Brazil target by TW -- will others follow?

Olympic logo -- or
magnet for law firms?

In  a media release earlier this week, Anglo-German law firm Taylor Wessing announced the launch of its new Brazil Group, following the hire of a number of experts in the Brazilian legal market. Taylor Wessing has a noted intellectual property practice, which is reflected by the fact that, with local lawyers in Brazil being supported by their colleagues from Europe, London-based Rosario Valdez-Knight will be spearheading the group's international trade mark law practice.

IP Tango wonders whether this move will herald the beginning of a legal 'land-grab' of Latin America by European and US firms that don't yet have much of a presence there. With major international events ahead (the 2014 football World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games are both to be hosted by Brazil), the potential for heavyweight brand protection, broadcasting and licensing work is great -- and local lawyers under the control of head office can provide a potent combination of high quality work and low overheads.