Leonardo Morato

Practice Areas

Litigation; Restructuring & Insolvency

Career

Leonardo Morato is recognized as a leading individual in his areas of practice. Being both a transactional lawyer and a strong litigator, he frequently handles sophisticated highly complex litigation disputes, including arbitration, and restructuring proceedings, in court and out of court.

He has a broad practice representing clients as creditors, investors, debtors, buyers, shareholders, board members, bond trustees, bond holders, and bankruptcy trustees, in high-stake restructuring cases such as Odebrecht, Oi, Abengoa, OAS, Schahin, OGX, OSX, Bertin, Infinity, Inepar, Independência, Celpa, Rede Energia, Agrenco, Arantes, among others, frequently involving litigation. He also has strong experience in debt restructuring, distressed M&As, special situations cases (including DIP finance, loan-to-own transactions, acquisition and sale of distressed assets, litigation funding, and trade of claims), and guarantees/collaterals structures

Clients in different industries trust Leonardo’s knowledge and ability to measure risks and identify the best solutions in any given transactional situation, as well as his experience and skills to conduct complex litigation matters.

Professional Memberships

• IBRADEMP – Coordinator of the Insolvency Committee

• Turnaround Management Association – TMA Brasil – former chairman of board

• INSOL International – former director of the global board

• Instituto dos Advogados de São Paulo – IASP – associate

• Instituto Brasileiro de Recuperação de Empresas – IBR – associate

Personal

• "Creative” name partner Leonardo Morato is experienced representing both creditors and debtors in judicial restructuring. One client says: “Leonardo is one of the best litigators that I know, sharp, knowledgeable and with high negotiation skills.”He has a solid track record advising on the acquisition of distressed assets, bankruptcy litigation and DIP financing. A source notes: “He is an excellent practitioner, very available, and has a great commercial awareness.” – Chambers Brazil: Contentious 2022.

• Recognized by the International Financial Law Review (IFLR)’s Americas Awards 2019, Global M&A Network’s 11th Annual Turnaround Atlas Awards and Latin Lawyer’s Deal of the Year Awards for assisting in Oi’s restructuring process.

• Recognized by Leaders League Brazil Best Counsel in the “Recommended” and “Highly Recommended” categories in the areas of Bankruptcy and Litigation

• “Building on an already strong profile in his specialist field, Morato has established a focus at his new firm on corporate and credit restructurings, judicial and extrajudicial restructuring proceedings and bankruptcy. His team also offers expertise in complex litigation and pre-litigation matters, arbitration, and distressed assets analysis in an M&A context.” – Latin Lawyer 250