Brazil Real Estate Litigation
When a seven-figure property goes sideways, we move fast to protect title, secure possession, and unlock your exit value.
• Developer paid but no deed? We force conveyance or unwind with leverage.
• Holdover or squatter blocking a sale? We clear possession on a transaction timeline.
• Seven-figure escrow/broker dispute? We freeze, pressure, and release funds.
We focus on high-value disputes. Routine tax/condo arrears or paperwork-only matters are referred out.
Real Estate Issues in Brazil?
We Can Help
[email protected]
(214) 432-8100
+55-21-2018-1225
#1 Contact us to get a free quote, or
#2 Schedule a Consultation now.
1. Who We Represent (and Who We Don’t)
Our Brazil real estate litigation team is focused on foreign property owners who hold high-value assets along Brazil’s most desirable coastal markets. These are not routine condo fee disputes—we step in when a serious investment is at risk.
We represent:
• Foreign citizens and expats who purchased luxury real estate in Brazil and now face disputes blocking their use or sale.
• Family offices and offshore investors with premium beachfront properties, penthouses, or villas in cities like Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo’s coast, Florianópolis, Fortaleza, and Bahia.
• Clients dealing with real estate lawsuits in Brazil where developer fraud, holdover occupants, or blocked title transfers have put seven-figure assets in jeopardy.
We do not handle:
• Small unpaid condo fee or property tax (IPTU) claims.
• Low-value real estate agency disputes that can’t justify major legal firepower.
• Administrative “paperwork-only” cases like SPU filings for terrenos de marinha or routine registry corrections.
Bottom line: we represent clients with substantial property interests in Brazil who need decisive litigation strategies—not paper-pushing.
2. What’s at Stake (Why Act Now)
Owning real estate in Brazil can be profitable and prestigious—but when things go wrong, the fallout can be expensive, time-consuming, and reputation-damaging. High-value disputes don’t fix themselves, and waiting often makes the problem worse.
Typical risks we see in Brazil property disputes include:
• Frozen sales because the title transfer in Brazil cannot be completed.
• Blocked investments when a developer refuses to deliver the deed even after full payment.
• Lost capital tied up in stalled projects, escrow fights, or delayed refunds.
• Eviction lawsuits in Brazil that drag on, leaving properties occupied when you need them vacant to sell.
• Devaluation of luxury real estate when litigation drags or paperwork remains unresolved.
For foreign citizens who own real estate in Brazil, these challenges are more than legal headaches—they are barriers to accessing and protecting seven-figure assets.
Our role is simple: move fast, use the courts when necessary, and get your property ready for its highest-value outcome, whether that’s immediate use, clean resale, or enforcement against the other party.
Real Estate Lawyer in Brazil?
We Can Help
[email protected]
(214) 432-8100
+55-21-2018-1225
#1 Contact us to get a free quote, or
#2 Schedule a Consultation now.
3. High-Value Dispute Types We Litigate
A. Developer Breach: Paid in Full, No Delivery or No Deed
• Scenarios: off-plan delivery never happens; unit delivered but no title transfer; “cooperative/association” schemes; incorporation/registry defects blocking deeds.
• Tools & relief: rescission with compensation, penalty enforcement, escrow/guarantor pressure, injunctions to force conveyance, asset tracing if developer is moving funds.
• Proof package we’ll want: contract(s), payment trail, any “chaves/keys” handover, correspondence, registry extracts.
Learn more here.
B. Title Transfer & Chain-of-Title Litigation (Luxury & Portfolio Assets)
• When title can’t pass due to legacy liens, spouse-consent glitches, incorporation flaws, or registry irregularities that freeze a seven-figure closing.
• Strategy: fast due-diligence refresh, targeted suits to cleanse title, negotiated settlements with counterparties, registrar pressure with formal petitions, measured media strategy if helpful.
C. Eviction to Make the Sale Happen (Holdovers, Occupiers, Tenants)
• Goal: vacant possession on a sale timeline—not a theoretical court win.
• Use cases: non-paying tenant, holiday property squatter, caretaker turned holdover.
• Methods: eviction suits with strict notice control, security coordination, payment-for-keys where ROI is superior, safeguards against re-entry.
D. High-Value Deposit/Earnest-Money & Brokerage Escrow Disputes
• Real estate agency took a large advance; deal collapsed; refund delayed or refused.
• Angles: breach, unjust enrichment, fiduciary duties, escrow misuse, urgent freezes where feasible.
• Outcome targets: immediate release, interest/penalties, reputational leverage on brokerage groups.
E. Construction & Latent Defects (Serious Money Only)
• Structural defects, facade/waterproofing failures, MEP disasters in luxury towers or villas.
• Experts, evidence preservation, contractor/developer liability ladders, settlement windows that protect resale value.
F. Foreclosure & Finance Litigation on Prime Assets
• Default workouts, auction prevention, lender-procedure challenges, valuation disputes.
• Objective: protect equity, regain control, or engineer a controlled exit instead of a fire sale.
G. Adverse Possession Defense (Vacant Premium Homes)
• Long-vacant coastal or island homes targeted by professional occupants.
• Rapid response protocols, evidence of possession chain, perimeter/management measures, strategic filings to stop the clock.
Real Estate Litigation in Brazil?
We Can Help
[email protected]
(214) 432-8100
+55-21-2018-1225
#1 Contact us to get a free quote, or
#2 Schedule a Consultation now.
