40 people in the transfer pricing and international group at the firm, who provide the biggest multinational companies with first rate advice. The past year has seen the firm assist Brazilian clients with several investments outside of Brazil, as well as large mergers of Brazilian companies that affect their structures offshore. Internal restructurings at the same clients have also keep the group busy, finding ways to simplify structures and maximise clients' tax savings. Litigation is booming for the group.

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The tax group at Mattos Filho, Veiga Filho, Marrey Junior e Quiroga is led by the founding partners Pedro Luciano Marrey and Roberto Quiroga Mosquera. With eight other partners in the team the firm offers competent advice in many areas of tax law. In ... [more]

The tax group at Mattos Filho, Veiga Filho, Marrey Junior e Quiroga is led by the founding partners Pedro Luciano Marrey and Roberto Quiroga Mosquera. With eight other partners in the team the firm offers competent advice in many areas of tax law. In the past 12 months the firm gave tax advice to the Santander group during the merger of Banco Real with Santander Brasil. The firm was also very active in tax controversy including acting in an interesting dispute regarding the statute of limitation for tax foreclosure purposes.

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Pinheiro Neto Advogados is one of the largest law firms in Latin America. The firm offers tax advice in many areas including consulting, planning, indirect tax recovery, advice on special tax regimes and tax and social security litigation in both the ... [more]

Pinheiro Neto Advogados is one of the largest law firms in Latin America. The firm offers tax advice in many areas including consulting, planning, indirect tax recovery, advice on special tax regimes and tax and social security litigation in both the administrative and judicial spheres. The tax group includes 12 partners and almost 60 associates and is described as "very strong," by a competitor.

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PricewaterhouseCoopers has a strong associate law firm in Loeser e Portela Advogados, based in São Paulo. The firm is recommended by a competitor who notes "great ability to deal with fiscal issues involving complex financial and accounting aspects." ... [more]

PricewaterhouseCoopers has a strong associate law firm in Loeser e Portela Advogados, based in São Paulo. The firm is recommended by a competitor who notes "great ability to deal with fiscal issues involving complex financial and accounting aspects." Nélio Weiss leads the team at PricewaterhouseCoopers and is highly recommended for transfer pricing.

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Deloitte is seen as extremely strong in local tax advice. Clients flock to the firm for explanations of complex legislation and advice on compliance. The firm's tax group is widely praised and has companies from all industry sectors on its client list. ... [more]

Deloitte is seen as extremely strong in local tax advice. Clients flock to the firm for explanations of complex legislation and advice on compliance. The firm's tax group is widely praised and has companies from all industry sectors on its client list. One client reports being "totally satisfied" with the work the firm did in reducing the company's transfer pricing adjustment in 2008.

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KPMG has a strong group in Brazil. The firm offers a full service tax department and assists clients from every industry. Diogo Ruiz is highly recommended by a client who notes his "innovative solutions and preventive advice".

At Lefosse in cooperation with Linklaters, Gustavo Haddad is called "a tremendous guy, very intelligent," by one competitor, with another saying that "down the road he will be one of the biggest tax guys in Brazil." Overall the firm is praised."It's ... [more]

At Lefosse in cooperation with Linklaters, Gustavo Haddad is called "a tremendous guy, very intelligent," by one competitor, with another saying that "down the road he will be one of the biggest tax guys in Brazil." Overall the firm is praised."It's a good firm, well liked," said one in-house tax director. In transactional tax matters the firm provides structuring and litigation due diligence advice on M&A and capital markets matters. The advisers at Lefosse are adept at providing advice on complex internal corporate restructurings and international tax issues, the firm is also a leader in litigation. [hide]

The team at Machado Associados Advogados e Consultores has had a busy year. Representing Volkswagen Group in the sale of Volkswagen Truck and Bus to the German group MAN is just one example of the high level of work the tax group has been involved in ... [more]

The team at Machado Associados Advogados e Consultores has had a busy year. Representing Volkswagen Group in the sale of Volkswagen Truck and Bus to the German group MAN is just one example of the high level of work the tax group has been involved in over the past 12 months. The 65-person tax group is divided into three areas: direct taxes, indirect taxes and tax litigation, all of which have enjoyed great success recently. Clients include cosmetics company Natura, construction companies Camargo Corrêa and Andrade Gutierrez and footwear company Alpargatas. The firm has close relationships with several leading US and European law firms so can assist clients with international advice and also co-founded the Latin American Tax and Legal Network, which is made up of leading tax firms across Latin America.

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Ulhôa Canto Rezende e Guerra Advogados is described as "a traditional, very serious and professional law firm, with a solid practice and reputation" by a leading adviser in the market. The firm provides extensive tax consultancy services, including assisting ... [more]

Ulhôa Canto Rezende e Guerra Advogados is described as "a traditional, very serious and professional law firm, with a solid practice and reputation" by a leading adviser in the market. The firm provides extensive tax consultancy services, including assisting clients with corporate reorganisations and company acquisitions, drafting of legal opinions and the implementation of tax planning strategies. The tax group is also involved in administrative and judicial tax litigation in both federal and state courts and appears in front of municipal boards. The drafting of requests for advance rulings and for taxation under special rules is also a part of the firm's practice.

