Lawyer and former Carf counselor, Leonardo Branco, joins to contribute to customs and tax areas.
The law firm Daniel & Diniz Tax Law (DDTax) announces its new partner, Leonardo Branco, a lawyer who will bring his expertise in Tax Law, Customs, and International Trade to the firm.
For eight years, Leonardo served as Full Counselor and Vice-President of the 1st Panel of the 4th Chamber of the 3rd Section of the Administrative Council of Tax Appeals (Carf), participating in the judgement of emblematic cases such as the transfer of funds from the Lava Jato operation, fraudulent interpositions, customs review, minimum IPI tax value, classification of goods, PIS and COFINS on financial revenues, credits of non-cumulative social contributions, taxation of investment funds, as well as significant cases involving tax planning and simulation.
With a Master's degree in Law from the University of São Paulo and currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Economic Law, also at USP, Leonardo adds to his career experience as a coordinator and professor of postgraduate courses in institutions such as IBET, FGV, IBDT, IDP, Inova, FIPECAFI, and FIA. He is also a researcher at the Fiscal Studies Center of FGV (NEF-FGV).
As an experienced customs expert, the new partner brings solid expertise in foreign trade operations: "During my years at Carf, I had the opportunity to judge some of the most relevant tax and customs cases in my country, and I am very grateful for all the learning provided by interacting with colleagues from the best law firms and prestigious positions in the Federal Revenue Service. Debating with them taught me a lot about the relationship between the State and the private sector, and I intend to apply this experience to companies from now on."
"The Carf is a place that provides a unique experience of evaluating the work from both sides of tax litigation. The best defenses from renowned lawyers pass through there, and you end up witnessing the work of the prosecutors from the national treasury. They all go there to discuss, present their technical reasons, their memorials, make oral arguments, and you have the opportunity to grow significantly technically if you have the humility to understand how it all works. Now, it's time to apply this benchmark and practice law with these references in mind.” Adds Leonardo.
According to Diego Diniz Ribeiro, founding partner of the firm, Leonardo's experience will contribute significantly to the firm's growth and consolidation in the market. Diego states, "the firm has been recognized as a national reference in tax and customs areas, especially in complex cases that go through CARF. Leonardo's rich experience in that Tribunal, as well as his deep technical knowledge, align perfectly with our practice."
Founded four years ago, the firm, which was pioneeringly composed exclusively of former Carf counselors, has established itself in the national market as a reference in strategic cases and advocacy before the Administrative Council of Tax Appeals, being known in the market as a tax and customs boutique with high specialization.
For this reason, the firm has been recognized by the prestigious The Legal 500 in the category "Firms to Watch: Tax Advisory," dedicated to new firms that have been showing prominence in their respective areas, and it is one of the Brazilian firms recommended by the World Tax, in partnership with the International Tax Review (ITR), for the year 2023, in the categories "Tax controversy" and "General Corporate Tax", the main global ranking specialized in tax law firms.
