Circle News Talk Series kicks off in New York City with a three-panel programme dedicated to exploring Brazil's most dynamic business opportunities.

Co-chaired by Mattos Filho and bringing together leading international and Brazilian experts, with the support of Ibrademp, the event takes place on 2 June at Brazil-Cham's headquarters in Manhattan – creating a unique platform for high-level dialogue and networking.

Brazil is a top-10 global player in almost every category that matters — from food and energy to mining and the environment — and its democratic, increasingly pro-business market is impossible to ignore. But unlocking true potential means knowing the ins and outs. This programme brings together leading experts in NYC to map the opportunities, navigate the pitfalls, and make sense of what's next.

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Circle News – Talk Series

Brazil Means Business

9 am - 9.20 am

Registration

9.20 am - 9.30 am

Welcoming Remarks

9.35 am - 10.20 am

Why Brazil, why now? Cross-border M&A and the assets drawing global capital

Brazil's natural endowments and market scale are making it a magnet for cross-border investment in sectors that matter most to the global economy. In energy, the country's clean and renewable sources are attracting operators and infrastructure funds at pace. In digital infrastructure, AI, cloud adoption, and 5G are fuelling a data-centre boom, with São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro emerging as key hubs. And in critical minerals, including rare earths essential for the new emerging technologies and energy transition, Brazil holds reserves that few can match. The question for investors and dealmakers is not just what to buy, but how Brazil compares to other opportunities in the region: where it pulls ahead, where it moves in step with its neighbours, and where the gap is widening. This panel will explore the M&A landscape across these sectors, the deal structures and financing tools available, and what makes Brazil a distinctive – and increasingly unavoidable – destination for capital.

Speakers:

Donald Baker, partner at White & Case; Paola Lozano, partner at Skadden; Mariana Seixas, I Squared Capital. Moderator: Pedro Whitaker de Souza Dias, managing partner at Mattos Filho.

10.20 am - 10.25 am

Institutional address

Henrique Cunha Barbosa, president of Instituto Brasileiro de Direito Empresarial – IBRADEMP

10.25 am - 11.10 am

From long litigation nation to a new Delaware

Brazil has the scale, market depth, and institutional sophistication to become the preferred jurisdiction for domiciling and investing in major companies across the region. With a strong capital markets ecosystem, an active securities regulator, and a modern exchange infrastructure, the remaining step is credibility: faster, more expert, and more predictable resolution of corporate and commercial disputes, clear rules for controller conflicts, and transparent decisions that generate reliable precedent. Drawing on the experience of Delaware and the broader US framework, this panel will discuss how targeted reforms could lower the cost of capital, attract listings and long-term investment, and position Brazil as South America's leading hub for corporate governance and business law.

Speakers:

Leo E Strine, Jr., Of Counsel at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz; Olivia Choe, partner at Milbank; Renato Grion, partner at Pinheiro Neto Advogados; Moderator: Arthur Parente, partner at Mattos Filho.

11.10 am - 11.40 am – Networking coffee break

11.45 am - 12.30 pm

Back and better for the boom? As a new business cycle emerges what changed and how prepared Brazil is to re-capture the world’s attention

After a prolonged period of weak growth and subdued investment, Brazil is entering a more constructive phase for business. As interest rates decline, investor appetite is returning and long-deferred projects are coming back to the agenda. This new cycle unfolds against the backdrop of structural changes that have reshaped the investment environment. In recent years, regulatory advances – from more sophisticated concession and PPP frameworks to a deeper and more resilient capital markets infrastructure – have strengthened legal certainty and improved project bankability. Also notably, a landmark tax reform is replacing a complex web of indirect taxes with a new system aimed at increasing transparency, neutrality, and predictability for businesses operating in the country. But is it just good news? This panel will discuss what changed and what pitfalls remain for those who, after a long and justified period of absence, will be back for a new Brazilian boom.

Speakers:

Santiago Rubin, head of Investment Banking Client Services for Latin America at Goldman Sachs; Carlos Barbosa Mello, partner at TozziniFreire; Moderator: Grenfel Calheiros, partner at Simpson Thacher.

12.30 pm - 12.35 pm – Co-chair Remarks

12.35 pm - 1:15 pm