- Home
- Practice areas
- Administrative and Regulatory Law
- Government Relations
Government relations lawyer in Brazil, with agenda, evidence and records
Official letters, meetings, licence applications and technical requirements. Every contact with an authority goes on file and weighs on the next decision.
Government relations, in legal terms, covers every formal contact between a company and the public administration: licence applications, replies to official letters, meetings with technical staff and access to case files. Talk to a lawyer when an authority makes demands, requests information, delays a decision, or when the company needs to bring a request to an official.
A government relations lawyer in Brazil organises how the company presents itself to the administration: what to request, with which documents, through which channel and with what record. This applies to regulatory agencies, state and municipal departments, Procon (consumer protection bodies), courts of audit and city governments.
Many companies treat this contact as red tape and hand it to whoever is available. The problem shows up later: a careless reply to an official letter becomes evidence against the company, a misunderstood requirement delays the licence, and a meeting without a record has no effect. The administration decides based on what is in the file.
Our work starts from a simple premise: every interaction with public authorities must be technical, transparent and documented. This protects the company, respects integrity rules and gives officials what they need to decide. At federal level, Law 9,784/1999 (the Federal Administrative Procedure Act) gives interested parties the right to review the file, obtain copies and submit arguments and documents, and we use these tools on the client's behalf.
When to call a lawyer
Official letter requesting information
The authority has asked for data, documents or explanations within a deadline. The reply is not yet a defence, but anything said in it may be used in a future inspection.
Licence or authorisation stalled
The application was filed, received requirements or has stopped moving, and the delay is already affecting contracts, construction or the start of operations.
Meeting scheduled without a clear agenda
Management will be received by technical staff or senior officials and does not know what to bring, what to avoid saying or how to record what is agreed.
The authority changes its understanding
A practice accepted for years is now being questioned, or the authority has applied the same rule differently to competing companies.
What happens when you leave it for later
- An improvised reply to an official letter creates contradictions that later serve as grounds for an infringement notice or sanctioning proceeding.
- The licence takes longer because requirements are only partly met and the application goes back to the queue after each round.
- Verbal agreements made in a meeting are worthless when the official changes or when the written decision goes the other way.
- Informal contact with public officials, without agenda or record, exposes the company and its executives to integrity concerns.
How we work
File review
We request access to and copies of the file, and identify the stage of the application, pending requirements and the rules the authority is applying.
Engagement strategy
We define what to request, from whom and through which channel: filing, petition, technical meeting or recorded hearing, as the case requires.
Technical documentation
We prepare replies to official letters, applications and briefs with the necessary evidence, in language that technical staff can analyse without rework.
Meetings with agenda and record
We accompany the company in meetings with technical staff and officials, with an agenda sent in advance and a record of what was discussed afterwards. In the federal Executive, such meetings must appear on the official's public agenda in the e-Agendas system (Decree 10,889/2021, on public agendas and meetings with private parties).
Follow-up until the decision
We monitor deadlines and progress, press for a decision when the authority exceeds the legal time limit and, if the request is denied, assess an administrative appeal or court action.
What you receive
- Assessment of the administrative file, with requirements and risks
- Replies to official letters and notices with organised evidence
- Applications, briefs and requests for reconsideration
- Agenda and minutes for every meeting with the authority
- Follow-up report with deadlines and next steps
Why the firm
Transparent engagement
Every conversation with public authorities has an agenda, an official channel and a record. That is what protects the company and respects integrity rules.
Language technical staff understand
Clear, well-documented requests that cite the applicable rule reduce back-and-forth and make the official's analysis easier.
Same team if it becomes a defence
If the contact escalates into an infringement notice or sanctioning proceeding, the team that handled the engagement knows the history and has already preserved the evidence.
Illustrative scenario
Hypothetical scenario, for illustration only. A solar energy company has been waiting for months for a state environmental licence to build a plant. The application received successive requirements, answered by different departments of the company with no overall view. The firm reviews the file, consolidates the pending items into a single reply with revised technical documents, and requests a meeting with the responsible team, with a prior agenda and a record. From then on, the company has a single channel with the authority, knows exactly what is missing and has a documented basis to press for a decision or appeal, if needed.
A hypothetical scenario, shown only to illustrate our method. Every case depends on its own facts.Frequently asked questions
Do I need a government relations lawyer in Brazil to reply to an official letter?
It is not mandatory, but it is advisable when the letter may lead to sanctions. The reply goes on file and may be used in a future inspection, so it is worth reviewing content, evidence and tone before sending it.
Does a Brazilian authority have a deadline to decide my application?
Yes. At federal level, Law 9,784/1999 gives the administration up to 30 days to decide once the investigation phase is complete, extendable for an equal period with justification. States, municipalities and sector laws may set their own deadlines, and excessive delay can be challenged administratively or in court.
Can I access my company's administrative case file?
Yes, interested parties have the right to review the file and obtain copies under Law 9,784/1999. The Access to Information Act (Law 12,527/2011) also allows requests for public information, subject to legal confidentiality. Reading the file is the first step of any strategy.
Is it allowed to request a meeting with agency staff or officials?
Yes, provided it goes through an official channel, with a defined agenda and a record. In the federal Executive, meetings with representatives of private interests must appear on the official's public agenda under Decree 10,889/2021. This care protects both the company and the public official.
What should I do if a licence application is denied?
First, read the reasons for the decision and check the appeal deadline. At federal level, an administrative appeal must be filed within 10 days, unless a specific law provides otherwise, and it may address both legality and merits. If the administrative route does not resolve it, a writ of mandamus or other court action may be considered.
Do you handle matters before courts of audit and Procon?
Yes. We assist companies in proceedings before courts of audit, Procon consumer protection bodies, regulatory agencies, state departments and city governments. Each body has its own procedure, and the work starts by reading the rule that governs it.
Related matters
Other matters in this area
Received an official letter or have a stalled application?
Send us the document or the case number. We will do an initial review and point out the safest path for your next submission.