Heloisa Uelze

ESG - Environmental, Social and Governance, Energy, Mining, Petrochemical, and Infrastructure, Ethics, Compliance, and Investigations, Public and Regulatory Law - Projects, Real Estate

Heloisa Uelze joined the Firm in 2000 and became a partner in 2005. She has over 30 years of practice and is currently the head of the Brazilian Public Law, Government Relations and Regulatory Group and of the Investigations, Compliance and Ethics Groups at Trench Rossi Watanabe.

She is a member of our Infrastructure Projects Groups, always with focus on both litigation and consultancy matters. Before joining us, Mrs. Uelze worked for 13 years in a law firm specialized in Public Law created by four of the most regarded scholars in Administrative, Public, Tax and Constitutional Law in Brazil, Professors Celso Antonio Bandeira de Mello, Geraldo Ataliba, Adilson Abreu Dallari and Michel Temer (former Brazil's Vice-President and President).

In April 2000 Heloisa was nominated - due to her recognized ethical reputation and specialized legal knowledge, as head of the legal department of a Federal Government Autarchy, where she stayed for 12 years. Such position was not inconsistent with the private practice of law. She assists clients in the regulatory area, especially in cases involving public entities and regulatory agencies and in infrastructure projects, such as international and national bids, contracts with the Government, including complex negotiations and assisting clients in elaborating strategies to meet the local content requirements in public tenders.

Also, she has vast experience working in compliance matters representing clients both before the public administration and the judiciary department. In several occasions she has dealt with the Federal and States Public Prosecutor's Offices negotiating deals in matters that involved Brazilian Improbity Law and Brazilian Clean Companies Act. She has also defended clients' interests before several Courts of Accounts (in Federal, State and Municipal levels).

Heloisa was responsible and leading lawyer on Petrobras internal investigation, during Car Wash Operation, conducting the investigation and leading the new controls and recommendation initiatives teams. She works with clients strengthening their compliance areas, improving both the internal rules and the mechanisms to enforce them. She prepares and reviews internal policies and guidelines and also provide speeches and training to the clients' teams.

She is a member of the Diversity and Inclusion Committee and leader of the PcD Affinity Group at Trench Rossi Watanabe.

Heloisa has been recognized for her work by the main legal directories such as Chambers, LACCA Approved, Latin Lawyer 250, Leaders League, Análise Advocacia 500, Análise Advocacia Mulher, Thomson Reuters Stand-out Lawyers, Best Lawyers and The Legal 500.