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Marcello Hallake

Partner

US-LatAm Practice Group Regional Co-Leader, Corporate M&A / Private Equity

US-LatAm Practice Group Regional Co-Leader, US-Brazilian Initiative

New York
About

Marcello Hallake has more than 25 years of experience advising multinational companies, financial institutions, and investment funds throughout Latin America and around the globe. His practice focuses on cross-border M&A, joint ventures, privatizations, private equity, projects, and other financing, capital markets, and strategic transactions. He regularly counsel clients in the energy, natural resources, food supply, infrastructure, telecommunications, media and technology sectors, including in sale auctions, distressed M&A, and anticorruption and compliance issues. Marcello is a co-leader of the Firm’s Latin American M&A Practice.

Some of his recent notable experience includes leading the team that advised ENGIE in a winning bid to acquire TAG from Petrobras for US$8.6 billion in a competitive auction, the largest cash acquisition and privatization transaction in Brazil; representing JBS in its acquisition of Dutch plant-based food manufacturer Vivera in an auction; and representing TotalEnergies in a strategic alliance and investment in the Dominican Republic.

Marcello is a board member of several not-for-profit, civic and cultural organizations, including Brazil Foundation, which he co-founded, CDI International (Change through Digital Inclusion), Alfabetização Solidária (AlfaSol), Comunitas, the São Paulo Museum of Image and Sound (MIS), and the Brazilian-American Chamber of Commerce. He is also a former chair of the Committee on Inter-American Affairs of the New York City Bar Association and has spoken and written extensively on international legal matters.

 

Areas of FocusMergers and AcquisitionsPrivate EquityFinancial ServicesEnergy and Natural Resources
Bar admissionsNew York

EXPERIENCE

  • Advised a European multinational utilities company in its winning bid to acquire a natural gas pipeline company from a petroleum industry company for US$8.6 billion in a competitive auction, the largest cash acquisition and privatization to date in Brazil.
  • Represented a global food processing company in the formation of a joint venture with an American multinational food processing and commodities trading corporation in the Americas.
  • Counseled a global food processing company on its acquisition of a Dutch plant-based food manufacturer.
  • Advised a European multinational company on a strategic alliance and investment agreement with two petroleum companies in the Dominican Republic. 
  • Represented a Brazilian power generation company in its purchase for cash of a purchase price of US$243.9 million aggregate principal amount of its 9.25 percent senior notes due 2024.
  • Represented a syndicate of international and Brazilian investment banks in the completion of a US$1.5 billion senior notes offering and tender offers totaling US$1.75 billion by a global Brazilian food processing company. 
  • Represented a syndicate of international placement agents in the completion of a BRL3 billion primary and secondary offering of common shares by a Brazilian power generation company.
  • Represented a syndicate of international and Brazilian investment banks in the completion of a US$500 million senior notes offering by a global Brazilian food processing company.
  • Represented the selling shareholders of an Argentina medical diagnostic imaging center company in its sale to a Brazilian medical diagnosis company.
  • Represented a European multinational energy company in its acquisition of a 70 percent interest in a company in the Dominican Republic.
  • Advised a syndicate of international and Brazilian investment banks in an international offering of US$500 million of 6.625 percent senior notes due 2029 by a subsidiary of one of Brazil's largest food processing companies, and its concurrent tender offers for two series of its outstanding debt securities.
  • Advised a syndicate of international banks in an international offering of US$1 billion of 6.875 percent senior notes due 2025 by one of Brazil's largest food processing companies, and its concurrent tender offers for two series of its outstanding debt securities.
Languages
  • English
  • French
  • Portuguese
  • Spanish
  • Italian
  • Dutch

AWARDS AND RECOGNITION

The Legal 500 Latin America

  • Leading Partner, Latin America: International Firms Corporate and M&A, (2026)
  • Recommended, Corporate and M&A, (2024)
  • Recommended, Projects and Energy, (2024)

Leaders League

  • Highly Recommended, Capital Markets – Brazil, Best International Law Firms, (2025)
  • Recommended, Mergers & acquisitions – Brazil, Best International Law Firms, (2025)
Additional Awards
  • Recognized, Corporate/M&A Latin America's Top 100 Lawyers, Latinvex, (2022, 2025)
  • The Best Lawyers in Brazil, (2022)
  • Energy, Who's Who Legal Brazil, (2022)
Education
  • L.L.M., Georgetown University, 1994
  • J.D. and M.A., Louvain University, Belgium, 1993 and 1994
  • B.A., Saint-Louis University, Belgium, 1990

Podcasts

• DLA Piper: Brazil: A conversation on the landscape of opportunities ahead, June 14, 2024

Media Mentions

Additional News

  • Board of Directors member for several not-for-profit, civic and cultural organizations, including Brazil Foundation (which he co-founded), CDI International (Change through Digital Inclusion), AlfaSol, Comunitas, São Paulo Museum of Image and Sound (MIS) and the Brazilian- American Chamber of Commerce.
  • Former chair, Committee on Inter-American Affairs, New York City Bar Association
  • Extensive speaker/writer on international legal matters

My latest insights

Podcast

Brazil: A conversation on the landscape of opportunities ahead

14 June 2024 .1 minute read

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Connect

Phone

+1 212 335 4595
(Work, New York)