What Trench Rossi Watanabe does

Trench Rossi Watanabe is a Brazilian full-service law firm founded in 1959 and headquartered in São Paulo, with offices in Rio de Janeiro, Brasília, and Porto Alegre. The firm provides integrated legal services across 20-plus practice areas spanning corporate/M&A, litigation and arbitration, tax, labor, intellectual property, banking and finance, antitrust, criminal defense, environmental law, real estate, restructuring, and capital markets, with additional industry specialization in agribusiness, energy and mining, life sciences, and technology/media/telecom. Adjacent service lines include a Conflict Resolution Platform integrating litigation, arbitration, and mediation, plus ESG, Circular Economy, and Superior Courts advisory practices. Distribution and cross-border capability operate through a strategic cooperation agreement with the Baker McKenzie global network, enabling multinational clients to access integrated Brazilian and international legal services through a single relationship.

The firm's revenue model is professional-services based, with billing through hourly fees, fixed fees for defined engagements, and success fees where applicable; pricing is not publicly disclosed. Customers are predominantly enterprise: multinational corporations entering or operating in Brazil and Brazilian companies executing domestic transactions, restructurings, capital markets, and cross-border investments. Notable mandates include LVMH's USD 3.2 billion acquisition of Belmond, Rhone Capital's USD 400 million acquisition of Schlumberger petroleum assets, XP Investimentos investments, Stone's Linx incorporation, Equinor's Rio Energy acquisition, and trademark representation for Jack Daniel's, Salesforce, and Digicert. The firm is organized as a private partnership with 251-500 employees, of which lawyers are 55% female and 45% male.

Trench Rossi Watanabe's core technology stack comprises standard legal operations infrastructure (case management, document management, client portals) with no publicly disclosed proprietary AI/ML or automation capability. Differentiation rests on talent (former Supreme Court justices and senior judges on the team), regulatory and judicial expertise, third-party validated rankings (Band 1 Chambers, 27 Legal 500 categories, 11 Leaders League categories), and the Baker McKenzie network cooperation. The MOVE diversity and inclusion program and 84 pro bono patents filed to protect Amazon biodiversity reflect corporate social positioning that also serves as employer brand and client engagement infrastructure.

Name

Trench Rossi Watanabe

Legal name

Trench Rossi Watanabe

Website

https://trenchrossi.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1959

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Trench Rossi Watanabe is a Band 1 Brazilian full-service law firm serving multinational and domestic enterprise clients across M&A, litigation, tax, IP, and regulatory matters through offices in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Brasília, and Porto Alegre, with cross-border capability via a strategic cooperation with Baker McKenzie.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (541110)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Due Diligence & Investigative Research (BPAHALAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Financial Crime, AML/CFT & Sanctions Compliance (BPAHAFAE), Fraud Risk Management & Anti-Bribery/Anti-Corruption (ABAC) (BPAHAFAL)

Keywords

• Legal advisory services
• Mergers and acquisitions
• Intellectual property law
• Litigation and arbitration
• Corporate tax consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

São Paulo

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Legal Advisory Services: Comprehensive legal services spanning multiple practice areas including corporate, litigation, tax, labor, intellectual property, and regulatory matters. Revenue generated through hourly billing, fixed fees for specific services, and success fees where applicable.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Trench Rossi Watanabe is a full-service Brazilian law firm delivering integrated legal advisory across corporate/M&A, litigation and arbitration, tax, intellectual property, labor, banking and finance, real estate, regulatory, antitrust, criminal defense, capital markets, and ESG practices. The firm serves multinational corporations and Brazilian companies across industry verticals such as agribusiness, energy/mining, life sciences, and technology/media/telecom, through offices in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Brasília, and Porto Alegre, and a strategic cooperation with the Baker McKenzie global network for cross-border matters.

Product overview

Trench Rossi Watanabe is a full-service Brazilian law firm offering integrated legal services across diverse practice areas, industry sectors, and service lines. The firm provides services through multiple practice areas including Corporate (M&A), Litigation/Arbitration, Tax, Intellectual Property, Labor, Banking & Finance, and Real Estate. The firm operates across key industry verticals such as Agribusiness, Energy/Mining, Life Sciences, and Technology/Media/Telecom. Service offerings include specialized lines such as the Conflict Resolution Platform (integrating litigation, arbitration, and mediation), ESG advisory, Circular Economy guidance, and Higher Courts practice. The firm maintains offices in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Brasília, and Porto Alegre, and operates through a strategic cooperation network with international firm Baker McKenzie, enabling multi-jurisdictional advisory services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MOVE: Corporate social responsibility initiative focused on diversity and inclusion, covering LGBTQIA+, ethnic-racial equity, gender equity, religions, and persons with disabilities.

