Lefosse announces new partners and counsel in its Infrastructure and Corporate practices

Full-service law firm Lefosse announces the return of Mauricio Paschoal as a partner in its Corporate/M&A practice and the arrival of Cristiano Melo as a partner in its Project Development/Infrastructure practice. The moves reinforce the firm’s investment in practices that are strategic for the 2026/2027 economic landscape.

Mauricio Paschoal has experience in corporate law and M&A, working on the purchase and sale of companies, joint ventures, partnerships and complex agreements, regulatory matters, publicly held companies and executive compensation, across sectors such as infrastructure, healthcare, energy, industrials, financial services, retail, agribusiness and real estate. In recent years, he has also focused on special situations and capital solutions transactions, including litigation assets, transactions in the context of bankruptcies and judicial reorganizations, and the structuring of capital solutions for the resolution of disputes.

Cristiano Melo works on the drafting and negotiation of complex and structured agreements in the areas of project development and construction law, as well as on the development of joint ventures for project investment and the leasing of large-scale equipment, with a focus on infrastructure, especially logistics and energy. He joins together with counsel Michele Pimenta do Amaral, who comes on board with the same focus.

“These arrivals illustrate exactly the kind of strengthening we are seeking: professionals with a consolidated track record in complex transactions and a strategic vision for sectors that are expected to gain even more relevance in the coming years, such as M&A, special situations and infrastructure. These are moves that expand our capacity to serve clients in moments that are as distinct as they are challenging, and that present great opportunity,” says Rodrigo Junqueira, managing partner of Lefosse.

“Brazil has enormous pent-up demand for infrastructure projects, and the next government will certainly have to accelerate an agenda of awarding and renewing concessions in the sector,” says Cristiano Melo. “The energy sector also looks very promising, in a scenario of energy transition and rising oil prices due to geopolitical issues, fostering new investments in the area. In addition, the reputation for excellence of the firm’s team and its broad range of areas and practices can generate synergies with the other infrastructure areas.”

“The combination of technical excellence, positioning in complex transactions, a transactional vocation and commercial alignment is what motivated me to return to Lefosse. On a personal level, I am very happy to be working again with great friends and lawyers I have admired for many years,” says Mauricio Paschoal. On the sector outlook, the partner notes: “Despite the challenging scenario, particularly due to high interest rates, there are opportunities with the right positioning. Large-scale transactions continue to happen, as do transactions in infrastructure sectors, where cycles are longer.”

The new partners’ arrivals follow a series of hires and promotions throughout the year: the arrival of Tomaz Lyra and Marcela Levy as Dispute Resolution partners, the promotion of Isis Teixeira in the same practice, and the promotions of Luana Torres, Gabriel Queiroz and Rafael Martins to partner in Corporate/M&A, White-Collar Crime, and Oil and Gas, respectively.

Learn more about the new professionals

Mauricio Paschoal, partner in the Corporate/M&A practice, works in corporate law and M&A, including the purchase and sale of companies and investments, joint ventures, partnerships and other complex agreements, regulatory matters, publicly held companies and executive compensation. He advises both buyers and sellers, strategic and financial players, and local and international clients across a variety of sectors, including infrastructure, healthcare, energy, TMT, industrials, financial services, retail, agribusiness and real estate. In recent years, he has also focused on special situations and capital solutions, including litigation assets, bankruptcies and judicial reorganizations. He holds a law degree from the Rio de Janeiro State University (UERJ) and an LL.M. from Columbia Law School, where he was recognized as a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar.

Cristiano Melo, partner in the Project Development/Infrastructure practice, works on the drafting and negotiation of complex and structured agreements in the areas of project development and construction law, on the development of joint ventures for project investment and on the leasing of large-scale equipment, with a focus on infrastructure, especially logistics and energy. He holds a law degree from the Rio de Janeiro State University (UERJ) and a postgraduate degree in Oil and Gas Law and Business from the Brazilian Institute of Petroleum, Gas and Biofuels (IBP).

Michele Pimenta do Amaral, counsel in the Project Development/Infrastructure practice, has experience in the drafting and negotiation of complex and structured agreements in the areas of project development and construction law, in the development of joint ventures for project investment and in the leasing of large-scale equipment, with a focus on infrastructure, especially logistics and energy. She holds a law degree from the Rio de Janeiro State University (UERJ) and a postgraduate degree in Finance from the COPPEAD Graduate School of Business at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ)