Pinheiro Neto lands in Silicon Valley
Pinheiro Neto announced it has opened an office in Palo Alto, California, in the heart of Silicon Valley. This is as first for a Latin American law firm.
This is Pinheiro Neto´s first office in the US and a shift for the traditional Brazilian law firm, which had shunned international expansion since closing down its London outpost in 2004.
The new office will not practice US law, it will be used as training ground for lawyers, and for prospecting new clients in the technology industry, according to the firm.
Palo Alto is home to over 70 thousand people and hosts companies such as HP and Tesla (pictured). Other technology hubs, Menlo Park and Mountain View are nearby.
In the announcement, Alexandre Bertoldi, managing partner of Pinheiro Neto, says: “The Silicon Valley office is a natural step forward in the history of Pinheiro Neto, which has long kept abreast of developments in the tech industry and remains further committed to client needs in this segment. This office will help bring local and Brazilian markets closer, as Brazil gains traction in the world’s innovation environment.”
The new office will be led by partner Raphael de Cunto, who says “Innovation is ingrained in the history and culture of Pinheiro Neto, which has naturally helped the law firm understand and respond seamlessly to the Silicon Valley’s innovation mindset, while also enabling the firm to act as a new business hub between the US and Brazil for startups and large tech companies alike.”
The firm´s technology team, which will benefit from the presence in Palo Alto, comprises 60 attorneys with expertise in e-commerce, sharing economy, Internet of Things (IoT), mobility, cloud computing, blockchain technology, healthtech, agrotech, and fintech, among others. The firm says its technology practice has grown steadily at an annual average pace of 37% in volume of businesses to become one of the most promising areas.
In addition, Pinheiro Neto is the only Latin America law firm affiliated with the Stanford Law School’s Program in Law, Science and Technology (LST), which promotes debates on the future of the technology industry. Stanford is also close to Palo Alto.
Pinheiro Neto was founded in 1942 and is now home to almost 400 lawyers. It has three offices in Brazil: Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and in the capital Brasilia.
