The São Paulo State Court of Justice (TJSP), Brazil’s largest state judiciary by caseload, has taken significant steps toward enhancing the specialization of its business jurisdiction. These advances include the establishment of Courts of Appeal and Courts of First Instance (Trial Courts) dedicated to judging business cases, in addition to Judicial Processing Units (UPJs).
Together, these structural innovations constitute a strategic institutional evolution aimed at improving the quality and efficiency of adjudication in complex matters such as corporate law, franchising, arbitration-related litigation, bankruptcy and judicial reorganization proceedings, and—particularly—intellectual property and unfair competition matters.
The aforementioned judicial bodies are specifically designed to provide more technically qualified adjudication in corporate disputes, thereby increasing predictability, procedural speed, and legal certainty for litigants. The UPJs, in turn, operate as administrative hubs that handle the procedural workflows, promoting greater efficiency in clerical operations, and the standardization of court practices. The implementation of these specialized units is part of a broader institutional modernization effort initiated in 2011 with the creation of Business Courts of Appeal, followed by the first UPJ in 2014, and further solidified in 2017 with the installation of the first two First Instance Business Courts in São Paulo.
Following the proven success of these initiatives—measured by increased productivity and enhanced technical quality of rulings—the São Paulo Court of Justice has progressively expanded the project across the state. In May 2025, this expansion reached another milestone with the inauguration of the 3rd Business Court of First Instance (Trial Court), also located at the main courthouse premises in São Paulo. The new unit complements the existing infrastructure and addresses the growing complexity and volume of corporate litigation in São Paulo, a state that concentrates a significant portion of Brazil’s economic activity and foreign investment.
Specialized Business Courts play a vital role in adjudicating intellectual property disputes—cases involving trademarks, patents, and acts of unfair competition. These matters require not only technical expertise but also a deep understanding of the economic and regulatory implications of court decisions, which can affect entire sectors of the economy – further reinforcing the importance of judicial specialization.
The newly established 3rd Business Court of First Instance will be presided over by Hon. Judge Fabio Henrique Prado de Toledo, a career magistrate with 27 years of experience in civil courts and procedural management.
The successful implementation of Business Courts in São Paulo has inspired similar efforts in other Brazilian states, including Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro, and Paraná.
The inauguration of the 3rd Specialized First Instance Court is expected to further enhance TJSP’s ability to handle business and IP disputes with greater technical rigor and agility. For foreign investors and companies operating in Brazil, the continued expansion of specialized jurisdiction represents a clear sign of the institutional maturity and growing reliability of the Brazilian judicial system.
