Hogan Lovells exits Rio
Hogan Lovells is set to close its Rio de Janeiro outpost, it has been confirmed. This is the firm’s second office closure in Latin America in 2018.
The firm has strong links with Latin America, predating the 2010 merger of Hogan & Hartson and Lovells, and it is perhaps best known for its expertise in energy, project finance and infrastructure deals. Until this year, the firm boasted offices in Caracas, Mexico City, Rio de Janeiro (pictured) and São Paulo in addition to a solid hub in Miami which also handles Latin America-related finance and arbitration mandates.
In May 2018, it emerged in Bloomberg and other publications that the firm had shut down its Caracas oupost (opened in 2005 by legacy Hogan & Hartson).
When contacted by The Latin American Lawyer for comment, a spokesperson at Hogan Lovells confirmed the office closures in Caracas in January 2018 and in Rio this summer and shared a statement from Steve Immelt, the firm´s CEO: “The decision to consolidate our offices in Brazil into São Paulo is based on our desire to capitalize on the opportunities in Brazil for the foreseeable future. São Paulo has developed as the stronger center for commercial and financial activity and it therefore makes sense to concentrate our services there.”
The Rio de Janeiro office opened in 2012 and will close its doors on August 31st, 2018. Lawyers based in Rio will relocate to the firm´s bases in the US and São Paulo.
