On May 22, 2025, the FGV Centre for Global Law (CPDG) and the FGV Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence on EU–South America Global Governance, co-funded by the European Union under the Erasmus+ Programme, in partnership with the FGV Rio Law Graduate Programme, hosted a research seminar entitled The Role of Model Contracts in “Regulating” the Petroleum Industry in Brazil and Beyond.

The seminar featured Professor Norman Nadorff, Special Counsel at Mayer Brown and Professor at the University of Houston Law Center, who examined the growing importance of model contracts as regulatory instruments in the petroleum sector. Drawing on his professional and academic experience, Professor Nadorff discussed how standardized contractual frameworks contribute to legal certainty, risk allocation, and governance in oil and gas projects, both in Brazil and internationally.

The session also addressed the role of model host government agreements, current developments in international energy law, and the interaction between contractual practice and regulatory frameworks in the extractive industries. Professor Nadorff's presentation reflected his ongoing work as Co-Chair of the AIEN Model Host Government Agreement Committee and his experience as a Fulbright Oil & Gas Specialist at FGV Rio Law.

The seminar included the participation of lawyer Lívia Seabra (Tauil & Chequer Advogados in association with Mayer Brown), while the discussion was moderated by Professor Paula Wojcikiewicz Almeida, Director of the Centre for Global Law and the Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence.

The Centre for Global Law and the Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence sincerely thank Professor Norman Nadorff and Lívia Seabra for contributing to an engaging discussion on contemporary regulatory approaches in the petroleum industry.