João Marçal Martins

Partner
Co-Head of International Arbitration - Latin America
"I would like to refer to João Marçal Martins as a rising star in litigation. He is talented, assertive. He quickly understands the deep aspects of the case and is easy to deal with." –The Legal 500
About

João Marçal Martins focuses his practice on litigation and arbitration. He represents clients in judicial litigation, domestic and international arbitration, mediation, dispute boards and administrative procedures.

DLA Piper and Campos Mello Advogados (CMA) are separate and independent law firms, which work in cooperation with one another. Partners of DLA Piper are not partners of CMA; and CMA partners are not partners of DLA Piper.

Bar admissionsSao Paulo, Brazil

EXPERIENCE

  • Representing a Spanish oil and gas company in a class action in Brazil related to environmental liabilities arising out of a US$1 billion M&A
  • Coordinated a litigation team to represent a Brazilian subsidiary of a Norwegian mining company in civil inquiries, class actions, parliamentary inquiry committees, and negotiation of settlement agreements with Brazilian Prosecutor Offices
  • Represented telecommunications corporations in class actions filed before Brazilian Federal Courts against the Public Administration, which executed contracts with Telebras without a public bid 
  • Represented a Mexican distributor of cars against a subsidiary of a Japanese company in a JAMS mediation in New York. The dispute arose from a breach of the Transition Services Agreement to facilitate the transition of the distribution services from the Mexican distributor to the Japanese group in Mexico
  • Issued legal opinions and consultancy services prior to arbitration proceedings to a Dutch subsidiary of a major Brazilian oil and gas company under EPC agreements
Languages
  • Portuguese
  • English
Education
    • Fundação Getúlio Vargas de São Paulo, LL.M. in Corporate Law, 2023
    • The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, Business and Law Certificate, 2017
    • Fundação Getúlio Vargas do Rio de Janeiro, LL.M. in Public Law, 2014
    • Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro, B.A., 2010
  • Certificate in Business and Law, The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, 2017
  • LL.M., University of Pennsylvania, 2017

Awards

  • International Associate Editor, Journal of International Law, Vol. 38, University of Pennsylvania
  • Chambers Brazil - Regions
  •   Dispute Resolution Rio de Janeiro: 2023
  •   Up and Coming
  • Recommended Lawyer: Best Lawyers - Corporate & M&A Law: 2023 and 2024
  • Leaders League - Transactions & Deals 2024
  •   Energy & Environment
  • The Legal 500 Latin America
    • Recommended, Brazil Dispute Resolution: Arbitration (2024)
    • Recommended, Brazil Dispute Resolution: Litigation (2023 – 2023 [“João Marçal Martins does excellent work and has a highly qualified team. Always agile and with impeccable quality in deliveries.”] and 2023 – 2024)
    • Recommended, Brazil Energy and Natural Resources: Hydrocarbons (2023 – 2024)

Publications

  • Co-Author, "Administrative Sanctions in Agreements with Petrobras". Coleção de direito administrativo sancionador: volume 5 – direito administrativo sancionador nas Estatais / André Saddy; Diogo Alves Verri Garcia de Souza; Pablo Ademir de Souza, coordenadores. – Rio de Janeiro: CEEJ, 2023.
  • Co-Author, "The Duty to Inform and the Confidentiality in the Corporate Class Arbitration: a View From the Public Companies", In Arbitration and Class Actions / Ana Luiza Nery e Rômulo Greff Mariani (org.). São Paulo: Thomson Reuters Brasil, 2022.
  • Co-Author, "Necessary Internationalization of the Law Firms in Brazil," The End of Lawyers?, Bruno Feigelson et al., São Paulo: RT, 2021
  • Author, "The impacts of COVID-19 in the Administration of Arbitration Procedures," João Bosco Lee and Flavia Mange, Revista Brasileira de Arbitragem, Comitê Brasileiro de Arbitragem CBAr and IOB, Kluwer Law International 2020, Volume XVII, Issue 66, p. 191–197
  • Author, "An answer to criticisms against the lack of efficiency in arbitration: measures to reduce time and costs," Revista Brasileira de Arbitragem, Kluwer Law International, v. XIV, Issue 56, p. 23–34, December 2017
  • Co-Author, "Brazil: Validity of an arbitration clause providing for “mediation or arbitration,'" Global Arbitration News, June 2016
  • Co-Author, "The Arbitral Letter," A Reforma da Arbitragem, Renato Resende Beneduzi and Leonardo de Campos M., Rio de Janeiro: Forense, 2016
  • Co-Author, "Arbitration with Public Entities: arbitrability and controversial issues," Bruno Teixeira Dubeux and Sergio Nelson Mannheimer, Arbitragem na Administração Pública, v. XXVI, Rio de Janeiro: APERJ, 2016
  • Co-Author, "Brazil Energy Disputes," Getting the Deal Through, March 2016
  • Co-Author, "The duty to mitigate damages in the CISG and its applicability in Brazil," Marcial Pons, January 2015
  • Author, "The extension of the effects of the arbitration clause to non-signatories," Maxwell, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro, January 2011

Memberships And Affiliations

  • Member of the Panel of Arbitrators of CBMA (Brazilian Center of Mediation and Arbitration), CAESP (Council of Arbitration of the State of Sao Paulo) and CAMES (Specialized Meditation and Arbitration Chamber)
  • Member and YMG Ambassador of CIArb (Chartered Institute of Arbitrators)
  • Brazilian Bar Association (OAB), Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo 
  • List of Arbitrators, Brazilian Center for Mediation and Arbitration (CBMA)
  • List of Arbitrators, Arbitration Board of the State of São Paulo (CAESP)
  • List of Arbitrators, Chamber of Specialized Mediation and Arbitration (CAMES)
  • Member and Young Members’ Group Ambassador, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb)
  • Vice Chair of Special Projects, ABA Section of International Law, International Courts and Judicial Affairs Committee
  • Founding Member and Former Director, Penn Law International Arbitration Association
  • Brazilian Institute of Private Law (IDP)
  • Lecturer, Superior School of Law of the Brazilian Bar Association 
  • Lecturer, Future Law (Thomson Reuters)
  • Founding Member, Brazil Infrastructure Institute
 

Connect

Phone

+55 11 3077 3500
(Work, São Paulo (Cooperation Firm))