The promotion took effect on 1 January and includes new partners André Bernini, 36, Pythagoras Carvalho, 35, and Larissa Galimberti, 34, in corporate law; Diego Rivas de Simone, 37, in tax law, Luis Furtado Faria, 36, in litigation and Maurício Fróes Guidi, 36, in labour law. The new counsels are Beatriz Seixas, 33, and Marcos Saldanha Proença, 40, in corporate law; Manuela Mendes Prata, 50, in labour law; Maria Motta Gueorguiev, 40, in litigation and Rafael Marcondes, 36, in tax law.

The firm's total partner count is 97 and the total counsel count is 20.

Brazil is slowly exiting a lengthy recession and the firm's managing partner Alexandre Bertoldi says the promotion is necessary to accommodate growth in client demand and a more active market in 2018 "They have the technical expertise that we need, and they demonstrate complete adherence to the values and culture of the firm," adds Bertoldi of the new lawyers.

Despite a more positive outlook for Brazil in 2018, the country is facing an uncertain presidential election in October. Still, Bertoldi says that the firm is preparing for a more positive political and economic situation after October and is cautiously optimistic about the election's outcome.  

In pollster company Paraná Pesquisas' latest poll, published on 30 December, former president and centre-left Workers' Party candidate, Lula da Silva, is ahead with 29.2% of the vote. Federal deputy and right-wing candidate, Jair Bolsonaro, is second with 21.1% of the vote.