Paulo Penna

Paulo Eduardo Penna has been a lawyer since 1998. He is a founding partner of Novotny, Ney, Saldanha, Penna, Ponte, Vianna & Corrêa Advogados, with extensive experience in transactional matters and corporate law.

He advises a wide range of international and domestic clients, including large, middle-cap and small private companies, publicly held companies, investment funds, private equity and venture capital funds, strategic and institutional investors, startups and individuals.

Paulo provides comprehensive corporate legal counsel, assisting clients with the structuring and restructuring of companies and joint ventures, corporate governance matters, and both strategic and day-to-day business issues. He also advises foreign investors on doing business in Brazil, as well as Brazilian clients in cross-border investments and operations.

One of his main areas of expertise is M&A. He has broad experience leading both domestic and international M&A transactions, including negotiating share and asset purchase agreements, shareholders’ agreements, and joint venture instruments across a variety of industries, such as technology, real estate, shopping centers, education, healthcare, and mining. He is also active in private equity and venture capital deals and the related regulatory landscape.

Paulo has significant experience in capital markets, advising listed companies, investors, investment funds, and market agents on a wide range of legal and regulatory matters, including public offerings and securities issuances.

He is also highly experienced in negotiating and advising on a wide range of business and financing agreements. His practice includes corporate restructurings, asset reorganization, and wealth and estate planning.

Paulo has consistently been acknowledged as one of Brazil’s leading lawyers in M&A, corporate, and business law over the years, with ongoing recognition from publications like Chambers & Partners and Leaders League.

He is a member of the Capital Markets and Business Law Committees of the Brazilian Bar Association (OAB-RJ), and served on the Regulatory Committee of the Brazilian Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (ABVCAP) from 2015 to 2018.

Paulo combines professional experience with academic activities. Since 2009 he has been a professor at the Law School of Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro, where he teaches courses on business contracts and M&A. He is also a frequent speaker in seminars and conferences. He has authored a book on the sale of control of public companies and several articles on M&A and corporate law, among other topics.