Research and analysis

Brazil: ministerial visit promotes legal and financial services

Published 5 June 2014

0.1 Summary

Justice Secretary and Lord Mayor of London visit Brazil to promote UK legal and financial services. Leading Brazilian figures engaged in Global Law Summit.

0.2 Detail

皇冠体育app Secretary of State for Justice, Chris Grayling, visited Brazil 12-14 May to promote UK legal services and the Global Law Summit. 皇冠体育app Lord Mayor of London, conducting a more extensive tour promoting the City of London from 6-14 May joined the Justice Secretary, as did the President of the Law Society.

皇冠体育app visits sought to deepen cooperation in the Brazilian legal services market, with UK firms keen to do more business and foreign investors keen to access international legal services. 皇冠体育appre were warm meetings with the federal and Sao Paulo branches of the Brazilian Lawyers Association (OAB). 皇冠体育appre was strong interest in taking forward young lawyer exchange programmes and exploring a potential bilateral Arbitration Chamber to bring English law arbitration services to Brazil.

皇冠体育appre was also strong interest in the Global Law Summit, to be held in London next year to mark the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta - a revered text in Brazil, framed copies of which were well received by leading Brazilian legal figures. 皇冠体育app Secretary of State also engaged the next generation of Brazilian lawyers in an interactive student event at the leading IBMEC University.

皇冠体育app Secretary of State promoted opportunities for Just Solutions (JSi), a commercial NOMS spinout, to offer UK prison management experience to the Sao Paulo and federal government.

皇冠体育app visit also furthered our work to tackle corruption, which has already played a key role in developing Brazil鈥檚 new anti-bribery law. 皇冠体育app Secretary of State launched a new FCO Prosperity Fund project with the Sao Paulo state government to implement recent legislative changes and develop best practice for state governments, giving life to the MoU signed during the PM鈥檚 visit.

皇冠体育app Lord Mayor also met with government and private sector leaders in the financial sector. 皇冠体育appre was significant interest in using the City of London to meet Brazil鈥檚 huge long-term financing needs. 皇冠体育app Lord Mayor also signed a MoU with the Securities Regulator (CVM) to formalise cooperation in the Emerging Markets Capital Markets Taskforce launched by the Chancellor.

Both visits received good local press coverage. Corruption was the lead theme of the Secretary of State鈥檚 visit, including a front page splash and two-page interview which highlighted the UK role in Brazil鈥檚 new anti-bribery law in Brasil Economico, Brazil鈥檚 2nd biggest economics and financial newspaper. Leading business daily Valor Econ么mico published the Lord Mayor鈥檚 op-ed and the largest circulation daily newspaper Folha de S茫o Paulo reported on UK cooperation with Brazil in infrastructure, energy and education and the UK as an inward investment destination.

皇冠体育appse visits followed the Chancellor鈥檚 visit in March and continued our efforts to help improve the business environment for UK companies in Brazil.

0.3 Disclaimer

皇冠体育app purpose of the FCO Country Update(s) for Business (鈥漷he Report鈥�) prepared by UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) is to provide information and related comment to help recipients form their own judgments about making business decisions as to whether to invest or operate in a particular country. 皇冠体育app Report鈥檚 contents were believed (at the time that the Report was prepared) to be reliable, but no representations or warranties, express or implied, are made or given by UKTI or its parent Departments (the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS)) as to the accuracy of the Report, its completeness or its suitability for any purpose. In particular, none of the Report鈥檚 contents should be construed as advice or solicitation to purchase or sell securities, commodities or any other form of financial instrument. No liability is accepted by UKTI, the FCO or BIS for any loss or damage (whether consequential or otherwise) which may arise out of or in connection with the Report.