Dual-licensed attorney with seventeen years in-house at global technology companies — negotiating and structuring the cross-border deals that move U.S. businesses into Latin America. Trilingual. Based in São Paulo.
I’m admitted to the New York State Bar and the Brazilian Bar (OAB-SP), with seventeen years of in-house legal experience at global technology companies — most recently as Senior Director & Associate General Counsel for Latin America at VMware, and previously as Latin America Counsel at Red Hat.
Much of my work is hands-on deal negotiation — software licensing, SaaS, cloud, channel, and professional-services agreements — alongside the corporate, privacy, and regulatory questions that arise when U.S. technology and enterprise businesses operate, expand, or transact across Latin America. I work alongside General Counsel, founders, and operations leaders who need senior cross-border judgment without the overhead of a regional firm.
I’m trilingual in English, Portuguese, and Spanish. Beyond the law, an MBA in finance and seventeen years advising business leaders give me practical fluency in the local business practices, culture, and commercial realities that shape how deals actually get done across Latin America.
Each engagement is shaped by the client's operating reality — not by a fixed service catalogue. The following are the areas in which I work most often.
Establishing local entities, joint ventures, and operational structures across Brazil and other Latin American jurisdictions — choice-of-entity analysis, governance, and intercompany arrangements. For U.S. technology companies entering or relocating operations, this includes tax-efficient structuring coordinated with specialist tax counsel to align corporate, transfer-pricing, and cross-border considerations.
Negotiating and drafting software licensing, SaaS, cloud, professional services, and channel agreements — through to complex commercial transactions — structured for enforceability under local law. End-to-end deal negotiation is central to the practice.
LGPD compliance for Brazilian operations, GDPR alignment, international data transfers, and the practical mechanics of running a privacy program across jurisdictions.
The full menu — direct employment, contractor relationships, EOR/PEO arrangements, and the trade-offs each carries under Brazilian labor law. Senior compensation and equity considerations.
Compliance programs, third-party due diligence, and internal controls calibrated to the elevated exposure of U.S. companies operating across Latin America.
Negotiation, contract management, and ongoing counsel for transactions involving public entities and government procurement processes across Latin America — including public tenders, public-sector contracting, and the regulatory considerations these engagements require.
Engagements outside these areas are evaluated case by case.
Led the legal function across Latin America for the global cloud and virtualization business: commercial transactions, regulatory matters, employment, M&A integration, and the day-to-day work of supporting commercial and operations leaders in a high-velocity enterprise software environment. Worked through the company's transitions, including the Broadcom acquisition.
Supported Red Hat's expansion and operations across Latin America during a formative period for enterprise open-source software. Built the legal function for the region, including commercial contracts, channel relationships, compliance, and cross-border matters.
Advising U.S. technology and enterprise clients on the legal, contractual, and regulatory questions of doing business in Brazil and across Latin America — from entity structuring and commercial contracts to data privacy and compliance. Dual admission in New York and Brazil allows me to advise on U.S.-side considerations and act directly as counsel on Brazilian matters.
Excerpts from professional recommendations by former colleagues and supervisors. Full text on LinkedIn.
[He leads] a legal team with outstanding judgment and a strong moral compass. He allowed me to sleep at night knowing he was in control of the region’s legal matters — knowing when to seek assistance and keeping leadership fully informed.
I would highlight Marcio’s keen ethical and business judgement. Often lawyers are relied upon to advise on the “right” thing to do, in addition to the “legal” thing to do. Marcio excels in determining the prudent, ethical, and legal path — helping clients comply with explicit legal requirements as well as the spirit of regulations.
A thoughtful and empathetic leader, with deep knowledge of his region and legal expertise. He provided important strategic insights and was a key business partner to our business leaders.
Lead lawyer for the Latin American region — leveraging his legal expertise, extensive knowledge of the Latin American market, and a practical, business-oriented approach. He pairs these skills with a strong compliance orientation.
These are excerpts. Full recommendations are available on LinkedIn.
For a first call or a shorter inquiry, email is the most efficient path — I respond promptly and will find a time that works.