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Experience

Oscar Graça Couto has over 30 years’ experience in Environmental Law and is the head of the firm´s department.  His practice focuses on preventive counseling as well as on administrative and judicial litigation, both domestically and in cross-border matters.  In the last 10 years, he represented clients in legal suits involving claims of over R$ 200 billion.  Formerly a partner at one of the most renowned Brazilian law firms, he set up and headed, for 25 years, its Environmental Law practice.

 

He is an undergraduate and graduate professor of Environmental Law at the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro and graduate professor at the Law School of the Getúlio Vargas Foundation (FGV DIREITO RIO).  Graça Couto has also acted as guest professor at lectures and courses on environment-related matters at the Brazilian Institute of Petrol, Natural Gas and Bio-fuels (IBP), the National Agency of Petrol, Natural Gas and Bio-fuels (ANP), the Institute of Applied Economic Research (IPEA), the Rio de Janeiro Federation of Industries  (FIRJAN), the Brazilian Order of Lawyers (OAB), the Brazilian Institute of Lawyers (IAB) and at the post-graduate Specialization Course in Economic Law at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ).

 

From 2005 to 2013 Oscar was a Member of the Board at the Brazilian Biodiversity Fund – FUNBIO.

Rankings

• Chambers & Partners: Leading Individual (Band 1 – 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021)
• The Legal 500: Leading Lawyer (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019)
• Who’s Who Legal: Featured Global Expert (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018)
• Which Lawyer: Leading Individual (2007, 2008, 2009)
• Environment – the law and the leading lawyers worldwide
• Best Lawyers – Lawyer of The Year – Environmental (2021)
• Análise 500:
  • amongst The Most Admired Environmental Lawyers (2005 to 2020)
  • amongst The Most Admired Lawyers in the Concessions Industry (2020)
  • amongst The Most Admired Lawyers in the Construction Industry (2020)
  • amongst The Most Admired Lawyers in the Power Industry (2020)
  • amongst The Most Admired Lawyers in the Gas & Oil Industry (2020)
  • amongst The Most Admired Lawyers in the Construction Supplies Industry (2020)
  • amongst The Most Admired Lawyers in the Pulp & Paper Industry (2020)
  • amongst The Most Admired Lawyers in the Steel and Mining Industries (2020)
  • amongst The Most Admired Lawyers in the Transportation and Logistics Industries (2020)
  • amongst The Most Admired Lawyers in Rio de Janeiro (2018 to 2020)

Publicações

Iniciativas Normativas do Estado do Rio de Janeiro para controle da ocupação irregular do solo

Date: 27/04/2017 - Related Professional(s): Oscar Graça Couto

Liberdade empresarial e defesa da concorrência: aspectos constitucionais e econômicos relacionados à regulação de preços em estacionamentos privados

Date: 27/04/2017 - Related Professional(s): Oscar Graça Couto

A utilização de empresas estatais como meio de regulação: os limites e restrições para a criação e atribuições de competências às estatais sob a perspectiva regulatória

Date: 27/04/2017 - Related Professional(s): Oscar Graça Couto

Mitigação e compensação de emissões de gases de efeito estufa no Brasil: o caso do rejeito de gás natural (flaring/venting)

Date: 27/04/2017 - Related Professional(s): Oscar Graça Couto

Infrações administrativas ambientais no Estado do Rio de Janeiro e a responsabilidade administrativa ambiental subjetiva

Date: 27/04/2017 - Related Professional(s): Oscar Graça Couto

“Highly respected founding partner Oscar Graça Couto of Graça Couto, Sequerra, Levitinas, Bicudo, Leal & Abby Advogados is a major reference in the environmental arena and is recognized for his active involvement in large and complex cases. He is lauded by his contemporaries, who describe him as ‘an excellent lawyer’ who is ‘very qualified, extremely experienced and well known in the market’. Clients add that ‘he has an in-depth understanding of environment-related matters’ and highlight his ‘profound specialism and availability’ as his greatest qualities” (Chambers Latin America, 2017)