Founder of R.V. Pinheiro Advogados, he built his career at a renowned law firm specializing in the infrastructure and natural resources sectors. In recent years, he has worked as a partner in the Tax and Customs areas, advising national and international companies on direct and indirect taxes, as well as customs planning in Brazil. He also has extensive experience in complex litigation in the oil and gas, shipbuilding, energy, port support and aviation sectors, as well as throughout the supply chain for goods and services in these industries.

Rodrigo is a versatile lawyer with a conciliatory approach and excellent communication skills, both with clients and authorities. He actively participates in debates and in building solutions for his clients. He advised the Subcommittee on Improving the Tax Structure of the Natural Gas Sector within the scope of the "Gas for Growth" Project, presenting the topic "Tax Challenges in the Importation of Natural Gas and LNG". He was also responsible for the leading case on the constitutionality of the Oil and Gas Inspection Fee instituted by the state of Rio de Janeiro, before the state's Court of Justice.

Training

• Executive MBA from Coppead/UFRJ.

• LL.M. in Tax Law and Tax Accounting from IBMEC/RJ.

• Law degree from the Fluminense Federal University (UFF).

Languages

• Portuguese and English

Experience

• Regular tax and customs advice for suppliers and oil companies, involving the application of special customs regimes under different contractual models.

• Advising on the implementation and operation of Brazil's first independent regasification plant, analyzing complex tax issues and specific tax and customs regimes.

• Consultancy for a multinational telecommunications group on the import and implementation of a fiber optic network in offshore areas for a company in the oil and gas sector.

• Advising on gas to power projects, analyzing various scenarios for acquiring and importing natural gas for electricity generation in Brazil.

• Legal disputes for the recovery of customs duties, related to the closure of a customs warehousing regime due to the sinking of modules of an oil platform.

• Disputes over the application of the ICMS exemption on fictitious imports under the Certified Bonded Warehouse regime.

• Federal and state administrative litigation in excess of R$150 million, involving the operation of platforms and maritime support vessels.

• Administrative disputes over the levying of the Social Contribution on Gross Revenue (CSRF) on the export of tugboat services.