Brunno Morette

Brunno comes from a family of engineers. His interest in law began with his grandfather, who worked for the state of São Paulo in the tax offices. Exposure to his grandfather’s work became the seed for Brunno’s decision to study law at the University of São Paulo (USP). He now has more than 15 years of experience as a lawyer for corporate law and mergers and acquisitions (M&A), dealing mostly with foreign investments.

While still at university, he undertook an internship in Salamanca, which formed the basis of his decision to pursue further law studies in Spain.

At the start of Brunno’s legal career, he focused his attention on roles which emphasized the business and international aspects of private practice. This included working as an associate at Trench, Rossi Watanabe (in association with Baker & McKenzie)), practicing corporate M&A.

He enjoyed his early days as a lawyer, but he was also excited about further developing his connections with foreign clients and foreign investors as part of his day-to-day activities.

Coming to IE University to study the Master of Laws in International Legal Practice – MILP (LL.M.) meant Brunno was able to be part of an internationally recognized academic institution with great diversity. He had been granted a scholarship from the Fundación Carolina, which promotes cooperation in educational and scientific matters between Spain and the countries of the Ibero-American Community of Nations. Among the factors that influenced his decision to study at IE University were the desire for closer ties with Spain for family reasons, the fact that there were so many nationalities in every class, the sense of being in a small, but cosmopolitan, environment and the emphasis of practicing law from a business perspective.

After graduation, Brunno joined Neiva, Barros & Figueiró Advogados (NBF|A) (in cooperation with Garrigues), which was starting its operations in Brazil at the time. He applied to NBF|A while studying at IE University, passed the selection process and stayed with the firm for the next ten years, where he was able to follow very closely the investment cycle of Spanish companies in Brazil that took place between 2010 and 2020.

This also helped him to become more involved with the Spanish business community in Brazil and overseas, allowing him to stay connected to his culture and heritage.

In July 2021, NBF|A ceased its activities. Despite being caught by surprise, Brunno was able to see the good in this situation. He realized that the skills and career investments he had made up to that moment could help him, making pivoting a possible challenge because of his experience, portfolio, network and knowledge. He joined a new firm, where he connected with other well-trained and experienced people.

Brunno feels that one of the most important things in life is to keep growing and developing. He hopes to continue to grow while he pursues his ambitions and interests. Looking back on his career, his advice to others is to “define your goals” and make sure you build a solid foundation to get you there.  It’s important, he says, to have your “North Star” to guide you: this is how he was able to define and understand the actions he needed to take on his own journey. Although you never know whether things will work out, you should still “go for it and follow your plans,” he says. In Brunno’s words: “A career is a marathon, not a sprint. So, prepare yourself and set your pace properly.”

Asked what advice he would give to prospective students, Brunno says that the Master of Laws (LL.M.) at IE University is a good basis for an international career. He feels that having an international and business perspective on law, as opposed to having studied one specific jurisdiction, gives you a broader view, which can be very helpful when working with different countries and different issues.

Visit his LinkedIn Profile.