Demarest reinforces M&A practice with strategic hire in Rio de Janeiro

Décio Pio Borges joins the firm to focus on M&A, Corporate Law, Corporate Governance and Crisis Management

São Paulo, October 07, 2025 – With the aim of further strengthening its Mergers & Acquisitions practice area, Demarest, one of the largest full-service law firms in Brazil and Latin America, announces Décio Pio Borges as its new partner in the Rio de Janeiro office.

 With more than 20 years of experience in the legal market, Décio advises major domestic and international groups, institutional and private equity investors, as well as companies in the energy, construction, insurance, shipping, and healthcare sectors in complex and strategic transactions that support the growth of their businesses.

He is a specialist in M&A transactions, joint ventures, investments and divestments, corporate and project financing, and provides legal advice on regulatory matters related to these fields. He also has expertise in crisis management, with a focus on governance and the liability of shareholders and officers. 

Décio holds an LL.M in Commercial and Corporate Law from The London School of Economics and Political Science (United Kingdom), an MBA in Corporate Finance from FGV (Fundação Getulio Vargas), and a Bachelor of Laws degree from PUC-Rio (Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro). He also worked as an associate lawyer at Slaughter and May in the United Kingdom.

“I have been working in the corporate sector for over two decades, and I have always been drawn to the idea of helping clients carry out challenging projects by seeking creative solutions — whether by building bridges between divergent points in a negotiation or managing crises and working to mitigate risks and adverse effects,” says the new partner. “Despite the challenging economic environment, marked by high interest rates and global instability, M&A transactions serve as an efficient mechanism for reallocating resources and enabling the creation and conclusion of investment cycles. Opportunities arise in challenging landscapes,” he adds. 

Regarding this new professional chapter, Décio highlights: “Joining a firm with such a strong history and tradition as Demarest is a great opportunity to contribute and be part of an increasingly sophisticated and mature professional environment, marked by intense competition.” 

“Rio de Janeiro is a market naturally geared toward industries such as energy, oil & gas, among others. It is home to companies that account for a significant portion of our GDP, and the growing volume of transactional operations has led us to expand our team. Décio’s arrival complements our practice and enhances our ability to meet the increasing demand for transactions in the Rio de Janeiro market that we are currently experiencing,” says João de Almeida, partner in Demarest’s Mergers & Acquisitions and Oil & Gas practices.

José Diaz, managing partner at Demarest, also highlights that Décio’s hiring is aligned with the firm’s expansion plan, which focuses on regional growth and the addition of professionals recognized for the excellence of their legal work.

“We have been investing in strategic growth with high added value, aiming to participate in increasingly prominent transactions across the economy and to support our clients in identifying legal solutions that drive their businesses forward. His experience and ability to work with both local and international clients are well recognized in the market and add to the strength of our team, resulting in even greater collaboration with the firm’s other practice areas,” says José Diaz.

With Décio’s arrival, Demarest now has 103 partners working across more than 50 areas of law, serving over 2,500 clients in Brazil and abroad.