Ortolani e Duran Advogados

We are a law firm based in São Paulo, Brazil, with a consolidated practice since 1997 and professional roots that span more than three decades of legal experience.

The creation of Ortolani e Duran Advogados represents a natural continuation of the work previously developed, now with its own structure and a long-term institutional vision.

The firm is led by the practice of Daniel Mendes Ortolani and Alina Barrios Duran, both lawyers at the firm, dedicated to a style of practice that prioritises technical consistency, careful reading of facts and documents, and the design of strategies that fit the specific type of matter — judicial, administrative or transactional.

Our approach prioritises identifying risks, mapping available options, estimating impacts and following through on execution with discipline.

This logic runs through all the areas in which we work — which is precisely why it makes sense, next, to present the firm’s main fronts of practice.

Our work is organised around the main fronts of Civil Law, Corporate/Business Law and Tax Law, both in contentious work (judicial and administrative) and in consulting, prevention and planning.

In litigation, we seek to combine technique and strategy: a detailed reading of the evidence on file, clear structuring of legal arguments and careful definition of priorities (what to challenge now, what to preserve, what to negotiate, what evidence to produce and when).

In advisory work, the focus is on predictability and risk reduction: contracts, structures, routines and decisions built on legal grounds that are consistent with the client’s goals.

We also assist, whenever appropriate, with suitable methods of dispute resolution — such as mediation, negotiation and arbitration — as well as with proceedings in administrative and regulatory spheres, whenever an out-of-court route is more efficient or more appropriate to the case.

Within these fronts, contracts deserve particular emphasis, because they are often the point where risk and opportunity meet — and where preventive work saves cost and conflict in the future.

• Civil Law
• Corporate and Business Law
• Tax Law
• Civil, corporate and tax litigation
• Legal consulting and planning
• Legal opinions and structured solutions
• Mediation and arbitration
• Administrative proceedings in public and private spheres

We treat contracts as instruments of governance and risk management, not merely as formalities.

Drafting or reviewing contracts is carried out with a view to reducing ambiguities, aligning incentives and avoiding foreseeable breaking points — using clear language, internal consistency and attention to performance and default scenarios.

We work with civil and commercial contracts, including more complex structures (for example, contracts within supply chains, lease agreements, financing, supply arrangements, corporate instruments and related agreements), as well as targeted reviews of sensitive clauses: guarantees, penalties, termination, price adjustment, limitation of liability, confidentiality, intellectual property, deadlines and performance conditions.

When a matter requires a bespoke structure, we work with “tailor-made pieces”: we do not only draft the contract, but also organise it so that it is operable — that is, easy to comply with, easy to monitor and easy to prove in the event of a dispute.

The same logic of compliance, governance and responsibility also guides our work with third-sector organisations and institutional themes related to diversity and human rights.

We carry out studies and provide legal services to third-sector organisations, with the same technical rigour applied to business and asset-focused work — while respecting the regulatory and institutional particularities of these entities.

Depending on the need, our assistance may involve: reviewing structure and governance (by-laws, minutes, internal rules), analysing legal and documentary compliance, supporting contracts and partnerships, and guiding the routines for reporting and the legal organisation of projects and activities.

Our central concern is to enable the organisation to operate safely, transparently and in line with its institutional purpose.

On the level of values, we have an institutional commitment to respecting diversity and paying attention to human rights issues, understanding that this should appear above all as a professional stance: seriousness in the way we conduct matters, respect for people, care with language, and diligence regarding procedural and extra-procedural safeguards — regardless of the client’s profile or that of the opposing party.

Institutional sections such as this are important, but they only have value if they translate into a concrete way of providing services. For that reason, in the next section we describe, in straightforward terms, the profile of our clients and how we structure the professional relationship.

We represent individuals and legal entities, including companies, entrepreneurs and third-sector organisations.

The firm works on asset-related, contractual, corporate/business and tax matters, focusing on structuring decisions and handling disputes with predictability and clarity.

Meetings are held by prior appointment, in São Paulo, and, when convenient, by remote/online means.

Communication is oriented towards clarity of information and close follow-up of the case’s key milestones.

At every stage, our work complies with the ethical rules of the legal profession — including with regard to discretion and confidentiality.

If you would like to contact the firm, our institutional channels are set out below.