Brazil: Industries & Sectors
Practice Areas
-Infrastructure
-Regulatory
-Public Law
-Energy
-Construction
-Arbitration
-Litigation
Career
Felipe H. Braz is a partner at BCVL Advogados and heads the Infrastructure and Arbitration departments. Felipe has recognized experience in infrastructure and regulatory matters, focusing on projects involving private investment in regulated sectors such as Energy, Oil & Gas, Airports, Ports, and Highways. As legal counsel, he has advised some of Brazil's major infrastructure projects, particularly in the energy sector. His practice also focuses on arbitrations related to construction and infrastructure matters. Felipe has represented clients in arbitrations before the main arbitration institutions. Felipe is recognized by leading legal rankings (Chambers, Leaders League and Legal 500). He is Chairman of the Energy Committee of the Brazilian Institute of Regulatory Law (IBDRE). He was rapporteur for the ICC Public Procurement Task Force in Brazil and also for the ICC Brazil Brazilian Electricity Sector Modernization Task Force.
Professional Memberships
- Professor of "Electricity Concession Contracts" at the LL.M. in Infrastructure Law and Regulation from FGV Direito Rio.
-Chairman of the Energy Commission of the Brazilian Institute of Regulatory Law- IBDRE.
-Rapporteur of the task-force for Modernization of the Brazilian Energy Sector at ICC (International Chamber of Commerce) in Brazil, being responsible for coordinating ICC's studies and guidance on the Electric Sector.
-Rapporteur of the Public Procurement Task Force of the ICC in Brazil and co-editor of the “ICC/ECCO Guide to International Offset Contracts”, an international guide with guidelines for international offset transactions published by ICC Global (Paris) and the ECCO (European Club for Countertrade and Offset). In 2021, the aforementioned Guide was referred by the Brazilian Federal Administrative Court (TCU) as one of the main works on this matter and the Felipe was invited by TCU as an "international expert" to advise the Court on offset contracts.
Publications
-Modernização de hidrelétricas e os desafios jurídicos por trás das turbinas. Jota. Opinião & Análise. 24 de junho de 2025.
-A reforma do setor elétrico e o elo frágil das distribuidoras. Jota. Opinião & Análise. 30 de maio de 2025.
-O Early Contractor Involvement em projetos de construção pesada. Jota. Opinião & Análise. 06 de março de 2025.
-A revisão tarifária das concessões de distribuição de energia elétrica e o problema das perdas não técnicas. In: VALIATI, Thiago Priess; MONTEIRO, Conrado Gama; PORTUGAL, André (coord.). Direito Regulatório Brasileiro, volume I. Editora Lumen Juris: São Paulo, 2024.
-O equilíbrio econômico-financeiro nas concessões de usinas hidrelétricas. In: ROCHA, Fábio Amorim da. Temas Relevantes no Direito de Energia Elétrica: Tomo XI. Rio de Janeiro: Synergia Editora, 2024.
-Equilíbrio econômico‑financeiro das concessões de distribuição de energia: o desafio da geração distribuída. Revista Brasileira de Direito Público – RBDP, Belo Horizonte, ano 22, n. 84, p. 127‑161, jan./mar. 2024.
-O impacto da geração distribuída nas concessões de distribuição de energia. Canal Energia. Coluna de Artigos. 22 de janeiro de 2024.
-O Marco Regulatório da Geração Distribuída (GD): um trade off entre a sustentabilidade e a higidez dos contratos de Distribuição. Coluna Direito da Infraestrutura, Editora Fórum, 17 abr. 2023;
-Rescisão dos contratos de concessão para geração de energia hidrelétrica em virtude da não emissão de licenças ambientais. Revista de Contratos Públicos – RCP, Belo Horizonte, ano 11, n. 21, p. 113-130, mar./ago. 2022;
-A escolha da instituição arbitral pela Administração Pública. In: Arbitragem e Direito Processual. São Paulo: Editora Revista dos Tribunais, 2021;
-Arbitragem no Novo Marco do Saneamento Básico. In: Novo marco legal do saneamento. Belo Horizonte: Fórum, 2021;
-O modelo FIDIC Silver Book de Contrato EPC/Turn Key. In: Direito da Infraestrutura: estudos e temas relevantes. Belo Horizonte: Fórum, 2019;
-Comentários ao Artigo 27 da LINDB. In: Lei de Introdução às Normas do Direito Brasileiro Anotada, v. 2. 1st ed. São Paulo: Quartier Latin, 2019;
-O Serviço de Transporte Coletivo e a Ilegalidade do Controle do Sistema de Bilhetagem Eletrônica pelo Concessionário. In: Regulação e Novas Tecnologias. Belo Horizonte: Fórum, 2017;
-O dogma da regra per se na análise do ilícito antitruste. In: Reflexões acerca do Direito Empresarial e a Análise Econômica do Direito. 1ª ed. Curitiba: GEDAI-UFPR, 2014. pp. 259-293;
-Legislative innovations in the Brazilian infrastructure sector (Law no. 13,448 of 2017). International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Newsletter. Issue no. 2. February 2018;
-A revisão da Convenção de Arbitragem da CCEE. Revista Migalhas. Ribeirão Preto: 11 out. 2017.
