Demarest announces the hiring of Tomás Filipe Schoeller Paiva as partner of Telecommunications, Media and Technology

February 1st, 2022

Lawyer with experience in regulation of new technologies and telecommunications bolsters the firm’s bench

Demarest, one of the most respected law firms in Brazil and Latin America, announces the arrival of Tomás Filipe Schoeller Paiva as a new partner in the infrastructure practice, focusing on TMT (Telecommunications, Media and Technology). He joins the team starting today.

Holding a doctorate in Constitutional Law from the University of São Paulo and from the University Paris 1 – Panthéon-Sorbonne, he also holds a master’s degree in Constitutional Law from the University of Lisbon, with a degree in Law from UniCEUB – Centro Universitário de Brasília.

Tomás has 16 years of experience in the area of telecommunications regulation, new technologies and media, concentrating his practice in projects related to the expansion of connectivity, distribution of audiovisual content through different technologies, combating of fake news and piracy, among others. Currently, he also carries out activities at ABDTIC (Brazilian Association of Information Technology and Communications Law), an entity dedicated to legal studies, as one of the coordinators of the Digital Law Commission – TICS, Internet and Mobile.

“The infrastructure sector has the potential to grow considerably in Brazil, attract even more investment and have a positive impact on the economy. The hiring of Tomás reinforces our commitment to offering our clients a high quality service focused on the area of telecommunications and disruptive technologies, which are expanding at a rapid pace and contribute not only to the country’s strategic development, but also socially, with the increase in connectivity and digital inclusion”, says Paulo Coelho da Rocha, Managing Partner of the firm.

Tomás has acted in prominent cases in the area, advising on the Brazilian regulatory side in the transaction involving the purchase of the media conglomerate WarnerMedia by American giant AT&T and the acquisition of Vrio (parent company of SKY and DirecTVGo) by the Argentine investment group Werthein.

He also defended two major media groups in regulatory disputes at Anatel (National Telecommunications Agency) and Ancine (National Cinema Agency) over the framework of audiovisual streaming in the country. He has also advised clients in the process of releasing the 6 gigahertz (GHz) band for implementation in Brazil of the Wi-Fi 6E technology (as the evolution of the fixed wireless access network is known).

“Joining forces with a team the size and structure of Demarest allows us to offer holistic advice to clients in the TMT segment, at a time of paradigm shifts in the sector, with a focus on expanding connectivity through different technologies (fiber optics, radiofrequency, restricted radiation and satellite) and in the development of services (over the top, OTT) over telecommunications networks, such as those operating in the internet application layer”, says the new partner.