Federal court issues third order to prevent cade from executing fine against hospitals and association

The 4th Federal Court of Brasília issued a third preliminary injunction to prevent the Administrative Council for Economic Defense (“CADE”) from executing the antitrust authority’s decision to fine two hospital from Feira de Santana (Brazil) and now a medical association. Both hospitals and the medical association were represented by Gico, Hadmann & Dutra Advogados.

According to the decision, given “[…] the strong evidence that CADE violated the party rights of defense, I hereby order the suspension of CADE’s decision and the financial credit originated from the administrative proceedings […]”.

The judicial proceedings now wait for CADE’s arguments.

Federal Court issues order to prevent CADE from executing fine against hospitals

 

The 4th Federal Court of Brasília issued preliminary injunctions to prevent the Administrative Council for Economic Defense (“CADE”) from executing the antitrust authority’s decision to fine two hospital from Feira de Santana (Brazil). Both hospitals were represented by Gico, Hadmann & Dutra Advogados.

According to the decision, given “[…] the strong evidence that CADE violated the party rights of defense, I hereby order the suspension of CADE’s decision and the financial credit originated from the administrative proceedings […]”.

The judicial proceedings now wait for CADE’s arguments.

Chambers & Partners 2016 recognizes GHD

Chambers & Partners released this week its Latin America Guide 2016 and highlighted Gico Hadmann & Dutra Advogados in the Corporate/Commercial Center West category.

Partner Eric Hadmann Jasper has been individually ranked in the Competition/Antitrust category.

More information here and here

Brazilian government changes social security rules

On December 30th 2014, Provisional Measure No. 664/2014 significantly changed social benefits regulation in Brazil. The Provisional Measure will enter into force on March 1st 2015.

The previous legislation (Law No. 8.213/1991) provided that following an accident or illness of an employee, companies had to pay for the first 15 days of the employee’s absence from work, the remaining period was covered by Brazilian Social Security (INSS).

Provisional Measure No. 664/2014 extended the companies’ burden to 30 days.

Prof. Ivo Gico Jr. Debates Effects of Judicial Decision

Prof. Dr.  Ivo Gico Jr. debated the socioeconomic effects of judicial decisions at the panel Efeitos Socioeconômicos das Decisões Judiciais at the 7th Law & Economics Congress of the Brazilian Law & Economics Association.  The event happened at UniCeuB, Brasília.

Prof. Ivo Gico Jr. was joined by Circuit Judge Arnoldo Camanho de Assis, from Tribunal de Justiça do Distrito Federal – TJDFT, that spoke about the urgent need to modernize the civil procedures rules and Dr. Luciano Benetti Timm, from Carvalho, Machado, Timm e Deffenti Advogados, that spoke how law & economics can help foreseeing social consequences of judicial decisions.

Dr. Ivo Gico Jr. Discusses Regulation and Finance in Sanitation

Prof. Dr. Ivo T. Gico Jr. discussed with more than 40 municipalities the regulatory framework and the financial challenges of sanitation projects during the 3rd Congress on Sanitation Public Services of Minas Gerais.  The event happened at Poços de Caldas, Minas Gerais, and was centered on the financial structure and sustainability of sanitation projects.  The objective was to provide municipalities managers with the legal and financial tools required to implement successfully their own sanitation policies.

The complete program of the 3rd Congress on Sanitation Public Services of Minas Gerais can be accessed here (Portuguese).

Dr. Ivo Gico Jr. joins Political and Business Meeting in Cambridge

Brazil and United Kingdom created a new forum to discuss political, economic and education issues of interest in Cambridge, England.  The event was called “British-Brazilian Conversa”.

With the presence of Professor Dr. Ivo Teixeira Gico Jr., the meeting happened at Cambridge University and had the support of former Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs William Hague.  The forum debated common issues related to high-level education, geopolitics, national defense, infrastructure and quality of life in urban centers.

Other debate included the infrastructure required for the XXI century, with the participation of the President of the Brazilian National Bank of Social and Economic Development (BNDES), Mr. Luciano Coutinho, the British MP Nick Hurd and executives from Brazilian and British companies.

The British Ambassador to Brazil, Alex Ellis, and the Brazilian Ambassador to United Kingdom, Roberto Jaguaribe, attended the panel about multilateral relations.

GHD assists Pharmaceutical Firm settle in Big-Rigging Case

The Administrative Council of Economic Defense – CADE validated, on 20 August 2014, three Cease and Desist Agreements (TCC for its acronym in Portuguese) in cartel investigation cases. Two of the agreements refer to a possible international cartel, with effects in Brazil, between manufacturers of thin film transistors for liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD), a product used in the manufacturing of computer screens, notebooks, tablets, mobile phones and televisions.

The third TCC was signed with Pharma Nostra and three employees of the company and was negotiated with assistance of Gico, Hadmann & Dutra Advogados. It concerns an alleged bid-rigging cartel that performed its activities in public bids held for the acquisition of inputs of antiretroviral drugs (Administrative Proceeding no. 08012.008821/2008-22). In addition to the obligations to cooperate, to cease the conduct and to recognize the participation in the collusion, the company and the employees will collect the total of BRL 331.9 thousand to the Diffused Rights Fund (FDD for its acronym in Portuguese).

The three agreements meet the new regulations for the signature of TCCs established by CADE in March 2013. According to the new rules, parties must admit their participation in the investigated conduct whenever the proceeding regards to a cartel investigation.

Another change was the possibility of CADE’s General Superintendence to negotiate the terms of the agreement when the proceedings are still under investigation, as it happened with the three TCCs approved. Before the new rules, only CADE’s Tribunal had this assignment.

3rd Phase of the Program to Recover Tax Credits of the Federal District

Law 5.365/2014 was published in the Official Gazette of the Federal District, on July 4th, 2014. It establishes the 3rd Phase of the Program to Recover Tax Credits of the Federal District (the “RECUPERA/DF”).

The 3rd Phase aims to settle (i) the tax debt on ICMS (Value-Added Tax on Sales and Services) and on Simples Candango (the Federal District’ Simplified Tax System), as well as (ii) fines and penalties due to noncompliance with ancillary obligations, whether or not they have been registered for collection.

The main benefits of the Program are (i) the payment in up to 120 installments, (ii) tax offsetting and (iii) up to 99% discount on penalties, depending on the form of payment and the timing of adhesion, which can be made until October 22th, 2014.

Prof. Ivo Gico Jr. Publishes Book “The Lawyer that Could Do Math” at STJ

Prof. Ivo Gico Jr. and Prof. Gustavo Ferreira Ribeiro publish the book “The Lawyer that Could Do Math” at the Brazilian Federal Court of Appeals (STJ).

The Law & Economics book explains how judicial decision are not taken in a social vacuum and do generate social-economic consequences in the real world.  The book encompasses 11 papers from many authors dealing with traditional legal issues through a Law & Economics perspective.