Paulo Fernando de Menezes Cardoso

Partner Paulo Fernando de Menezes Cardoso is a part of the Firm’s Latin America practice, based in São Paulo. He focuses his practice on global securities transactions, including SEC-registered and locally registered initial public offerings, follow-on offerings and investment grade and high yield bond issuances, as well as on mergers and acquisitions, most often with a focus on Latin America and Brazil. Paulo represents corporate issuers, investment banks and private equity sponsors alike on domestic and international equity and debt offerings as well as on mergers and acquisitions across a unique mix of industries including fintech, education, e-commerce, software, infrastructure (including digital infrastructure), communications and telecoms, as well as more traditional sectors, such as energy, logistics, oil & gas and minerals.

Select transactions include advising:

• Crescera on its R$300 million private investment in NASDAQ's listed-company, Vitru Limited 
• Group of lenders led by Morgan Stanley Senior Funding in 3R Petroleum Oléo e Gás S.A. US$500 million term loan facility
• BRF S.A. on its SEC-registered global follow-on offering
• VTEX in its SEC-registered US$415.2 million NYSE IPO
• Zenvia in its SEC-registered US$150 million NASDAQ IPO and concurrent US$50 million private placement
• Netshoes in its SEC-registered US$148.5 million NYSE IPO and its merger with Magazine Luiza;
• Underwriters in Vasta Platform Limited’s SEC-registered US$353 million NASDAQ IPO;
• Underwriters in Linx’s SEC-registered US$257 million NYSE IPO;
• Underwriters in CPFL Energia’s SEC-registered R$3.7 billion NYSE equity follow-on offering;
• PetroRio S.A., Unigel Participações S.A., BRF S.A. and other issuers in a number of secured and unsecured bond offerings and liability management transactions;
• Via Varejo on its R$4.5 billion primary follow-on equity offering on the São Paulo Stock Exchange (B3);
• Mulilaser in its R$1.9 billion IPO on the São Paulo Stock Exchange (B3);
• Brisanet in its R$1.25 billion IPO on the São Paulo Stock Exchange (B3);
• Dotz in its R$390.7 million IPO on the São Paulo Stock Exchange (B3);
• Aura Minerals in its R$790.1 million IPO on the São Paulo Stock Exchange (B3);
• C&A Brazil and the selling shareholders in its R$813.7 million IPO on the São Paulo Stock Exchange (B3);
• Neogrid Participações in its R$423 million IPO on the São Paulo Stock Exchange (B3);
• Placement agents in follow-on equity offerings by Magazine Luiza on the São Paulo Stock Exchange (B3);
• Placement agents in Cogna Educação’s $R2.55 billion follow-on equity offering on the the São Paulo Stock Exchange (B3);
• Placement agents in PetroRio’s R$2 billion follow-on equity offerings on the São Paulo Stock Exchange (B3);
• Ambipar Participações e Empreendimentos in its R$941 million IPO on the São Paulo Stock Exchange (B3);
• Placement agents in 3R Petroleum Óleo e Gás’s R$600 million IPO and follow-on equity offerings on the São Paulo Stock Exchange (B3); and
• Placement agents in follow-on equity offering by Lojas Marisa on the São Paulo Stock Exchange (B3).

Paulo was recognized as an “Up-and-Coming” partner in capital markets (2023 – 2024) and M&A by Chambers Brazil (2024) and a “Next Generation” partner in capital markets by Legal 500 (2023 - 2025). He was also named a 2022 “Rising Star” in Debt Capital Markets by International Financial Law Review (IFLR). Clients laud him as “one of the best lawyers we work with. Paulo is top of mind when it comes to U.S. listings of Brazilian issuers and also 144A/Reg S offerings” and “[Paulo is] responsive, has very strong technical acumen and is diligent” (Chambers Brazil). He is Fluent in Portuguese and English.

Paulo received his LL.M in 2011 from The University of Chicago Law School, his business management degree in 2010 from Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro – UFRJ and his bachelor in law degree in 2006 from Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro – PUC-RIO. He is admitted to the New York bar.