Specialisation: Brazilian Corporate & Employment Law, Cross-Border Hiring, Employer of Record (EOR) Compliance
Neil Montgomery is the founding and managing partner of Montgomery, a Sao Paulo-based law firm that advises multinational companies doing business in Brazil and Brazilian companies expanding abroad. He is a dual national (British/Brazilian) and one of the few practitioners in Brazil to combine deep employment law expertise with broad corporate, M&A, and international trade experience.
At Employsome, Neil contributes expert legal analysis on Brazilian employment law, EOR compliance risks, and cross-border hiring structures to help international companies make informed decisions about building teams in Brazil.
Background
Neil holds an LLB and a Master’s degree in International Law, both from the University of Sao Paulo (USP). Before founding Montgomery Law Firm in 2013, he worked as an associate at Richards Butler (now Reed Smith) in London across the shipping, international trade, and corporate finance departments, and later served as partner and COO of a major Brazilian law firm.
He is a former councillor of the British Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Brazil and chaired its Sao Paulo Legal and Tax Committee. He has lectured on Doing Business in Brazil at Fundacao Getulio Vargas (FGV) and is a regular speaker at Brazilian and international legal conferences. Neil is the only Brazilian-qualified lawyer to have been ranked in four different categories by Chambers and Partners.
Neil co-authored the widely cited IBA article “Legal Implications of Engaging an Employer of Record in Brazil“, one of the only independent legal analyses examining whether EOR arrangements hold up under Brazilian labour law. His practice serves exactly the audience Employsome reaches: HR directors, founders, and in-house counsel at foreign companies evaluating how to hire compliantly in Brazil.
Credentials
Education
Master’s Degree in International Law, University of Sao Paulo (USP), 2002
LLB, University of Sao Paulo (USP), 1996
Admissions & Regulatory
Brazilian Bar Association (OAB/SP), admitted 1997
Recognition
Only Brazilian-qualified lawyer ranked in four categories by Chambers and Partners
IR Global Exclusive Advisor for Aviation Law and Commercial Law in Brazil (since 2013)
Professional Memberships
International Bar Association (IBA)
IR Global (Exclusive Advisor, Brazil)
Worldlink for Law (Member Firm)
Former Board Member (Latin America & Caribbean), Meritas
Former Councillor, British Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Brazil
Former Chairman, Sao Paulo Legal and Tax Committee, British Chamber
Practice Areas
Cross-Border Employment & Foreign Employers in Brazil
Media and Entertainment (including Gaming and Sports Betting)
Selected Publications
Employer of Record & Employment Law
Legal Implications of Engaging an Employer of Record in Brazil, co-authored with Drielle Amate Matta, Patricia Guanciale, and Rebeca Ferreira Duarte Cid, International Bar Association (IBA), Read on IBA
Basic Brazilian Labour and Employment Rights and Entitlements, Montgomery & Associados, Read on Montgomery
Aviation Law
Air Crew (chapter), Elgar Concise Encyclopedia of Aviation Law, co-authored with Drielle Amate Matta and Larissa Paganelli
Speaking
Regular speaker at Brazilian and international legal conferences on doing business in Brazil
Lecturer, Doing Business in Brazil, Fundacao Getulio Vargas (FGV)
