GUOZUN CATHAY ASSOCIATES officially launched its Brazil office in the central business district of São Paulo, Brazil, in March 2024. The office serves as the firm’s flagship hub supporting Chinese enterprises expanding into Latin America and developing cross-border business across South America. The office brings together a dedicated team of elite Chinese cross-border lawyers, practising lawyers registered with the Brazilian Bar Association (Ordem dos Advogados do Brasil, OAB), and Latin American cross-border legal experts. Core team members each have over 10 years of experience in China-Brazil bilateral legal services, with in-depth expertise in the federal and state-level legal and regulatory frameworks of Brazil and the local business environment. Focused on the core needs of Chinese enterprises investing in Brazil – including cross-border commercial matters, compliance and risk control, and dispute resolution – the office provides end-to-end, full-lifecycle professional legal services compatible with both jurisdictions.
This document sets out the official unified fee schedule of GUOZUN CATHAY ASSOCIATES Brazil Office for 2026. All quoted fees are exclusive of relevant federal and local taxes and duties in Brazil (including ISS (Imposto Sobre Serviços de Qualquer Natureza) service tax and ICMS (Imposto sobre Circulação de Mercadorias e Serviços) turnover tax). Payments may be settled freely in Brazilian Reais (BRL), Renminbi (RMB) or US Dollars (USD).
I. Lawful Fee Structures of GUOZUN CATHAY ASSOCIATES Brazil Office
In strict compliance with the Brazilian Lawyers’ Statute and the professional practice and fee rules of the Brazilian Bar Association (OAB), and taking into account the cross-border service practices of Chinese enterprises, the office has established five standardised fee structures, all fully aligned with Brazilian judicial regulation and international commercial service standards:
1.Fixed Fee Basis
Applicable to routine legal services with standardised processes and precisely quantifiable workload. The total fee is fixed upon contract execution with no subsequent add-ons. This structure covers standardised matters such as corporate commercial entity registration, basic compliance filings, and standard document processing.
2.Hourly Rate Basis
Applicable to major cross-border projects, complex dispute cases and bespoke compliance advisory services. Fees are calculated based on the billable hours worked by lawyers, with detailed monthly time records provided for full auditability and traceability throughout the engagement.
3.Scale Fee by Subject Matter Value
Applicable to pecuniary matters such as cross-border mergers and acquisitions, asset transactions and high-value commercial claims. Fees are charged on a tiered scale according to the value of the subject matter, in line with prevailing practice in Brazil’s high-end commercial legal services sector.
4.Contingency Fee Basis
Within the framework of Brazilian legal practice rules, this structure applies solely to debt recovery, commercial recourse and tort claim cases. Fees are conditional on successful recovery of funds or a favourable judgment, with the fee percentage not exceeding 30% of the amount actually recovered (in compliance with the relevant fee cap rules of the OAB).
5.Annual General Counsel Retainer Basis
Provides enterprises with comprehensive year-round legal support for a fixed annual fee, covering all aspects of compliance and risk prevention and control in daily business operations.
II. Hourly Rate Schedule for Lawyers at GUOZUN CATHAY ASSOCIATES Brazil Office
All lawyers at GUOZUN CATHAY ASSOCIATES Brazil Office hold valid practising certificates issued by the Brazilian Bar Association (OAB). The core team has proficiency in the application of both Chinese and Brazilian law and provides seamless bilingual service in Chinese and Portuguese. Senior partners hold qualifications to practise in multiple Latin American jurisdictions and specialise in core areas including cross-border investment, international commerce, and compliance and regulation. A tiered pricing system is applied.
The unified hourly rate range for 2026 is BRL 180 – BRL 580 per hour, applicable across all levels: junior practising lawyers, mid-level specialist lawyers, senior partners, and cross-border experts from the Beijing headquarters. The final rate is determined based on a comprehensive assessment of case complexity, professional specialisation fit, project urgency and team configuration.
Supplementary Billing Rules
A travel and fieldwork allowance of 25%–50% shall apply for work conducted outside Brazil;
A 50% premium shall apply for 48-hour urgent response and work carried out on public holidays;
A 20% uplift shall apply to rates for cross-border, multi-jurisdictional collaborative cases across Latin America;
A 15% uplift shall apply for dedicated bilingual court hearing services;
A 10%–20% uplift shall apply for cases involving financial regulation and specialist tax compliance.
