South America: Litigation, Mediation & Arbitration

IP Bridge and Dolby have filed lawsuits against Chinese electronics manufacturer Skyworth and several Brazilian companies in Rio de Janeiro State Court over alleged infringement of AVC standard-essential patents. A court-appointed expert has now issued findings on whether Skyworth's televisions infringe the asserted IP Bridge patent and whether it qualifies as essential to the AVC standard.

Recent legislative and judicial developments in Colombia have significantly expanded access to arbitration, introducing executive arbitration procedures and restoring arbitral jurisdiction over state contract disputes. These reforms provide businesses with faster enforcement mechanisms and greater flexibility in resolving commercial disputes, particularly those involving public entities.

A Lei Complementar nº 236/2026 introduz mudanças significativas no Código Tributário Nacional, estabelecendo novos limites para multas tributárias, ampliando garantias dos contribuintes e uniformizando procedimentos administrativos fiscais em todo o Brasil. As alterações incluem vinculação da administração a decisões judiciais, redução de penalidades em diversas situações e padronização de prazos processuais.

IP Bridge and Dolby have filed lawsuits against Chinese electronics manufacturer Skyworth and several Brazilian companies in Rio de Janeiro State Court over alleged infringement of AVC standard-essential patents. A court-appointed expert has now issued findings on whether Skyworth's televisions infringe the asserted IP Bridge patent and whether it qualifies as essential to the AVC standard.

Recent legislative and judicial developments in Colombia have significantly expanded access to arbitration, introducing executive arbitration procedures and restoring arbitral jurisdiction over state contract disputes. These reforms provide businesses with faster enforcement mechanisms and greater flexibility in resolving commercial disputes, particularly those involving public entities.

This weekly bulletin from Mayer Brown's Brasília litigation team highlights upcoming judicial sessions and legislative votes across Brazil's highest courts and federal chambers. The briefing covers key cases spanning administrative law, environmental regulations, civil procedure, consumer protection, energy infrastructure, and insurance matters scheduled for September 14-18, 2026.

Wealth that has taken a lifetime to build deserves careful stewardship and thoughtful legal protection. Offshore trusts, when properly structured, remain among the most recognised instruments available for this purpose, enabling families to preserve assets across generations, provide for their loved ones, and make sure the plans they put in place today are honoured well into the future. This article looks at how two leading jurisdictions, the British Virgin Islands and Nevis, approach that goal, and what each offers individuals and families seeking lasting, lawfully grounded protection for their wealth.

El patrimonio construido a lo largo de toda una vida merece una administración cuidadosa y una protección legal bien pensada. Los fideicomisos offshore, cuando están debidamente estructurados, siguen siendo uno de los instrumentos más reconocidos para este propósito, y permiten a las familias preservar sus activos a través de generaciones, proveer para sus seres queridos y asegurarse de que los planes que hoy establecen se respeten en el futuro. Este artículo analiza cómo dos jurisdicciones líderes, las Islas Vírgenes Británicas y Nevis, abordan ese objetivo, y qué ofrece cada una a las personas y familias que buscan una protección duradera y legalmente sólida para su patrimonio.

On August 20, 2026, the “Decree amending Article 1834 of the Civil Code for the Federal District” was published in the Mexico City Official Gazette. This reform unifies the rules on the use of electronic means in contracts, without altering the previously applicable legal regime.

On August 20, 2026, the “Decree amending Article 1834 of the Civil Code for the Federal District” was published in the Mexico City Official Gazette. This reform unifies the rules on the use of electronic means in contracts, without altering the previously applicable legal regime.

This weekly bulletin from Mayer Brown's Brasília litigation team highlights key cases scheduled for judgment by Brazil's Supreme Federal Court, Superior Court of Justice, and Federal Court of Accounts, along with important legislative matters before the Chamber of Deputies and Federal Senate. The August 10-14, 2026 session covers critical issues spanning agribusiness development, environmental licensing reforms, indigenous land rights, judicial deposit corrections, cargo transport insurance, and variou

Contractual liability limitation clauses present complex challenges in Brazilian law, requiring careful balance between risk allocation and legal certainty. This analysis examines how parties can structure these provisions to protect their interests while respecting principles of good faith, equity, and the social function of contracts under Brazil's Civil Code.