Marcela Pirola
Biography
Marcela Pirola is a senior associate in the European Competition & Regulatory Affairs Group, based in Brussels. She joined Baker McKenzie in October 2022.
Practice Focus
Marcela focuses her practice on the areas of European and Brazilian merger control, as well as behavioral matters and compliance. Her experience includes advising on merger filings and on horizontal and vertical agreements, investigations regarding cartels or abuses of dominance, and diverse other competition law matters. Marcela's experience includes industry sectors such as banking, energy, agribusiness, retail and e-commerce, healthcare, and digital markets.
Representative Legal Matters
- Represented Colt Technology Services in the proposed sale of Lumen’s Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) business to Colt for USD 1.8 billion.
- Advised Carlsberg Breweries A/S on the sale of its Russian business.
- Represented Toyota Tsusho Corporation in the acquisition of joint control of PT. Patimban International Car Terminal by Toyofuji Shipping Co., Ltd., Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha and Kamigumi Co. PT. Patimban operates and manages the car terminal business in the new international port of Patimban, Indonesia.
- Represented Itaú Unibanco in an investigation involving abuse of dominance in the banking and payment system sector in Brazil. The investigation was terminated with respect to Itaú.
- Represented Itaú Unibanco in the acquisition of a minority share in Ticket Serviços (Edenred Group). The case involved sophisticated discussions on vertical restraints and was unconditionally cleared in Brazil.
- Represented ChemChina and Sinochem in their merger. The transaction created the world's largest chemicals producer and was unconditionally cleared in Brazil.
- Assisted in the representation of Syngenta as a third party in the Dow/Dupont and Bayer/Monsanto mergers' review by the Brazilian competition authority.
- Represented Bunge in launching a JV with BP Biocombustíveis to combine their sugar cane businesses, ethanol production and electric power generation in Brazil. The transaction was unconditionally cleared in Brazil.
- Represented Marfrig Global Foods in the acquisition of interest in BRF. Marfrig would become BRF's biggest individual shareholder. The challenge was proving the absence of input foreclosure. The transaction was unconditionally cleared in Brazil.
- Represented Mosaico in the acquisition of its rival Buscapé (Naspers Group). Proposed a new relevant market definition to the Brazilian competition authority, changing its approach to the market. The transaction was unconditionally cleared in Brazil.
- Represented Netshoes as a third party in the acquisition of Nike do Brasil by SBF/Centauro. The case involved sophisticated discussions on self-preferencing and input foreclosure. The Brazilian competition authority ultimately cleared it with restrictions.
- Led the negotiation of complex leniency agreements with the Brazilian competition authority in cartel investigations.
- Represented Pátria Investimentos' affiliates in the acquisition of several competitors. Getting these cleared was essential to Pátria's business plan of strengthening its presence in the Brazilian wholesale market of drugs and medical supplies.
Professional Honors
- "Rising Star lawyer", The Legal 500 Latin America (2019-2021)
Admissions
- Brussels (E-List)~Belgium (2022)
- Portugal (2022)
- Brazil (2015)
Education
- University of Chicago (LLM) (2022)
- Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo (Law Degree) (2014)
Languages
- English
- French
- Portuguese