Environmental Law
Our law firm focuses issues sustainability and ESG related issues, adopting an integrated view of the environmental, climate change and environmental markets areas, consumer relations and company compliance practices.
Our engagement, supported by more than 20 years of experience, studies and exposure to the various sustainability themes, covers the various forms of legal risk management, such as assistance in administrative proceedings and lawsuits, drafting and execution of management programs, compliance and environmental auditing and consumer protection, coordination of licensing proceedings, among others, as well as participation in corporate operations such as mergers and acquisitions, issuance and placement of securities, structured operations, project finance and public and private investment.
Our work proposal aims at providing personalized and quality services, based on more than 20 years of study and devotion to environmental corporate law and related themes, and exposure and handling of various themes related to the sustainability of company operations.
We also assist our clients in other fields of practice, working in association with strategic partners and correspondents in the legal, financial and technical fields, in Brazil and abroad, selected in a way that reflects the client specific needs, as well as geographical location and global strategy of the operation.
By working via a network, we also develop and coordinate specific teams to work in projects that require devoted teams, regardless of the scale and geographical coverage that are required.
Academic background
Graduated at the School of Law of the Catholic University of São Paulo – PUC/SP (1993), JD degree; Master’s degrees (LLMs) in Ocean and Coastal Law obtained in 2002 and in Comparative Law in 2003 – both courses undertaken at the University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida. Certified in Business Administration, by the University of California at Berkeley, 1995, and Post Graduate degree in Diffuse and Collective Rights obtained at the Higher School of District Attorneys of São Paulo (Escola Superior do Ministério Público de São Paulo), 1994.
Professional Experience
Partner of Sales e Kesselring Advogados, a law firm established in October 2012 with focus on ESG matters. Prior to that, Ana Beatriz developed her career as an Associate Attorney and later became a Partner in the Environmental, Consumer Protection, Climate Change and Social Responsibility areas at a major international law firm (1998-2012). Throughout her career, Ana Beatriz has assisted companies in many different markets, as well as associations and governmental entities.
Her work experience in the ESG field includes legal aspects assessments, definition and management of business and litigation strategies related to negotiations, corporate deals, governance and social responsibility issues, considering the multidiscipline features of sustainability. Her experience has been built based on specific knowledge in her fields of practice, integrated to her experience in projects and negotiations involving not only other legal areas, but also partnerships in the technical, economic and trade areas, which enables to have a sharp vision of the nature of the client’s business and point out a legal solution that best fits the client’s needs. Her engagement also includes speeches in Brazil and the U.S., and she has written several articles for major magazines and newspapers. In regard to the specific fields of law, she has solid knowledge of environment related issues, particularly compliance management and commercial transactions.
In the compliance area, her work experience includes the management of environmental issues to fulfill the legal requirements in a preventive manner and also conduct of business strategies or dispute resolution at the arbitration, administrative and judicial levels, mainly those concerning the management of contaminated sites, the different aspects of industrial and ocean pollution, environmental aspects of agrarian and forestation activities, implantation of environmental management programs, including solid wastes and reverse logistics. In the commercial transaction area, Ana Beatriz has vast experience in the assessment of environmental aspects in different forms of deals, such as mergers & acquisitions, issuances of securities in Brazil and abroad (IPOs, debentures, bonds), privatizations, project finance, up from the due diligence stage until the negotiation of contractual clauses allocating responsibilities and post-closing assessment and implementation plans.
Her approximately 23 years of work experience in the environmental area covers diverse market segments, including the chemicals and petrochemical areas, energy, land and forest exploitation, automobile, consumer products, among other segments, in addition to the regulated markets such as energy, oil & gas, telecommunications and commercial deals involving ports, terminals and ships. In the consumer relations field, she assists companies and organizations in the different issues related to services and products, consistent with the consumer protection rules, including the analysis of consumer protection law in commercial contracts and deals, judicial and administrative disputes; negotiated solutions with authorities and consumers; execution of Consent Agreements with the relevant authorities; analysis, planning and supervision of the legal aspects of product recalls, advertising campaigns and marketing strategies; aspects of consumer protection law in the Internet; development of preventive policies and strategies for companies. She also has solid knowledge of forest issues, working in an integrated manner in relation to climate change and payment of environmental services (PSA) issues.
In the field of ESG, she combines her expertise in the integration of the legal aspects with the other sustainability areas. Ana Beatriz is also experienced in pro-bono legal assistance, having comprised the Decision Board of Instituto Pro Bono.
Awards
Ana Beatriz received several awards, among which, the Análise Advocacia (Lawyer Review) award recognizing her as one of the most admired lawyers in the environmental law field in Brazil, the PLC Which Lawyer award, in environmental law, the Chambers award in environmental law and product liability, the Latin American Corporate Counsel Association (LACCA) as being among the region’s leading business lawyers in environmental law and Corporate and M&A, the Best Lawyers, in environmental law, in addition to comprising the List of Leaders in Environmental Law of Latin America in the Latin Lawyer publication.
Languages
Portuguese (native), English (fluent) and Spanish (good knowledge).
Show more +Environmental Law in Brazil
Rua Inácio Pereira da Rocha 142 cj. 415 Pinheiros, CEP 05432-010, Sao Paulo
Rodrigo Sales, PhD
Partner, Sales & Kesselring Advogados