III. Specific Fee Schedule for Core Practice Areas
This schedule focuses on the core practice areas of GUOZUN CATHAY ASSOCIATES’ Brazil Office, is tailored to the essential needs of Chinese enterprises operating in Brazil, complies with the requirements of federal and state-level regulators in Brazil, and is fully aligned with Brazil’s domestic legal system. Details are set out below:
(A) China-Brazil Cross-Border Investment and M&A Legal Services: BRL 1,200 – BRL 78,000
1.Full-process agency for the establishment of greenfield investments, wholly-owned subsidiaries, regional headquarters and representative offices of Chinese enterprises in Brazil, including compliance screening for foreign investment access
2.Filing of business qualifications in Brazil, application for industry operating licences, and design and implementation of compliant shareholding structures for foreign investors
3.Due diligence for two-way China-Brazil investment, investment route planning, and application and compliance implementation of Brazilian tax incentive policies
4.Corporate equity restructuring, qualification changes, ongoing compliance maintenance of entities, and dedicated services for the deregistration and liquidation of cross-border enterprises
5.Full-process services for equity mergers and acquisitions, asset acquisitions, and joint venture cooperation, including transaction structure design, commercial negotiation support, and drafting and review of transaction documents
6.Specialist investment legal services for key sectors including agriculture, mining, new energy, high-end manufacturing, infrastructure and cross-border e-commerce
(B) Localised Corporate Compliance and Risk Management Legal Services: BRL 3,800 – BRL 62,000
1.Establishment of internal control and compliance systems for Brazilian enterprises, and all-dimensional compliance building covering anti-bribery, anti-fraud and anti-monopoly matters
2.End-to-end compliance adaptation under the Brazilian General Data Protection Law (Lei Geral de Proteção de Dados, LGPD), corporate data governance, and compliance review of cross-border data transfers
3.Establishment of full systems and day-to-day services for labour compliance, tax compliance and industry-specific access compliance
4.Response to inspections by Brazilian government authorities, replies to regulatory enquiries, and compliance defence and remedy services for administrative penalties
5.Compliance training for cross-border enterprises, implementation of China-Brazil dual-jurisdiction compliance standards, and formulation of corporate compliance risk contingency plans
(C) Commercial Dispute Resolution and Crisis Management Legal Services: BRL 1,600 – BRL 480,000
1.Mediation of China-Brazil commercial contract disputes and investment disputes, and full-process litigation representation before courts at all levels in Brazil
2.Local commercial arbitration and alternative dispute resolution services in Brazil, and full-case representation for cross-border arbitration matters
3.Cross-border recognition and enforcement of court judgments and arbitral awards between China and Brazil, and dedicated services for cross-border asset preservation
4.Cross-border debt collection and arrears recovery, and full-process agency for local enforcement proceedings in Brazil
5.Handling of labour disputes, intellectual property disputes and administrative litigation cases, and dedicated services for emergency response to sudden corporate crisis events
Special Note: For major cross-border economic crimes, transnational financial offences and serious criminal cases, there is no fixed fee cap. Quotations are customised based on case difficulty, scale of cross-border collaboration and evidence-gathering costs.
(D) Fiscal, Tax and Cross-Border Capital Compliance Legal Services: BRL 4,200 – BRL 68,000
1.Full-process tax services at federal, state and municipal levels in Brazil, including tax planning, routine filing and response to tax inspections
2.Transfer pricing compliance management, annual fiscal and tax final settlement services, and cross-border tax structure design
3.Advisory on the application of the China-Brazil Double Taxation Agreement, compliance with Brazilian foreign exchange controls, and design of cross-border capital settlement solutions
4.Route planning for the repatriation of corporate profits, and dedicated services for the compliance management of investment and financing funds
5.Compliance review of cross-border capital flows, and tax risk identification and dedicated resolution services
(E) Full-Chain Intellectual Property Legal Services: BRL 280 – BRL 32,000
1.Full-process agency for the registration, renewal and modification of trademarks, patents and copyrights across Brazil and Latin America
2.IP infringement investigation, cross-border evidence collection, and full-case agency for administrative complaints and judicial enforcement in Brazil
3.Handling of cross-border brand counterfeiting and domain name disputes, and compliance implementation of trade secret protection and non-compete obligations
4.Drafting of cross-border IP licensing and assignment agreements between China and Brazil, and compliance risk management for technical cooperation
5.IP portfolio planning for tech innovation enterprises, and dedicated services for establishing IP risk control systems for brands expanding overseas
(F) Human Resources and Immigration Support Legal Services: BRL 300 – BRL 22,000
