The move comes 17 months after the international practice announced its intention to set up a base in the South American state.  'Given Hogan Lovells’ extensive history with local clients and the rate at which the Brazilian market is growing, establishing an office in Rio de Janeiro was both a natural and crucial next step for the firm,' said Warren Gorrell, Co-CEO of Hogan Lovells. 'We see long-term opportunities in areas like infrastructure and energy, where we have leading global practices.'  Finance practice partner Claudette Christian, who has 'worked extensively in Brazil since the mid-1990s', will head the Rio team.  This unit will be working closely with other Hogan Lovells offices that have practitioners with Brazil-focused practices, including New York, Miami, London, Caracas, Madrid, Frankfurt, Munich, Beijing, Paris, Singapore and Washington, DC.