What has been the highlight of your practice over the past 12 months?

Advising and assisting clients to plan and organise their estates and future succession. It is very rewarding to see the good results that planning brings to family relations and to company management. It is also a unique feeling to realise that with our assistance and planning, so many conflicts are avoided between family members, who, most of the time, are also partners of inherited businesses.

How did you get into private client?

I have been practicing private client for ten years. Before that, I was in M&A, but I started to provide succession planning for the families behind the companies. I then coordinated the private client department from then on, developing the department at Baptista since 2019.

What advice would you give rising stars/new lawyers in the private client world?

Keep your clients well informed of any changes or perspective changes in the laws and in the connected jurisprudence – this will generate great added value to them, and will strengthen their bond with you and your firm.

What is your favourite quote?

“Planning to perpetuate.”

Do you have any outside interests or hobbies?

I love sports, reading and movies.

When the restaurants reopen, where would you like to go?

Piselli, an Italian restaurant in São Paulo.

What has been the highlight of your practice over the past 12 months?

Tax and estate planning relocation.

How did you get into private client?

It's my area of expertise since 2002.

Do you have any outside interests or hobbies?

Photography.

When the restaurants reopen, where would you like to go?

Aya Japanese, São Paulo.

What has been the highlight of your practice over the past 12 months?

In addition to fantastic projects involving family governance and relocation inbound and outbound out of Brazil, I founded Humberto Sanches e Associados to be the leading private client firm in Brazil. My whole team joined me and I brought in other amazing lawyers. We hope to be a truly independent firm focusing on private client matters.

How did you get into private client?

Around twenty years ago, I left New York where I focused on M&A and private equity to move back to Brazil and started to service those clients’ private structures. Being the trusted advisor in private wealth is very fulfilling – much more than M&A.

What advice would you give rising stars/new lawyers in the private client world?

Be resilient! The world is changing fast and several challenges are coming ahead. Keep up to date with your knowledge.

What is your favourite quote?

“Keep your eyes on the stars and your feet on the ground.” Theodore Roosevelt

Do you have any outside interests or hobbies?

I enjoy marathons – and wine!

When the restaurants reopen, where would you like to go?

Adega Santiago, São Paulo – a Portuguese/Spanish tapas bar. It is great to go with friends.

What has been the highlight of your practice over the past 12 months?

We are proud to deserve being in the referral list of practically all private banks that operate in Brazil, as well as a number of international private banks and family offices. During the last 12 months, we advised families in (a) international relocation from/to Brazil; (b) reorganisations of foreign assets belonging to Brazilian families; (c) planning on succession taking into consideration potential tax changes that may impact families in Brazil; (d) tax aspects of investing and divesting in start-ups; (e) tax structuring of sale of businesses or assets; (f) corporate tax matters of HNW families' companies; (g) helping HNW families to become fully tax compliant; among other matters.

How did you get into private client?

In 2001, together with my tax practice, I started private client practice at TozziniFreire Advogados, co-heading the practice with Syllas Tozzini. So, from 2001 to 2017, I used to head the Tax Area, and co-head Private Client practice at TozziniFreire.

Do you have any outside interests or hobbies?

Gardening and photography.

When the restaurants reopen, where would you like to go?

Sapporo Japanese restaurant in São Paulo.

What has been the highlight of your practice over the past 12 months?

I have spent time growing the firm, opening new practice areas and bringing new partners and larger clients on board. When we founded the firm 16 years ago, our business plan was to explore private clients. Now that we have grown exponentially in this area, we need to refocus the firm, which is what I am in charge of.

How did you get into private client?

I initially worked for both a large law consulting firm and a boutique law firm, focusing on tax and private clients. I wanted to merge the two areas together, which is why we founded the firm.

What advice would you give rising stars/new lawyers in the private client world?

Patience. Private clients are not a multinational company. They want to be pampered. You must make them feel like they are your most special and important client. Meetings could take from 30 minutes up to 4 hours. If a client wants to talk, you let him or her talk.

What is your favourite quote?

“You make your own luck.”

Do you have any outside interests or hobbies?

Sports - running, Muay Tai, tennis and I am an avid gym goer. I also do lots of meditation.

When the restaurants reopen, where would you like to go?

L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon in Miami. Fabulous!

What has been the highlight of your practice over the past 12 months?

Recently, Brazilians have become increasingly globalised, which has required an increased amount of structuring for the Next Generation. We’ve also been involved in a lot of governance work in the UK, US and offshore. Pre-immigration and redomicile plans have also proven popular, more so in Europe than the US of late.

How did you get into private client?

I started at the firm 21 years ago within tax for M&A transactions. When Brazil began to open up, the founding partner introduced me to his connections across private client. My personality helped me to develop relationships in this area. In 2015, when the firm decided to have a private client department, it was a natural fit for me to coordinate it.

What advice would you give rising stars/new lawyers in the private client world?

Empathise with your client. This is the best way to become a trusted adviser to the family for generations to come.

Do you have any outside interests or hobbies?

I have a house at the beach – I have two children, so I like to go there and relax with my family.