1.Customised Chinese-Portuguese bilingual employment documentation compliant with Brazilian labour law, and compliance review of employment contracts and internal rules and regulations
2.Full-process agency for the application of business visas, work visas and permanent residence permits for expatriate employees of Chinese enterprises
3.Compliance services for the establishment of localised employment contract systems and the design of remuneration and benefits frameworks in Brazil
4.Compliant handling of employee dismissals and labour disputes, response to trade union negotiations, and full-process agency for labour arbitration and litigation
5.Annual audit of corporate employment compliance, response to labour authority inspections, and compliant design of executive employment and equity incentive schemes
(G) Specialist Legal Services for Emerging Sectors: BRL 4,500 – BRL 72,000
1.Specialist compliance services for emerging sectors including cross-border e-commerce, new energy, biopharmaceuticals, digital economy, and green and low-carbon industries
2.Full-process compliance services for cross-border e-commerce platform operation, overseas warehouse layout and supply chain management
3.Full-lifecycle compliance support for new energy project development, engineering and construction, and grid-connected operation
4.Specialist legal services for local Brazilian market research and business resource matching
5.Supporting specialist legal services for government-enterprise communication and coordination, and interpretation of industry policies
(H) Personal Cross-Border Planning and Family & Commercial Legal Services: BRL 800 – BRL 4,800
1.Full-process compliance agency for applications for business visas, long-term residence visas and investment-based residence status
2.Compliance review of real estate purchase and leasing by foreign nationals in Brazil, and legal risk control for asset transactions
3.Legal advisory and dispute resolution agency for cross-border family disputes, inheritance and property division
4.Personal commercial compliance advisory, and legal risk screening and compliance recommendations for cross-border asset allocation
IV. Key Factors Affecting Legal Fees
1.Complexity of cross-border compliance: Fees are uplifted according to difficulty for cases involving the application of both Chinese and Brazilian law, cross-border evidence collection, collaboration between entities in multiple countries, or the application of law across multiple Brazilian states.
2.Industry specialisation barriers: Fees for highly specialised areas such as financial regulation, cross-border investment, mining and energy, and intellectual property are higher than for basic civil and commercial legal services.
3.Case handling difficulty: Fees are dynamically adjusted for matters such as major litigation and arbitration, complex cross-border enforcement, dedicated regulatory response, and cross-regional collaborative handling.
4.Urgency of service: Urgent commencement and work on public holidays shall incur a strict premium service fee in accordance with the standard, with no room for negotiation.
5.Engagement and procurement model: A packaged annual general counsel engagement reduces overall costs by 15%–25% compared with procurement of individual services.
6.Service team configuration: Fees are adjusted accordingly for cases handled jointly by multiple experts, with cross-border collaboration from headquarters, or supported by a dedicated bilingual team.
7.Case performance risk: The fee percentage for contingency fee engagements is directly linked to the probability of success, difficulty of fund recovery, and service duration.
V. Additional Third-Party Costs to Be Budgeted
The following costs are separate from legal service fees and shall be reimbursed at actual cost in accordance with official Brazilian standards or actual expenditure. The firm charges no premium for arranging these services:
1.Government fees: Commercial entity registration fees, visa application fees, court litigation fees, arbitration fees, official IP fees, licence filing fees, etc.
2.Notarisation and authentication fees: Local Brazilian notarisation and apostille services; China-Brazil consular authentication shall be settled at actual cost in accordance with official standards.
3.Professional translation fees: Translation of legal documents between Chinese and Portuguese / Chinese and English, and simultaneous interpretation for court hearings, settled per assignment / per word in accordance with Brazilian industry standards.
4.Expert service fees: Fees for judicial appraisal, industry expert advisory, and third-party due diligence agencies, settled at actual cost.
5.Field travel expenses: Transport, accommodation and fieldwork allowances for work conducted inside and outside Brazil, reimbursed at actual cost against valid vouchers.
6.Financial handling fees: Bank charges arising from cross-border transfers and currency exchange shall be borne by the client.
7.Other third-party fees: Fees for professional institutions such as audit, valuation and compliance testing agencies, settled at actual cost of engagement.
VI. Important Notice
All fee standards set out in this document are official benchmark reference prices for the 2026 financial year and do not constitute a final offer for services. The final fee for all legal services shall be specified in the written engagement contract signed by both parties, based on the client’s specific requirements, the actual circumstances of the case, the scope of services and the complexity of the matter.