Paulo Casagrande

Professional Experience

Paulo Casagrande joined the Firm in early 2020 as the partner in charge of the Antitrust & Competition group. Mr. Casagrande has 20 years of professional experience, both in the private and the public sectors.

At the federal government, he was the first ever Head of the Bid Rigging Unit at the Secretariat of Economic Law of the Brazilian Ministry of Justice (SDE), the agency then in charge of investigating cartels before the reorganization of the Brazilian Competition Defense System in 2012. During his stint at the government, he conducted several investigations together with other enforcement agencies, and also represented the Secretariat at the meetings of the Competition Committee of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in Paris (France).

While in the private bar, Paulo was a partner at leading international and Brazilian Law firms, and has a deep knowledge of several industries and a broad business vision. He has been especially active in the representation of clients before CADE (the Brazilian antitrust agency) in complex merger reviews and investigations of alleged anticompetitive practices. Paulo also accumulates extensive experience in assisting infrastructure and tech companies active in dynamic digital markets.

Work abroad

He has worked in the Brussels office of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, at the Antitrust, Competition and Trade team, when he had a first-hand experience with European and multijurisdictional merger and cartel cases.

Awards and Recognitions

Paulo Casagrande has been recognized for his work in Antitrust & Competition by the main legal directories. According to Chambers and Partners, he is “an energetic” and “excellent antitrust lawyer,” who “deals with delicate matters in an efficient way and knows what he is talking about”. By its turn, he is recommended by Who’s Who Legal – Competition as a leading antitrust attorney in Brazil, based on feedback by peers and clients that he “is very able, diligent, easy-going, and extremely well prepared”; “Paulo is doing a brilliant work in building his competition practice. I would definitely recommend him.” Moreover, Legal 500 reports that Casagrande “is a star in competition law; besides his technical knowledge, he is very hands on and committed to the client’s matters”. Finally, Casagrande is also acknowledged by other specialized publications, such as Leaders League, Latin Lawyer 250 and Análise Advocacia.    

Academic Background

Paulo Casagrande graduated from the University of São Paulo Law School, the same institution from which he obtained a Doctorate (PhD) degree in Economics and Finance Law. He also holds a double LL.M degree (European Master in Law and Economics – EMLE) from the Universities of Manchester (UK) and Hamburg (Germany), supported by a full scholarship from the European Commission (Erasmus Mundus programme).

He is a visiting researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods (Bonn, Germany) and at Fordham Law School (New York, USA).

Activities outside the office

Mr. Casagrande is an invited lecturer in post-graduate courses at Fundação Getúlio Vargas and other institutions. He is also a blind reviewer atthe Journal of Cyber Policy and Revista de Direito da Concorrência.

Finally, he is a member of the advisory committee at IBRAC, the most relevant Brazilian think tank for antitrust studies.

Publications

Author and co-author of several works, such as:

– Competition Law: Doctrine, Case Law and Legislation – the book has been cited in several recent decisions and opinions issued by CADE – Saraiva, 2016 (Port.; co-author);

– Pro-competition rules in airport privatization: International experience and the Brazilian case. Journal of Air Transport Management (2016) (co-author);

– From prices to data, Estadao.com (Port.)  (July 27^th, 2019) ;

– Open Banking perspectives in Brazil, Jota.info (May 31^st, 2019) (Port.; co-author);

– Brazilian antitrust policy towards bid rigging: History and perspectives, CPI (Sept. 24^th, 2018) – the article was cited by the recent report of the OECD Peer Review of Competition Law: Brazil (March 2019);

– Competition for personal data, Valor Econômico (Port.) (Sept. 9th, 2018);

– The New Brazilian Competition Law – Two Years On, CPI Antitrust Chronicle (July 2014) ;

– Pro-competitive regulation in the access to infrastructure assets: legal and economic aspects, in Mario Gomes Schapiro (org.), Regulatory Law, Saraiva (2010) (Port.; co-author);

With Amadeu Ribeiro and Paola Pugliese,The Brazilian Leniency Program. ABA International Antitrust Bulletin (Apr. 2007) ;

– Merger Control in the Telecommunications Sector, Revista do Ibrac 101 (Port.) (2004) ;

– Reform and Crisis in the Brazilian Electricity Sector – Antitrust Aspects, in Bolivar Moura Rocha (org.), The Regulation of Infrastructure Sectors in Brasil, Thomson IOB (Port.) (2003) .

Representative matters and clients

– Representation of Takeda in the merger control proceeding related to the sale of a portfolio of over-the-counter and prescription pharmaceutical products to Hypera S.A;

– Representation of Adient before CADE concerning the sale of its automotive fabrics division to Sage. The transaction was analyzed in detail by the authority before the unconditional clearance decision;

– Successfully represented Canexus, a chlorine producer, in the dismissal by CADE’s Tribunal of a 10-year bid rigging investigation, after the General Superintendence recommended the condemnation of the company;

– Representing an important Brazilian contractor in five investigations related to Operation Car Wash;

– Represented Engie and CDPQ before CADE to obtain unconditional clearance for the acquisition of TAG, in the largest divestment conducted by Petrobras up to date;

– Represented Equatorial and Energisa, two large Brazilian electricity groups, in several merger control proceedings, including the acquisition of four power distribution companies privatized by Eletrobras;

– Represented Whirlpool before CADE for the unconditional clearance (after detailed review) of the sale of its compressor business (Embraco) to Nidec;

– Represented CVS’ Brazilian subsidiary Onofre in the merger review of its acquisition by RaiaDrogasil, the leading Brazilian pharmacy chain. The transaction was approved after detailed review;

– Represented Mubadala and its subsidiaries in several merger reviews, including two about recent JVs of its satellite operator Yahsat with Hughes, another leading operator;

– Represented travel software company Amadeus in the merger review of the acquisition of its competitor Navitaire;

– Represented clients in cartel investigations related to the following markets: subway construction; CRT glass; soda ash; high-voltage cables; marine hoses; audiovisual production; beer; electric metering equipment; freight forwarding and telecom equipment – often in cooperation with international Law firms;

– Represented clients in abuse of dominance investigations in markets as diverse as credit information, payment cards and telecommunications;

– Represented clients before CADE in some important cases under the old merger review system, such as Oi-BrasilTelecom; Braskem-Quattor; SPC-SerasaExperian, and CSN-Usiminas.