Grenfel S. Calheiros is a Partner in the Firm’s Corporate Department and Head of the São Paulo office. He regularly advises clients in capital markets offerings of equity and debt, mergers and acquisitions and corporate finance transactions, with a primary focus on Latin America and particularly Brazil.
Grenfel has represented clients on a broad range of transactions in Brazil and throughout Latin America, including leading companies, private equity sponsors and investment banks in cross-border mergers and acquisitions, securities offerings and other complex corporate matters. He has recently participated in leading transactions in the region, including the SEC-Registered IPOs of VTEX, Zenvia, Patria Investments, Vasta Platform, Linx, CPFL Energia and MercadoLibre, as well as multiple IPOs and follow-on offerings on the São Paulo Stock Exchange (B3), including for DASA, Grupo Mateus, Cogna Educação, Brisanet, Desktop Sigmanet, Multilaser, SmartFit, BTG Pactual, Dotz, Lojas Renner, Blau Farmacêutica, 3R Petroleum, Orizon, Eletromidia, Focus Energia, BrasilAgro, PetroRio, Espaçolaser, Neogrid, Track & Field, Suzano, Boa Vista, Hidrovias do Brasil, Cury, Ambipar, Aura Minerals, Via Varejo, Marisa Lojas, Burger King Brazil and Totvs. He has advised the initial purchasers in notes offerings by BTG Pactual, Stoneco, Embraer, Tupy, Iochpe-Maxion and FS Bioenergia; and numerous bond offerings by leading Latin American issuers including Braskem, BRF, Unigel and Banrisul. In addition, he was involved in the $4.8 billion acquisition of Sadia by Perdigão and the related $2.4 billion SEC-registered equity offering by BRF-Brasil Foods, and Telefonica Brasil’s US$5.5 billion equity offering. He also regularly represents major financial institutions, including BTG Pactual, Citigroup, Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs, HSBC, J.P. Morgan and Morgan Stanley in a variety of securities offerings.
In mergers and acquisitions, Grenfel has participated in various private equity projects, including representing private equity firms Blackstone Real Estate Partners and Patria Investimentos in the acquisition of Alphaville Urbanismo S.A. and the representation of Polymer Group, Inc., a Blackstone portfolio company, in its acquisition of Brazilian company Companhia Providência Indústria e Comércio. He has also recently represented Technology Crossover Ventures in its investment in Nubank, Centerbridge in its strategic collaboration with Vectis Partners, Netshoes’ merger with Magazine Luiza; several investments by Softbank in Latin American and SBA Communications Corporation in connection with its acquisition of 800 freestanding wireless towers from one of the leading broadband wireless carriers in Brazil–its first transaction in Brazil. Additionally, he was involved with TPG-Axon in its acquisition of a joint-controlling stake in Brazilian Finance & Real Estate Participações. He has represented financial advisors in connection with several cross-border mergers, most recently serving as counsel to J.P. Morgan in connection with UnitedHealth Group’s $4.9 billion acquisition of Amil Participações in Brazil.
Grenfel received his law degree in 2000 from Universidade de São Paulo and his LL.M. in 2003 from the University of Chicago Law School. He spent the first nine years of his career in Simpson Thacher’s New York office. Grenfel is fluent in Portuguese and is admitted to practice in New York.