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João Honorato
Partner
João Honorato rejoined the firm as partner in 2022. He coordinates the Oil and Gas Team and co-coordinates the Brazilian Desk.
Between 2014 and 2022 he was senior counsel at Galp for Oil and Gas Exploration and Production, Renewable Energy and Financial Markets, and has been involved in all types of energy transactions, including oil and gas, in a variety of geographies such as Portugal, Spain, Italy, Brazil, Angola, Mozambique, São Tomé and Príncipe, Namibia, Morocco, Timor-Leste, Mexico and Uruguay.
Qualified to practice in Brazil, from 2009 to 2014 João was a senior associate at Brazilian law firm Mattos Filho, working in the São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro offices and advising Clients on mergers and acquisitions, oil and gas and infrastructure deals. He was ranked as Foreign Expert for Brazil in Banking and Finance by Chambers Global (2014).
Previously, he had been working at Morais Leitão since 2002.
Furthermore, João has been active in financial transactions, with extensive experience in project finance – including of LNG facilities, solar and wind farms, motorways, football stadia and logistic parks – and in financial derivatives.
"very knowledgeable of the business and client. He can defend his clients like no one else."
Legal 500
Education
Law Degree (University of Lisbon School of Law, 2002). Postgraduate Studies in International Financial Transactions (University of Lisbon School of Law, 2009). International Oil & Gas Law, Contracts, and Negotiations – Upstream Issues and Agreements (Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation, 2012). International Oil & Gas Law, Contracts, and Negotiations – Midstream Issues and Agreements (Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation, 2013).
Languages
Portuguese and English.
Memberships
Portuguese Bar Association (admitted in 2004). Brazilian Bar Association (admitted in 2009). Association of International Energy Negotiators (since 2012).
