Experience

Munhoz is a lawyer and arbitrator, based in Sao Paulo, Brazil (São Paulo BAR Association – OAB/SP – nº 109.780). He is a former Labour Judge (for 25 years) from Sao Paulo and Santa Catarina States. He is a PhD researcher in Law at the University of Strathclyde, UK. He has a degree in Law by Mackenzie University, Sao Paulo (1990), a Master in Law by the University of Lisbon, Portugal (2004) and a PGCert in International Arbitration by The University of Aberdeen (2020). He lived one year in Lisbon (1998/99) and two and half years in Edinburgh, UK (2018/20).

He was the President of the Sao Paulo Employment Judges Association – AMATRA-SP (2004/06), Vice-President of the Brazilian Judges Association – AMB (2008/10), Vice-President of the Latin-American Judges Network – Redlaj (2011/13 and 2015/17) and current Vice-President of the UIJ (Ibero-American Union of Judges). He was appointed to the Brazilian National Judicial Council – CNJ, after the Senate of the Republic approval and nominated as Counsellor by the President of the Republic for the 2011/13 mandate. At the CNJ he was elected as the Chairman of the Standing Committee on Operational Efficiency and Personnel Management of the Brazilian Judiciary.

Munhoz was also Vice-Director of the Judicial College of the Employment Tribunal of Santa Catarina State (2015/17), and delivered many lectures and classes in Brazil and abroad (Argentina, Canada, Peru, Spain, Chile, UK, Mexico, Portugal, Slovakia). He has also coordinated dozens of events and conferences, in particular the XXI Brazilian Judges National Congress (2009), the First Brazilian Judges International Congress in Canada (2010) and the Second Brazilian Judges International Congress in the United Kingdom (2016).

He has received some important awards. Among them the Commendation of the “Judiciary Merit Cross” of the Brazilian Judges Association (2013), Commendation of the Merits of the Brazilian Employment Superior Court (2017) and HaSS Doctoral Fee Award for PhD Law, University of Strathclyde – Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences (2018).

Munhoz published two books (about the Brazilian Labour Reform, 2018, and the Civil Code of Procedure, 2020), chapters of books and many articles. He is also the producer of a channel on Youtube about the Brazilian law (Direito do Trabalho em Minutos).

Services

With his 30 years of experience as lawyer and judge in Brazil, Lucio Munhoz offers exclusive and personal law services and legal advice for Brazilian and foreign lawyers, as well for companies and people in general. For complex cases, he is also a great starting point about the Brazilian Legal System and he has partnerships with some of the best law firms in the country.

Qualified as International Arbitrator by the University of Aberdeen, UK, Munhoz is a fellow Arbitrator of CAMES Brasil (Brazilian Chamber of Mediation and Arbitration) and may assist clients with domestic and international arbitration. He also may conduct the process of recognition and enforcement of international arbitral awards or foreign court decisions in Brazil (see his article about this subject published by CIARb – The International Journal of Arbitration – 86(1), 2020).

Munhoz’s areas of expertise also include Law of Obligations and Torts, Commercial and Consumer disputes, Administrative or Constitutional Law, Employment Law and Civil Procedures. He also have partnerships with respected experts in other legal areas in Brazil to better assist the clients needs.

International arbitrators and lawyers interested in partnerships are welcome.