Brazil is not for beginners: José Gabriel Assis de Almeida

A lawyer, professor and public affairs veteran rolled into one, José Gabriel founded JG Assis de Almeida & Associados in 2005. He has been a practicing Brazilian lawyer since 1984; is a member of the Portuguese Bar and formerly the Paris Bar.

José Gabriel has more than 30 years of experience in business law, primarily in assisting foreign companies invest and develop their activities in Brazil from a regulatory, political and legal point of view.

A specialist in transport and competition policies, José Gabriel is also a law professor at UERJ Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro and UNI-RIO Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, where he teaches business law and international business law. He has a Doctorate from the Université Panthéon Assas – Paris II.

Also serving as a member of the FIPRA Network Advisory Board, and as the lead of the Network’s Americas region, José Gabriel tells us why Brazil remains a land of opportunity despite all its crises.

José Gabriel: My career in public affairs started a few decades ago, almost at the same time as I started my career as a lawyer. I was born and raised in Portugal; then I moved to Brazil and graduated from law school in Rio de Janeiro. I did my PhD in Paris, France, and had research opportunities before I came back to Rio de Janeiro.

During all these years, I met friends and made contacts with people in various countries, who would later call me, hire me or recommend my services for projects in Brazil.

Very rapidly, I realized these people were not only looking for a lawyer, but for someone who would explain them how Brazil works and clear the way: where to start, where to go and how to get there.

From law school, I had a good knowledge of the political institutions and the political process. The rest has been practice; a few years of practice before I realized I was not only a lawyer, but also a public policy advisor.

People were not only looking for a lawyer, but for someone who would explain them how Brazil works and clear the way: where to start, where to go and how to get there.

– José Gabriel Assis de Almeida, founder, JG Assis de Almeida & Associados / FIPRA Brazil

José Gabriel: One of my greatest memories as a government relations professional is assisting a European airline in the negotiation of the Air Services Agreement between its flag country and Brazil. A very high level discussion on very specific issues between highly skilled professionals of both countries, with concrete consequences for the citizens and businesses of both countries. In the end, it went so well that we are since then handling their government relations with the Brazilian aviation authorities, and it has evolved into other business.

On another level, one of the situations I like most in my work, where my activities as a government affairs advisor and as a lawyer meet, is when someone comes and see us with an idea or a product that is not regulated yet.

I have examples in the cruise industry, at a time when Brazil had no cruise lines; in the financial sector, to introduce in Brazil a new payment system at a time when the Brazilian Central Bank was precisely reformulating its payment systems regulations; or in transportation, when the most emblematic car-hailing mobile app initiated its operations in Brazil and no one really knew if this activity was legal or not.

This is very challenging. Before even finding the right stakeholders, you have to get to master the subject thoroughly. Your client’s product, but also the regulatory, political and even social backgrounds. Only when you have this big picture are you able to figure out a strategy and deliver the right message.

Before even finding the right stakeholders, you have to get to master the subject thoroughly. Your client’s product, but also the regulatory, political and even social backgrounds.

– José Gabriel Assis de Almeida, founder, JG Assis de Almeida & Associados / FIPRA Brazil

José Gabriel: “Brazil is not for beginners,” as the saying goes, is indicative of the Brazilian business environment. “In Brazil, even the past is uncertain,” is also commonly heard.

Despite all the crises it has gone (and is going) through, Brazil remains a land of opportunities. And a huge land! A very attractive, diverse and expansive market.

However, doing business here is no easy task, even for Brazilians. Brazil is a huge country the size of a continent, with enormous social and geographical disparities. It is also an emerging country, with structural problems in terms of efficiency, stability, access to the (right) information, overlapping jurisdictions and miscommunication between the three levels of government (Federal-State-Municipal).

The public sector also has its own set of rules: public financing and investment, concessions, partnerships, regulatory agencies, state-owned companies, etc. The rules of the game are not necessarily clear, and involve cultural aspects that are difficult to understand for new players.

This is why public affairs is so important in Brazil, be it for the passing of a law or regulation, or to defuse resistance that may arise against industrial projects, economic initiatives or other innovative ideas.

Expertise, education, patience, social interactions, among others, are fundamental.

Expertise, education, patience, social interactions, among others, are fundamental.

– José Gabriel Assis de Almeida, founder, JG Assis de Almeida & Associados / FIPRA Brazil

José Gabriel: Despite globalization, public affairs implies a strong local anchoring and a deep knowledge and understanding of the land and its people. Institutions, culture, social expectations.

Yet, an increasing number of projects and initiatives need a larger perspective that goes beyond borders. There, being a part of the FIPRA Network gives us a geographical reach we would never have otherwise.

We are able to quickly get onboard multi-country projects, and put this global reach at the service of our clients. The FIPRA Network is not just a list of “best friends” or “associated firms”; it is an integrated network of local professionals used to work together, a forum of peers and friends.

The FIPRA Network’s collective intelligence, knowledge and wisdom stands ready to serve our clients.

(As told to Rahul Venkit)