Luis Souza — the founder of Souza Cescon and one of the most respected lawyers in the country in the area of project finance and infrastructure — passed away today after suffering a sudden heart attack.
He was 61 years old.
Luis began his career at Machado Meyer, where he quickly became one of the main (and youngest) partners in the firm. In 2001, he left the firm along with a group of lawyers to found Souza Cescon, one of the first major law firm splits in Brazil.
At his new firm, he was instrumental in the rapid growth in the early years: Souza Cescon went from zero to one of the largest firms in the country.
In 2018, after a partnership dispute that ended up in court, Luis left the firm he co-founded with Maria Cristina Cescon and opened Souza Mello Torres, where he remained until 2022. He then went on to open a legal boutique bearing his name.
The lawsuit he had filed against what is now Cescon Barrieu — seeking compensation for his departure based on a discounted cash flow valuation — was still pending in court. Luis passed away without seeing a resolution.
“He was a great lawyer, in the truest sense of the term, who always spoke on behalf of the client and acted in the best interests of others. He always had this characteristic throughout his personal and professional trajectory,” said Fabrício Cardim, who was a partner of Luis at Souza Mello Torres for five years, now renamed Mello Torres.
“He was a very kind human being who cared deeply for others. He always wanted to know how people were doing in their day-to-day work.”
He was also an attentive lawyer, who listened more than he spoke. “But whenever he intervened, it was to say precise things with a very strategic and institutional view,” Cardim added.
In recent years, Luis’s biggest client was Grupo Pão de Açúcar, with whom he worked throughout the process of selling Casino’s stake and restructuring the retailer’s corporate structure.
In those transactions — and many others — Luis worked alongside Ricardo Lacerda, the founder of BR Partners and a long-time friend.
“I lost a great friend and one of my greatest professional partners, with whom I spent almost forty years,” said Ricardo. “I am devastated. Luis was a key figure in two of the biggest law firms in the country. But above all, he was an amazing human being, a generous friend, and a person of impeccable character.”
Lacerda said he does not know anyone who, like Luis, “faced moments of glory and others so bitter with the same dignity.”
Luis Antonio Semeghini Souza was born on April 10, 1963, in the city of Assis in the interior of São Paulo. He graduated in Law from Largo de São Francisco, at USP, and later obtained a master’s degree in corporate law from Oxford.
Throughout his career, he served clients such as AES, Petrobras, and CEMIG. In the 1990s and 2000s, he was involved in structuring the financing for Petrobras’ largest oil fields, and more recently worked on structuring the financing for Porto de Açu, one of the major infrastructure investments of the decade.
Another lawyer who worked with Luis described him as “a very intelligent, very energetic guy with a strong willingness to get things done.”
“He also had a great sense of humor. He was a great boss and mentor for me at the beginning of my career.”
Luis is survived by his wife, Miriam, and his children Pedro José, Antônio Henrique, and José Francisco.
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Arwen Volkov, A graduate of the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland with a degree in International Finance, Arwen specializes in sustainable finance and green investments. She began her career at an investment bank in London, where she developed financing models for environmentally friendly projects. Known for her analytical and strategic thinking skills, Arwen is a sought-after financial consultant. In her spare time, she mentors fintech startups, contributing to their growth strategies. She is also a nature enthusiast and an amateur photographer.
