History
ANDERSEN BALLÃO ADVOCACIA was founded in 1979, in the city of Curitiba, by lawyer Wilson José Andersen Ballão, shortly after graduating in Law from the Federal University of Paraná. The firm was created with the objective of providing high quality legal services, initially in the area of International and Maritime Law, with individual and corporate clients, both national and foreign. In the mid-90s, the firm expanded its range of activities to meet the great demand arising from the high level of its services. Specialized departments were established for the main areas of law. Since then, the firm has consolidated itself as one of the most admired stalls in Paraná. Currently headquartered at Avenida Jaime Reis, in Curitiba, the firm maintains a team of specialized lawyers who are fluent in several languages. In addition to the experience of our professionals, the office has an efficient team of assistants and an excellent infrastructure, within the most demanding international standards.
Acknowledgments
Recognized for talent and excellence by the foremost legal rankings
Tradition and innovation come together at Andersen Ballão Advocacia (ABA), a law firm with 45 years of experience that has been consistently recognized in the most prestigious legal rankings in its field.
The globally renowned Chambers & Partners ranking has included ABA in its exclusive list of recommended law firms. The selection is based on interviews and feedback from the market and legal experts. Chambers has been the global leader in legal rankings for over 30 years.
Likewise, the international Leaders League ranking, headquartered in Paris, has recognized ABA as one of the most respected law firms in Brazil. The global credibility of Leaders League underscores the value of this recognition granted to Andersen Ballão Advocacia for the quality of our legal services.
The traditional Análise Advocacia ranking — the oldest and most respected in Brazil — also lists ABA among the most admired law firms in the country. Our firm received both national and regional mentions, as well as individual recognitions.
As in previous years, the firm was highlighted in 2025 for its performance in various areas of law and economic sectors. In addition, three of our lawyers were individually ranked in the Análise Advocacia – 2025 Edition: Wilson Ballão, Edson Hauagge, and Natália Zanelatto.
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Joint efforts are the key to successful outcomes
Having specialists in various areas of law enables the firm to offer comprehensive legal services to its clients. This breadth of expertise is also reflected in the firm’s inclusion in the ranking, with five mentions.
In the Análise Advocacia national legal specialties category, ABA is recognized in the fields of International Trade and Labor Law. In the Ranking by Economic Sector, the firm is among the most admired in the Pulp & Paper and Perfumery & Cosmetics industries. At the state level, ABA continues to be ranked among the top law firms in Paraná.
Another important recognition is ABA’s inclusion in the Análise Mulher ranking. With a legal team composed predominantly of women, we are honored by the market’s acknowledgment of our professionals. Karla and Natália, both featured in the ranking, represent the strength and excellence of all the women who are part of our team.
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German Recognition: Cross of the Order of Merit
It was with great joy that Wilson José Andersen Ballão, founding partner of ABA, received in his office the visit of the Deputy Consul General of Germany in São Paulo, Uwe Heye, at the end of April 2015. The Consul came to inform that the Federal Republic of Germany had chosen the lawyer to receive the Order of Merit Cross. It is an honor granted to German or foreign citizens who have contributed to the development of the German Republic in the socio-economic or intellectual fields. The award was officially presented at an event held in May of that year.
It is the first time that the Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany has been awarded to a Curitiba native, which left the ABA founder very honored. Dr. Ballão was a fellow of the German government, is a founding member of the German-Brazilian Society of Lawyers (based in Frankfurt), was Director of the Brazil-Germany Chamber of Commerce for nine years and, today, he serves as an adviser to the entity. Through his law firm, he has also been working to strengthen business relations between Brazil and Germany for over 35 years. “Everything I did was also in gratitude for what I already received from the German Government,” said Wilson José.
The current director of the Chamber and Honorary Consul of Germany in Curitiba, Andreas F. H. Hoffrichter, confirms that the lawyer's role in strengthening relations between the two countries has been significant. “Dr. Ballão contributed with the arrival of several companies of German origin to Curitiba, in addition to constantly working to strengthen business between the two countries”, declares the Director.
The official delivery of the honor took place at a ceremony held at the Concórdia Headquarters of Clube Curitibano and was attended by the Deputy Consul General of Germany in São Paulo, Uwe Heye, and authorities and personalities of the State of Paraná.
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