Products and services

• Antitruste (Antitrust)
• Arbitragem (Arbitration)
• Comércio Internacional (International Trade)
• Contratos Comerciais (Commercial Contracts)
• Contencioso Cível (Civil Litigation)
• Direito Bancário, Financeiro e Financiamento de Projetos
• Direito do Consumidor (Consumer Law)
• Ética, Compliance e Investigações
• Fusões & Aquisições (Mergers & Acquisitions)
• Fundos de Investimento, Securitização e Asset Management
• Imobiliário (Real Estate)
• Meio Ambiente e Sustentabilidade (Environment and Sustainability)
• Mercado de Capitais (Debt e Equity)
• Penal (Criminal Defense)
• Gestão Patrimonial, Família e Sucessões
• Propriedade Intelectual (Intellectual Property)
• Reestruturação (Restructuring)
• Societário (Corporate)
• Tecnologia da Informação e Comunicações
• Trabalhista (Labor Law)
• Tributário (Tax)
• Plataforma de Solução de Conflitos
• ESG – Environmental, Social and Governance
• Economia Circular (Circular Economy)
• Tribunais Superiores
• Agronegócio (Agribusiness)
• Energia, Mineração, Petroquímica e Infraestrutura
• Life Sciences
• Tecnologia, Mídia e Telecomunicações

Named customers12 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Baker McKenziecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic cooperation with Baker McKenzie global network enabling collaborative work with professionals across diverse jurisdictions worldwide. The firm works with Baker McKenzie on international conferences, training programs, and cross-border client matters. Baker McKenzie professionals participate in Trench Rossi Watanabe-hosted events including the annual International Conference for Multinationals.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Mattos Filho: Largest full-service Brazilian law firm headquartered in São Paulo. Directly comparable to Trench Rossi Watanabe in M&A, capital markets, tax, antitrust and dispute resolution practices serving multinationals and large Brazilian corporates.
• TozziniFreire Advogados: Large São Paulo-headquartered full-service firm with comparable M&A, IP, TMT and compliance practices. Direct competitor for multinational clients entering or operating in Brazil.
• Stocche Forbes Advogados: Elite São Paulo-based M&A and capital markets firm. Comparable to Trench Rossi Watanabe on transactional work for corporates, private equity and capital markets clients, with similar cross-border deal profiles.
• BMA – Barbosa Müssnich Aragão: Full-service Brazilian firm with leading capital markets and corporate practices. Comparable on transactional depth, especially for publicly listed clients and financial institutions.
• Pinheiro Neto Advogados: Long-established São Paulo full-service firm with deep cross-border M&A, capital markets and IP practices. Closely comparable in scale, practice breadth and international client mix.
• Lefosse Advogados: São Paulo-based full-service firm with strong corporate, tax and dispute resolution practices. Competes head-to-head with Trench Rossi Watanabe for mid- and large-cap M&A and cross-border advisory mandates.
• Veirano Advogados: Brazilian full-service firm with strong energy, infrastructure and corporate practices. Competes directly with Trench Rossi Watanabe for multinational and large-domestic mandates across Rio, São Paulo and Brasília.
• Machado Meyer Sendacz Opice Advogados: Brazilian full-service firm known for banking, finance, M&A and infrastructure work. Directly comparable on transactional and regulatory mandates serving large corporates and financial institutions.
• Demarest Advogados: Full-service São Paulo-headquartered firm with comparable M&A, tax, IP and litigation offerings. Directly overlapping client base with Trench Rossi Watanabe among large Brazilian and multinational corporates.

Broad incumbents

• Baker McKenzie: Global law firm that is Trench Rossi Watanabe's strategic cooperation partner for cross-border matters. Comparable as a broader incumbent international player whose network the firm leverages for multinational mandates.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCl4QsoARbmGTm-YapecgvTA
• Facebookfacebook.com/trenchrossiwatanabe
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/trench-rossi-e-watanabe-advogados
• Instagraminstagram.com/trenchrossi

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Trench Rossi Watanabe