Demarest announces two new partners in Infrastructure and Mining  

Izabella Pardinho Reis and Renan Sona promoted to partnership in 2023

Demarest Advogados, one of the largest and most respected law firms in Brazil and Latin America, announced the promotion of two new partners, starting on January 01, 2023, to expand and strengthen the firm’s practice within the Infrastructure and Mining sectors.

Newly promoted partners Izabella Pardinho Reis and Renan Sona have been working at Demarest for a number of years and their standout practice within their respective areas have earned them indisputable recognition from the market.

Izabella holds a master’s degree in International Mineral Law and Policy from the University of Dundee, Scotland, and specializations in Mining Law, from Faculdade Milton Campos, and International Trade, from IBMEC, in addition to a Bachelor of Laws from PUC Minas.

She joined the firm in 2018, bringing 14 years of experience in the mining sector to the firm’s M&A practice area, in which she advises clients in the mining industry, specifically regarding mining negotiations and regulatory matters. With China being considered one of Brazil’s main trading partners in the mining sector, Izabella has dedicated her efforts to becoming fluent in Mandarin from her early years in law school, a differentiating skill for a lawyer.

“Mining is one of Brazil’s most important economic activities, and the sector has undergone profound changes in recent years, which have rendered the challenges faced by companies increasingly complex and multidisciplinary. As a full-service firm, we can assist our clients through a fully integrated practice across multiple areas of law. Through my promotion to partner, our goal, among others, is to further cement our spot within the mining industry as a highly specialized law firm in the sector.”

Renan Sona holds a specialization in Administrative Law from FGV (Fundação Getulio Vargas), and a Bachelor of Laws from USP (Universidade de São Paulo). He has practiced for 12 years in the Public Law/Regulatory and Infrastructure sectors – experience that he has  applied in the firm to assist clients since 2019, when he joined Demarest.

Renan is recognized within the market for his experience in legal structuring and advising clients on concession projects and PPPs (public-private partnerships), as well as privatization procedures or investments related to different infrastructure segments – such as airports, ports, highways, urban mobility, railways, public lighting, basic sanitation, among others.

Several companies advised by Renan and Demarest’s Infrastructure team won important bidding procedures that took place in Brazil in 2022, such as the 7th round of federal airport concessions, the “Northwest Block” (Bloco Noroeste) of São Paulo highways of Paulo and the first two solar energy PPP auctions held at B3.

In addition to fostering sustainable development from an environmental point of view, the projects carried out and advised on by Renan’s practice area stood out for the potential to attract investments, generate jobs and save resources, which can subsequently be allocated to companies of the public and private sectors for application to alternative priorities, public policies and important social matters.

“There is great expectation for investments in the infrastructure sector in the coming years, and Demarest’s efforts to strengthening our team demonstrate the firm’s preparedness to advise companies in a number of economic sectors. I am excited about the prospect of contributing to the development of the area in the firm,” says Renan. He also points out that acting in the infrastructure sector allows him to participate in projects that result in true change and that have a real impact on the day-to-day life of a city, a state and Brazil as a whole.

Paulo Coelho da Rocha, managing partner at Demarest, highlights that the decision to recognize talents in areas that can result in new business, and, in parallel, also contribute to the progress and development of Brazil, is aligned with the strategic plan of the firm, which seeks to invest in industries that will potentially generate new mergers and acquisitions opportunities within the context of an economic recovery.

“Demarest is committed to providing opportunities for professionals who are already part of our team. The promotion of Izabella and Renan to partners reflects the importance of valuing our lawyers’ high-quality practice throughout the years and, as a result, continue to offer the best legal solutions and exceptional service that meets the needs of our clients”, he adds.

The addition of these new partners further attests to our strategy of investing in our Infrastructure practice, which currently includes 10 other partners specialized in numerous sectors, such as: Public and Regulatory Law; Project Finance; Mining; Telecommunications, Media and Technology (TMT); Oil and Gas; and Energy and Natural Resources.