SÃO PAULO, Brazil – With Brazil’s economy continuing to prosper in the face of a challenging global economic landscape, it's an exciting time for Francisco Niclós Negrão ’00, MA ’01, an economist and lawyer based in São Paulo who specializes in antitrust and international trade for major national and international corporations.
“Right now, with an economy that is strong and more reliable, Brazil is attracting national and foreign investments, and we are seeing many companies and law firms that are extremely interested in developing partnerships,” said Negrão, who practices at Magalhães, Nery e Dias Advocacia in São Paulo, a powerhouse law firm focused on economics and law. “There will continue to be significant investments in infrastructure, and also specific investments regarding the World Cup and the Olympics, with ripple effects in many other sectors of the economy. It's an interesting period for us.”
Niclós Negrão represents clients in a range of industries, from beverage producers to pharmaceutical manufacturers to energy companies. His focus includes assisting corporations with complex mergers and acquisitions, antitrust investigations, and litigating trade infringement cases. And, as a certified compliance and ethics professional, a significant part of his work involves designing antitrust compliance programs so that corporations don’t run afoul of Brazil’s strengthened antitrust laws.
“It's a job I enjoy very much,” said Niclós Negrão, who creates specifically tailored programs for each client, and has trained more than 3,000 employees of major corporations in antitrust compliance. The penalties for violating antitrust laws can be severe, including criminal penalties, he notes. “You are helping companies to prevent problems before they happen. It is satisfying, because you can help someone to avoid making a wrong decision that may have severe consequences.”
A native of Spain, he moved to Brazil as a child and speaks fluent English, Portuguese, and Spanish. He wanted to go to college in the U.S. and chose Brandeis because of its strong economics program, faculty reputation and small class sizes. The son of an economist, he knew he wanted to study in that field, and he enrolled in the intensive BA/MA program. Given his interest in international trade, the program’s global focus appealed to him. A focused student, he graduated Phi Beta Kappa and received the Morris and Anna Feldberg Prize for Outstanding Work in Economics.
After graduating he returned to Brazil and decided to sit for the entrance exam for a civil service job with Brazil’s Finance Ministry. To his surprise, he scored ninth-highest among 3,700 applicants, an achievement for which he thanks his Brandeis professors. “I have no doubt that the reason I did so well is that Brandeis has a really strong faculty that was very organized and dedicated," he said. "In the exam, I would remember my case studies, and that made the difference.”
As Brazil’s economy continues to develop, Niclós Negrão plans to be right there in the thick of things, working with major companies on antitrust, trade, and compliance matters. “The fact you can help change the culture of a corporation for the better,” he said, “is very gratifying.”
