Former President of the Third Federal Regional Court joins Velloza Advogados
We are pleased to announce that, after retiring from the office of federal judge, the Honorable Fábio Prieto de Souza, former president of the Regional Federal Court of Appeals of the 3rd Region (TRF-3), joins Velloza Advogados as partner of law practice areas. With extensive background and a distinguished record of accomplishments in a range of law fields, the jurist will play a pivotal role in the firm’s arbitration, public and business criminal work. The move is part of the firm’s strategy to expand its offering of high-quality services to national and international clients.
“It is with great satisfaction that I return to law, after completing my public career, and do so by joining Velloza Advogados Associados. With 29 years of tradition in various branches of corporate law, the firm is recognized for its seriousness and commitment toward clients and in the handling of their cases. I am sure that this union is set to yield fruitful results for our firm and, most importantly, for our clients”, said Prieto de Souza.
“For us at Velloza Advogados, it is a pleasure and an honor to welcome Fábio as a partner. It is without doubt that, after a long and prominent career in the public sector, he will greatly contribute to enhance and develop several areas of our firm”, said Rubens Velloza.
Prieto de Souza has a distinguished career of more than 40 years in various capacities within the legal profession. Appointed at 36 as a federal judge, he served for more than two decades at the TRF-3, the largest federal court of appeals in the country, headquartered in São Paulo. Apart from having been sworn in as the courts’ president, he was appointed inspector general and headed three specialized subject matter subdivisions. He heard and ruled on complex litigation and trend-setting cases on taxes, crime, privatization, public contracts, banking and capital markets regulation, antitrust and consumers, procurement, tax foreclosure, expropriation, possessory actions, public civil actions and administrative improbity.
At the lower court level, he served as a federal judge in the states of São Paulo and Mato Grosso do Sul. As presiding judge of the 5th Federal Criminal Court of SP, he adjudicated the first cases prosecuted under the White-Collar Crimes Law and the Crimes Against the Tax, Economic and Consumer Relations Order Law. He was one of the four judges responsible for installing the first Federal Tax Enforcement Courts in Brazil. He was also a member of the Federal Justice Council, based in Brasília.
In the Electoral Court, he served as presiding and substitute judge at the Regional Electoral Court of São Paulo for three terms.
In addition to being a lawyer and judge, Prieto de Souza has five years of experience as a member of the Public Prosecutor’s Office of the State of São Paulo. Among other achievements during his tenure, he won the Best Forensic Reasoning Award and completed his assignment as a special prosecutor.
Among the activities he currently performs are that of director of the International Association of Tax Judges; member of the Legal Council of the Roberto Simonsen Institute, of the Federation of Industries of the State of São Paulo (Fiesp); special advisor to the Board of Directors of Colégio Santa Cruz; member of the Superior Council of Law of the Federation of Commerce of the State of São Paulo; and member of the General Assembly of Santa Casa de Misericórdia de São Paulo (philanthropic health care institution, private and secular and a benchmark for health services of in Brazil).
Throughout his career he received several honors, such as Citizen of São Paulo and São Bernardo do Campo, granted by the City Councils of both cities; the Order of Military Merit, granted by the Navy, Air Force, Army and Superior Military Court; as well as the highest distinction of the Army, the Commendation of Grand Officer of the Order of Military Merit. He is a member of the São Paulo Academy of Law.