4. Where We Operate (Nationwide Reach)
Most of the real estate lawsuits in Brazil involving foreign owners happen along the coast—where international buyers invest in beachfront apartments, luxury villas, and vacation homes. These premium markets attract not only buyers but also disputes, from title transfer problems to eviction lawsuits and developer breaches.
We focus on resolving high-value property disputes in Brazil’s most active coastal regions, including:
• Rio de Janeiro – Copacabana, Ipanema, Barra da Tijuca, and luxury hillside properties.
• São Paulo – Guarujá, Santos, Ilhabela, Riviera de São Lourenço.
• Florianópolis and Balneário Camboriú – southern hotspots for foreign investors and luxury towers.
• Ceara – beachfront investments, vacation homes, and resort developments.
• Bahia (Salvador & coast) – historic properties and high-demand oceanfront real estate.
• Recife, Natal, and Maceió – emerging coastal destinations attracting international buyers.
• Brazil country side – boutique investments and offshore investor holdings.
While coastal Brazil is our core, we litigate real estate disputes nationwide when the assets are substantial enough to justify strategic action. Whether it’s a luxury apartment in São Paulo or a coastal resort development in the Northeast, we bring the same litigation approach: fast, decisive, and built to protect serious property investments in Brazil.
5. How We Work
Our firm doesn’t treat Brazil real estate litigation as routine paperwork. When millions are tied up in a property, the difference between winning and losing is speed, clarity, and leverage. That is exactly how we operate.
We move quickly. Within days of reviewing your documents, you’ll have a clear strategy memo. It outlines what we file, which courts or registries we approach, and what interim measures—like injunctions or freezes—can be used immediately to protect your position. No endless back-and-forth. You know the path, and we start walking it.
We combine litigation with negotiation. A court order alone rarely solves a dispute; it simply shifts the balance of power. We use the courts to create pressure, while running a parallel negotiation track to close deals faster. This two-sided approach is especially critical when your ultimate goal is resale, refinancing, or recovering capital.
We work on your timeline. Property disputes aren’t academic exercises—they’re tied to transactions. Whether you need a squatter out before closing, or a clean title before listing, our litigation calendar is aligned with your investment timeline. We don’t “win late” and watch your buyer walk away.
We make it easy for foreign owners. Most of our clients live outside Brazil. We structure the case so that you don’t need to fly in for every step. Power of attorney, sworn translations, and digital document pipelines mean you can manage a multi-million dollar case from abroad with confidence.
We are selective. If a dispute is minor, we’ll tell you directly. But when the property and the stakes justify real legal firepower, you’ll have a litigation team that is relentless, structured, and focused on outcomes—not billable hours.
Brazil Property Dispute Attorney in Brazil?
We Can Help
[email protected]
(214) 432-8100
+55-21-2018-1225
#1 Contact us to get a free quote, or
#2 Schedule a Consultation now.
6. Fees (Built for High-Value Disputes)
Serious Brazil real estate litigation demands fee structures that match the stakes. We don’t price like paper-pushers because we don’t operate like them. Our models are designed for clients protecting or unlocking seven-figure assets—clear, aligned, and built around outcomes.
Hybrid & success-fee options (case-by-case).
Where recovery or asset outcome is measurable—e.g., forcing deed delivery, releasing a significant escrow, or unlocking a blocked sale—we may structure a reduced fixed/retainer + success fee tied to the result. If the economics of the property don’t justify alignment, we’ll say so upfront.
What we don’t do (and don’t bill for).
We don’t take low-value condo/IPTU chases, routine SPU/registry “paper-shuffling,” or admin-only matters. If that’s what you need, we’ll refer you to a cost-effective service. Our bandwidth is reserved for high-stakes real estate lawsuits in Brazil where legal firepower actually moves capital.
Bottom line: if your dispute involves a premium property or a material loss, we’ll structure fees to drive speed, leverage, and a profitable endgame—not busywork.
7. What You Get if We Take the Case
When you retain us, you don’t get layers of juniors or endless delays. You get a senior-driven litigation team that treats your case as a business priority, not an academic exercise. Within days, you’ll have a clear roadmap: which filings to launch, where injunctions can be used to create leverage, and how the case should be sequenced for the fastest, most profitable resolution.
We don’t just file lawsuits and wait. Our method applies pressure from every angle—court, registries, notaries, and negotiation—so the other side feels the weight until they move. And while the legal fight unfolds, we keep your endgame in view: a property you can sell, occupy, or refinance without baggage.
Because most of our clients live abroad, we make the process seamless. Apostilles, sworn translations, and power-of-attorney documents are handled on our side so you don’t have to jump on a plane. Communication is streamlined and decision-oriented, giving you clarity without drowning you in Brazilian procedure.
Most importantly, we are selective. If your matter doesn’t involve a property or loss that justifies real legal firepower, we’ll tell you. But if it does, you’ll have a team that is relentless, strategic, and focused on turning a complex dispute into a clear, profitable outcome.
Book a Strategy Consultation
If a serious Brazil property dispute is blocking your use, sale, or capital, talk to us now. In a focused consultation, we’ll review your documents, map the fastest legal route, and tell you—plainly—what can be filed, what can be frozen, and how soon you can expect movement. No fluff, no paper-pushing; just a clear plan to protect title, secure possession, or unlock funds.
We work with foreign owners and investors facing high-value exposure. If your case fits, we move quickly. If it doesn’t, we’ll say so and point you elsewhere.
Real Estate Lawsuits in Brazil?
We Can Help
[email protected]
(214) 432-8100
+55-21-2018-1225
#1 Contact us to get a free quote, or
#2 Schedule a Consultation now.