Partner in Demarest's Tax practice area, Paulo Honório de Castro Júnior holds a master's degree in Economic, Financial, and Tax Law from USP and a master's degree in Tax Law from UFMG. He concentrates his practice on the taxation of natural resources, infrastructure, and financial transactions, with extensive experience in M&A, tax planning, drafting of opinions, and tax litigation. Throughout his career, Paulo Honório has led projects across multiple fields involving all taxes (direct, indirect, customs, and social security), including the structuring of transactions, domestic and foreign investments, M&A, transfer pricing, Pillar Two, royalties on non-renewable natural resources, consumption and income tax reform, review of tax routines and audits, and defense strategies in tax-deficiency notices and in administrative and judicial disputes. He has advised on high-profile cases before Superior Courts, CARF, and regional councils, both as counsel and legal opinion author. Among his main clients are domestic and foreign companies in sectors such as mining, agribusiness, energy, infrastructure, forestry, steel, cement, and logistics. He has been recognized by leading legal publications such as Chambers and Partners, The Legal 500, Latin Lawyer 250, ITR World Tax, and Análise Advocacia 500.
- Advised on the sale (M&A) of Latin Resources – Belo Lithium in Brazil – to Australian company Pilbara Minerals, for approximately BRL 2 billion.
- Advised IBÁ (Indústria Brasileira de Árvores) as amicus curiae in a strategic case before Brazil’s Superior Court of Justice and Federal Supreme Court to dismiss the collection of ICMS tax on the sale of renewable forests, with a billion-dollar impact on the forestry sector.
- Advised Grupo Porto Sudeste in adjusting its cross-border mining and trading operations to new transfer pricing rules (Law No. 14,596/2023), encompassing international sales of iron ore and financial transactions within the context of the first mandatory enforcement.
- Advised one of Brazil's largest players in the iron ore industry in a transfer pricing dispute before CARF, involving PECEX and the possibility of treating commissions paid to a related global marketing entity as a market premium adjustment, in a dispute involving hundreds of millions of reais.
- Advised a prominent multinational group in the implementation of Pillar 2 in Brazil (Law 15,079/2024 and IN RFB 2,228/2024), covering safe harbor eligibility assessments and blueprinting compliance and risk controls from 2025 onward.
- Master's degree in Economic, Financial and Tax Law from Universidade de São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, 2023
- Master's degree in Tax Law from Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Minas Gerais, 2022
- Specialization in Tax Law from Instituto Brasileiro de Estudos Tributários (IBET), 2014
- Bachelor of Laws from Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Minas Gerais, 2012
- Chair of the Brazilian Institute of Tax Law (IMDT)
- Director of the Brazilian Institute of Mining Law (IBDM)
- Author of the book “CFEM – Financial Compensation for the Exploration of Mineral Resources” [CFEM – Compensação Financeira pela Exploração de Recursos Minerais] (D’Plácido, 2018).
- Author of “Current Tax Controversies in Agribusiness – Volume 1 and Volume 2, ” [Controvérsias Tributárias Atuais no Agronegócio – Volume 1 e Volume 2] Editora Dialética, 2022.
- Coordinator of thebook “Taxation in Agribusiness, ” [A Tributação no Agronegócio] Editora Letramento / Casa do Direito, 1st edition, 2020.
- Organizer of the book “Challenges of Brazilian Agribusiness, ” [Desafios do Agronegócio Brasileiro] Editora Letramento / Casa do Direito, 2020.
- Organizer of the book “Studies on Mining Taxation, ” [Estudos sobre a Tributação da Mineração] Editora Casa do Direito, 2021
- Organizer of the book “Reforma Tributária Brasileira” (BrazilianTax Reform) [Reforma Tributária Brasileira], Editora D’Plácido, 1st edition, 2019, and author of the chapter “A reforma tributária e a tributação da economia digital” (Tax reform and taxation of the digital economy) [A reforma tributária e a tributação da economia digital].
- Coordinator of the book “Mining and Steel Industry: Financial and Tax Aspects, [Mineração e Siderurgia: Aspectos Financeiros e Tributários] Editora D’Plácido, 2019, and author of the chapter “The non-retroactivity of the new legal framework for mineral royalties.” [A irretroatividade do novo marco legal para o royalty mineral]
- Coordinator of the book “Processo Administrativo Tributário” (Tax Administrative Procedure) [Processo Administrativo Tributário], Editora D’Plácido, 2018, and author of the chapter “O controle das ficções jurídicas no Direito Tributário” (The control of legal fictions in Tax Law) [O controle das ficções jurídicas no Direito Tributário].
- Coordinator of the book “Mining Law: Mining, Environmental, and Tax Issues, [Direito da Mineração: Questões Minerárias, Ambientais e Tributárias] Editora D’Plácido, 2017.
- Coordinator of the book “Studies on TJMG Case Law in Tax Matters,” [Estudos sobre a Jurisprudência do TJMG em Matéria Tributária] Editora D’Plácido, 2014, and author of the chapter “The Transportation of Goods to Customs Areas: ICMS Taxation and the Right to Maintain Credits.” [O Transporte de Mercadoria até Recinto Alfandegado: Não Incidência do ICMS e o Direito à Manutenção dos Créditos]
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