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Advocacia Krakowiak "would be in tier one in a litigation ranking," said a competitor. "In tax litigation this firm is one of the most recognised in Brazil," said another. This boutique firm have been involved in several of the most significant controversies ... [more]

Advocacia Krakowiak "would be in tier one in a litigation ranking," said a competitor. "In tax litigation this firm is one of the most recognised in Brazil," said another. This boutique firm have been involved in several of the most significant controversies in the past year.

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Trench Rossi e Watanabe/Baker & McKenzie has made strides over the last 12 months. "Both in tax consulting and litigation [the firm] has substantially improved due to the increasing number of sophisticated clients and cases," says one competitor. The ... [more]

Trench Rossi e Watanabe/Baker & McKenzie has made strides over the last 12 months. "Both in tax consulting and litigation [the firm] has substantially improved due to the increasing number of sophisticated clients and cases," says one competitor. The team in the firm's Sao Paulo office is particularly noted, with Clarissa Machado receiving individual praise. The firm added seven new associates over the last 12 months, the product of a very successful 2008 for the firm. The main industry in Rio de Janeiro is oil and gas and "the large companies need top class local advice, for which the firm is well recognised," said a tax director involved in the sector. Tax litigation and audit work remain busy for the firm and transfer pricing is a growing area, with Machado developing this niche.

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Dias de Souza Advogados handles mainly domestic tax issues and is widely recognised as a leader in litigation.

Lacaz Martins, Halembeck, Pereira Neto, Gurevich & Schoueri Advogados is one of the most active law firms in transfer pricing in Brazil. Transfer pricing is a relatively new subject in Brazil and the courts have only started analysing the subject recently. ... [more]

Lacaz Martins, Halembeck, Pereira Neto, Gurevich & Schoueri Advogados is one of the most active law firms in transfer pricing in Brazil. Transfer pricing is a relatively new subject in Brazil and the courts have only started analysing the subject recently. Expert advice is essential for clients running into difficulty in this area. The firm was successful in the past 12 months in a significant case heard at the Conselho de Contribuintes (Taxpayer's Council) – the final administrative dispute resolution level in Brazil for federal taxes. The final result cancelled roughly $15 million in taxes. The group also acts as external legal counsel in transfer pricing audits carried out by tax authorities, helping clients to deliver adequate information to tax authorities, assisting with the strict compliance with transfer pricing laws, avoiding unnecessary tax assessments and decreasing the total amount of taxes charged.

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The advisers at Machado Meyer Sendacz e Opice are described as "good consultants" by a competitor. The firm offers assistance to companies located in both Brazil and abroad, in the interpretation of federal, state and municipal tax laws. The group is ... [more]

The advisers at Machado Meyer Sendacz e Opice are described as "good consultants" by a competitor. The firm offers assistance to companies located in both Brazil and abroad, in the interpretation of federal, state and municipal tax laws. The group is strong in advising entities regarding operations in the financial and capital markets as well as tax planning and structuring of companies' purchase and sale transactions, due diligences, corporate reorganisations and implementation of new ventures, including obtainment of tax incentives and special import regimes.

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Xavier, Bernardes, Bragança is a boutique firm that is recognised in the market as particularly strong in Rio de Janeiro. Alberto Xavier is described as "a very good professor, a great partner" by another leading adviser. This year the group advised ... [more]

Xavier, Bernardes, Bragança is a boutique firm that is recognised in the market as particularly strong in Rio de Janeiro. Alberto Xavier is described as "a very good professor, a great partner" by another leading adviser. This year the group advised the technology company Research in Motion on structuring the local operations of Blackberry. The firm's advisers also provided tax assistance and structuring for the acquisition of submarines by the Brazilian navy. Clients report that the firm is "particularly flexible in the way they work in order to fit our needs. They do not sell ready-made solutions but try to understand the situation and adapt their answers to address the real issues".

Associate Renata Emery is pinpointed as a solid adviser at the firm by a client who sought help on the complex structuring of a €6 billion ($8.6 billion) deal.

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Barbosa Müssnich & Aragão –Taxand is considered strong in capital markets and litigation. The firm is part of the Taxand network of firms.

Branco Consultores is "less well known than the others in this ranking, but good," according to a market observer. The firm is particularly strong in Rio de Janeiro.

Souza, Cescon, Barrieu e Flesch Advogados gets glowing reviews from clients. One comments "they are very committed to providing legal services identifying the risks, solutions and any alternatives to sort out tax affairs". In the last 12 months the firm ... [more]

Souza, Cescon, Barrieu e Flesch Advogados gets glowing reviews from clients. One comments "they are very committed to providing legal services identifying the risks, solutions and any alternatives to sort out tax affairs". In the last 12 months the firm advised wholesalers Central Brasileira de Distribuição (Grupo Pão de Açúcar) in the acquisition of Ponto Frio. The tax group also assisted software companies Datasul and Totvs in the corporate restructuring that resulted in the unification of their operations and represented steel distributors ArcelorMittal in the acquisition of London Mining South America.

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