Brasília – A Brazilian law firm found a niche in preventive law of Brazil-Arab countries’ trade relationships. Brasília-based Marcelo Lucas Advocacia specializes in advising companies, both Brazilian and Arab, to have a fluid relationship with their counterparts.
“We work providing advice to avoid possible legal issues,” explained the firm’s CEO, Marcelo Lucas (Pictured above, with the city of Brasília in the background). Their work ranges from international trade, with follow-up and guidance on export and import contracts, to assistance setting up offices in different countries and carrying out investments.
Concerning trade, among the goals is to ensure the rights and duties of the buyer and seller are fulfilled. It is part of the service to verify if the company involved is backed by reliable banks and has the necessary government permits and commercial guarantees, among other requirements, for the business to be carried out without pitfalls or losses.
Lucas explained the firm is currently advising exports of a Brazilian food company to the Arab market worth USD 20 million a year. It is also in talks with an Arab cosmetics company to start operations in Brazil. It recently closed an agreement with Emirates Holding, owned by Salah Al Marzooqi, from the United Arab Emirates, to advise the group’s interests in Brazil.
As soon as the work focused on legal and preventive advice on the relationship between Brazil and Arab countries began, the firm became a member of the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC) in early 2021. “It was a watershed because the ABCC gives us guidance,” he said. In early 2022, the company partnered with UAE-based firm Noura Almaazmi Advocates & Legal Consultancy, which operates throughout the Arab world. Hence, Marcelo Lucas Advogados became the branch of that office in Brazil, and vice versa.
Work with Arabs
The office’s history with the Arab world began in 2020, when, after looking for a country that was receiving tourists during the COVID-19 pandemic, Lucas traveled to the UAE. On visits to supermarkets, the Brazilians’ attention was drawn to the country’s dependence on imported goods. “I already had the notion it was a country that imported a lot of products; I just didn’t know how big this dependence was,” he reported.
Glimpsing this setting up close was an insight for the enterprising lawyer to realize his office could cooperate for Brazil’s trade relationship with that region. The lawyer was already aware of a case of a Brazilian scam against an Arab importer and believed preventive law could avoid this issue and loss.
But he pointed out that fraud is a global issue, not just in Brazil. “It can happen in any commercial relationship, Portugal & UAE, Australia & UAE; we know fraud is everywhere, and we have to put an end to it,” he said.
In addition to taking care of commercial relations, opening companies, and business investments, the firm’s work in the Brazil-Arab relationship covers other areas, such as financial investment for Brazilians in bitcoins in the UAE, purchase of real estate in the Arab country or criminal assistance for Brazilians in the Arab world.
The office
Marcelo Lucas Advocacia was founded 17 years ago. The headquarters are in the Brazilian national capital, but the company also has branches in São Paulo, Santos, Rio de Janeiro, and the UAE. According to the CEO, the office has 2,500 clients in Brazil and 15 employees.
The work is focused on preventive services for legal entities and individuals, within all branches of law, from labor to civil, tax, and others, except criminal. The mission is to avoid possible issues. In the case of individuals, services can range from choosing the property regime in marriage and sharing issues in divorce to situations with residential condominiums and the purchase of real estate. “Some families prefer to hire a lawyer to take care of all matters,” he said.
The CEO holds a degree in Law from the Euro-American University Center (Unieuro) and specializes in Public Law. As soon as he completed his degree, Lucas started to practice law and taught at higher education institutions for ten years, an activity he left to take care of his office.
Contact:
Marcelo Lucas Advocacia
Email: contato@marcelolucas.adv.br
Phone: +55 (61) 3322 8825
Website: http://www.marcelolucas.adv.br/
Translated by Elúsio Brasileiro
