Areas of expertise

A pioneer in the implementation of anti-corruption and money laundering prevention programs, WFaria Advogados has a highly specialized team, coordinated by Wilson Faria, one of the biggest references in the area in Brazil.

Among its actions are: implementation or review of Risk Management and Compliance programs; compliance with (inter)national legislation (including Anti-Corruption Act, FATCA, Money Laundering Act, FCPA and UK Bribery ACT, among others), training, Preventive Money Laundering Practices and KYC, compliance with regulatory standards issued by regulatory bodies and defense of notifications from regulatory bodies, elaboration and review of Codes of Ethics and Conduct, policies for prevention, detection, combating fraud and legal violations, and advising on the creation of hotlines; Third Party Due Diligence, advising on internal investigations, Compliance audits in corporate restructuring and M&As, contract audits and secondment.

Our fraud investigation team is one of the largest and most experienced in the country, having acted in cases of enormous national relevance such as the investigation of Operação Lava Jato at Eletrobras (state-owned electric energy company) and others.

Also a pioneer in the implementation of FATCA (Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act) with Brazilian financial institutions, WFaria Advogados works in partnership with offices in several countries to work on the adoption of Compliance rules in foreign companies with operations in Brazil.

Our team offers services to diagnose/assess the maturity of the client's business in relation to the General Data Protection Law (LGPD), including the preparation of an Impact Report on the Protection of Personal Data, with the elaboration of policies, offering training and elaboration of opinions about the LGPD.

In labor litigation, WFaria Advogados acts in lawsuits with significant financial impact or that involve issues of great economic and strategic relevance, carrying out the necessary procedural follow-up from the first instance to the Higher Courts.

In the labor advisory, it prepares opinions and consultations on routines and controversial issues, always looking for creative solutions that can prevent or minimize possible risks and unnecessary lawsuits.

It also works in the structuring of Profit Sharing (PLR) and results plans, matters related to sexual and moral harassment, as well as in the negotiation and elaboration of collective agreements.

The WFaria Advogados team works in the preparation of legal opinions and opinions in the area of Public and Administrative Law. Since its foundation, the firm has advised large and medium-sized companies on highly complex issues of great economic and strategic relevance.

We work in administrative litigation, administrative improbity actions, writs of mandamus, public civil actions, popular actions, as well as sponsoring defenses in punitive administrative proceedings before the courts of accounts, regulatory agencies and the Central Bank of Brazil, in addition to other entities and public agencies.

With its Civil and Commercial Litigation team, WFaria Advogados acts in the strategic defense of the interests of national and foreign companies, in lawsuits in progress in all courts in the country, involving litigation related to Civil Law, Commercial Law, Electronic Law, Consumer Law, Corporate Law, Competition Law, Banking Law and Administrative Law.

With significant performance in the recovery of commercial credits and representation of its clients in the passive pole of judicial recoveries and bankruptcies, it has a long tradition in serving the national financial sector.

Also in the prevention of disputes, it works on the review of procedures and suggestions for improvements, through action in the pre-litigation phase, in search of a solution to potential conflicts before the discussion is taken to court.

WFaria Advogados has a large team of tax professionals who assist their clients in any demands in the area. Through work focused on the so-called consumption taxes (IPI/ICMS/PIS/COFINS/ISS), the Tax Law team offers important and strategic advice for corporate decisions in the areas of acquisition, production, and commercialization of national products and services. and imported.

With experienced and highly specialized professionals, it assists in the analysis of operations from a legal, financial and accounting point of view.

It also works with Indirect Taxation, which involves foreign trade (import and export) and its regulation by Customs Law, maximizing tax efficiency in cross-border operations, tax logistics, implementation of special regimes, industrial operations, transfer and recovery of credits and customs classification.

WFARIA ADVOGADOS offers all the necessary advice on aspects of corporate law and corporate governance for the daily operation of companies, associations and foundations in Brazil, from the incorporation of companies (limited companies, public or private companies), subscription agreements, negotiation of statutes and shareholder agreements. Our experienced team also works in the planning and structuring of asset purchase and sale transactions, spin-offs and other forms of corporate restructuring.

We believe that corporate governance creates value for institutions and their stakeholders and we are proud to be able to apply our expertise in this area.

Our team provides legal advice in the elaboration of policies, internal regulations, family agreements, corporate agreements and bylaws, governance secretariat services and — for all other matters that touch the legal aspect of governance — we have a network of renowned consultants. , including in family businesses, to whom we refer our customers.

WFARIA ADVOGADOS offers all the necessary assistance in the preparation, analysis and negotiation of memoranda of understanding and protocols of intent, preparation and negotiation of contracts for the purchase and sale of shares or quotas and subscription or investment agreements, in the implementation of joint ventures, in the preparation and negotiation of partnership or shareholder agreements. We help organize a data room and perform a legal audit.

Our team is made up of professionals with extensive experience in (inter)national transactions, from the most complex, involving distressed assets or companies affected by investigations such as car wash, to angel investment in startups, supporting clients from buy or sell side, following all the steps necessary for the satisfactory conclusion of the transaction.

The WFaria Advogados team offers full support for the structuring of foreign investments in Brazil.

From the first step to be taken in the investigation of the local market, legal environment for business and restrictions on foreign investment, incorporation and acquisition of companies, assistance in obtaining registrations and authorizations to operate in Brazil, registration of foreign investment and foreign loans with the Central Bank, tax planning, tax and labor consultancy, and industrial property consultancy.

For Brazilian investors traveling abroad, WFaria Advogados has an extensive international network of legal and business partners who advise under their supervision all stages of the client's insertion in the international market.

The WFaria Advogados team advises on the succession planning of family assets and on issues related to their conservation and transmission to future generations.

With experienced specialized lawyers, it considers legal and fiscal aspects, such as taxation and the property regime in marriage contracts, in search of the best solution for the protection and continuity of the family's patrimony.

The estate and succession planning team also assists families in the preparation of pacts, wills, family agreements, governance policies and constitution of "holdings", in addition to the preparation and analysis of wills, representation in inventories, guidance on asset sharing and representation in consensual separation and still relocation abroad.

The Social Security Law area at WFaria Advogados assists its clients in matters related to payroll taxation.

The Social Security Litigation is dedicated to the sponsorship of judicial and administrative measures related to the taxation of the payroll and its substitute regimes, aiming at recovering social security credits and canceling tax assessments promoted by the Federal Government. We also act in the monitoring of social security inspections and provide legal advice for the renewal of the social security tax regularity certificate.

The Pension Consultancy area is specialized in preparing memoranda, opinions and legal opinions to national and foreign clients, in relation to contributions levied on the payroll and their substitute regimes of exemption from the payroll. The team is also a pioneer in carrying out the work of social security review, aiming to identify tax credits from contributions on the payroll that can be recovered, whose undue payment occurred in the last five years.