Holland & Knight tempts the Brazilian company consultant into reverse mobility

Holland & Knight has strengthened its business practices by adding a New York graduate Brazilian attorney who will handle domestic and cross-border dealings from its Washington, DC office.

Paulo Farnieri joined the company as a partner after nearly five years as general counsel for the North American division that focuses on airports at Brazilian infrastructure company CCR.

Prior to becoming a consultant to the company, Farnieri worked in the New York office of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Bateman and in São Paulo for Clifford Chance and Machado Meyer Advogados, a leading Brazilian company.

Farnieri’s experience spans corporate transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, private equity investments and financing, particularly in the infrastructure and transportation sectors in the United States and Latin America.

“Paulo’s practice is multifaceted, encompassing sectors and regions that are strategic priorities for our clients and our business,” said Jose Servin, Miami-based head of business at Holland & Knight, in a statement.

Servin added that his addition will allow the company to expand work on infrastructure projects in the United States and help its clients achieve their strategic goals in Latin America.

There is a high demand for Brazilian lawyers licensed to work in the United States in Latin American practices to meet the needs of clients in Brazil, the largest economy in the region.

“My time at CCR has given me insight into the infrastructure and transportation sectors in the United States and Latin America,” Varnieri said.

At a time when global law firms have been struggling with a talent shortage, Holland & Knight in the recent past has succeeded in attracting experienced legal practitioners after stints within the firm. In 2021, Miami-based Am Law 100 hired former SoftBank Deputy General Counsel Enrique Conde to join its corporate, mergers, acquisitions, securities and Latin American practice groups.