Clients
-Braskem
-General Electric
-Mubadala
-Pátria Investments
-Maersk
-WEG
-Copel
-Cemig
-CPFL
-Aliança Energia
-Vibra Energia
-Rumo
-Comgas
-Ipiranga
-Transpetro
-Raízen
-CCR
-OHL (Obrascon Huarte Lain S/A)
-Via Araucária
-Plaenge
-Arauco
-MetrôRio (Concessão Metroviária do Rio de Janeiro)
-Rio Ônibus (Concessão de Transporte Coletivo do Rio de Janeiro)
-Invepar
-Grupo JMalucelli
-BAMIN (Eurasian Resources Group)
-Dataprom
-InterAlli
-Helisul Aviação
-LAMSA (Linha Amarela S/A)
Work Highlights
-Represents Aliança Energia (a joint venture between Vale S.A. and Cemig Geração & Transmissão S.A.) and Consórcio Candonga (consortium formed between Vale and Aliança) before the Brazilian State Courts in lawsuits against Samarco, related to the "Mariana Disaster" (Samarco dam collapse), which caused the transport and silting of 9 million cubic meters of ore waste to the reservoir of the UHE Risoleta Neves, a hydroelectric plant located on the Doce River (Minas Gerais). BCVL also represents Aliança Energia before the National Electric Energy Agency (ANEEL) in regulatory matters related to the impacts of the Mariana disaster on the concession contract for the exploration of the Risoleta Neves hydroelectric plant.
-Represented a Brazilian multinational company in a CAMARB construction arbitration, against a Brazilian contractor, involving a construction contract for one of Brazil's main wind farms.
-Represented Rumo Logística in ICC arbitration against the National Land Transportation Agency (ANTT) and the Brazilian Government, involving a railway transportation concession contract.
-Represented Maersk in a lawsuit against the National Waterway Transportation Agency (ANTAQ), involving the concession project for "Tecon Santos 10", the largest port terminal in Latin America.
-Represents Cemig (energy distribution concessionaire in Minas Gerais) in several legal proceedings related to requests for solar plants to be connected to the energy distribution system. Due to the accelerated growth of solar energy, several solar plants began to be built in the State of Minas Gerais, which has the highest insolation rate in Brazil, causing the capacity for new connections to be exhausted in the energy substations of the distribution concessionaire in Minas Gerais.
-Represents CPFL Energia in a dispute resolution involving an EPC Turn Key contract for the construction of a hydroelectric plant;
-Advised Aliança Geração de Energia S.A. (joint venture between Vale S.A. and CEMIG) on the economic and financial rebalancing of the concession contract for UHE Porto Estrela, a hydroelectric plant with 112MW of installed capacity;
-Represented UHE Santa Branca, a hydroelectric power plant with 62MW of installed capacity, before ANEEL in a procedure for termination of the concession contract due to force majeure and compensation for investments in non-amortized reversible assets;
-Advised CEMIG on the economic-financial rebalancing of the energy distribution concession contract, with regard to ANEEL's determination of the transfer of tax credits to the energy tariff;
-Represented Linha Amarela S.A. (LAMSA) in the administrative process of expropriation of the highway concession by the Municipality of Rio de Janeiro;
-Advised Metrô do Rio de Janeiro on issues related to arbitration involving the economic-financial rebalancing of the subway transport concession contract.
-Advised the Brazilian Federal Administrative Court (TCU) on the validation of the audit matrix of the FX-2 Program offset contract between the Brazilian Air Force and the Swedish company SAAB, for the acquisition of 36 units of the Gripen NG supersonic fighters;
-Represents CEMIG in a dispute against the Federal Assets Superintendence (SPU), involving the Volta do Rio Windfarm, located in Ceará, with an installed capacity of 42 MW, and a discussion on the regularity of wind turbines installed in a strip of sand.
-Advised Copel Energia on matters related to the modernization project of the Foz do Areia Hydroelectric Power Plant (UHE Governador Bento Munhoz da Rocha).
-Represented OHLA before the Superior Court of Justice of Brazil in a lawsuit to ratificate a foreign arbitration award (ICC), involving a dispute over the supply of heavy equipment for the construction of a federal highway in Peru.
-Represented a Brazilian oil refinery in ICC international arbitration against a Venezuelan oil & gas company, involving a dispute over an oil supply contract.
-Represented a power generation concessionaire (Hidrelétrica Santa Branca) in a CAM-CCBC arbitration against an Austrian multinational company, involving a dispute over a contract for the supply of turbine and generator equipment for the construction of a hydroelectric plant.
-Represented a Brazilian company in the urban mobility sector in an international ICC arbitration held in London, with Israeli substantive law, against an Israeli multinational in the technology sector, involving a dispute over a joint venture and the supply of equipment (radars) for the Smart Cities project, of the Brazilian Federal Government.
-Represented an Argentine multinational in the electric power sector in an FGV arbitration, held in São Paulo, against Brazilian construction companies, involving a dispute related to an EPC contract for the construction of a hydroelectric.
Industry Sector Expertise
-Energy
-Infrastructure
-Construction
-Public Law
-Litigation
-Arbitration
Expert in these Jurisdictions
Brazil
Languages Spoken
-English
-Portuguese
Education
Universidade Positivo
Bachelor of Laws
Awards
Prize Judge Ricardo Tadeu M. da Fonseca
Universidade Positivo
