Lewandowski has been involved in the billion-dollar J&F case since retiring from the STF

The future Minister of Justice and Public Security, Ricardo Lewandowski, was hired as a lawyer by J&F, the holding company of brothers Wesley and Joesley Batista, to act in a complex share dispute against Paper Excellence by Eldorado Papel e Celulose at the São Paulo Court of Justice. Paulo (TJ-SP). The Court is the same one he occupied before being appointed to the STF in 2006.

Between his retirement from the STF in April last year and his appointment by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) last week, Lewandowski was hired by J&F to participate in the panel of lawyers for the billion-dollar case that has been going on since 2017. According to the press office from the jurist, he produced a legal opinion and promptly followed the process at the TJ-SP, participating in hearings.

He was hired “to prepare a legal opinion and promptly monitor an annulment action, arising from arbitration, in process at the Court of Justice of São Paulo, within the full professional practice of law”, he told Newspaper.

The hiring of Lewandowski by J&F also stands out due to his proximity to the judges at TJ-SP. The fight, however, also involves former president Michel Temer (MDB), who works in defense of Paper Excellence.

With Lewandowski’s appointment to the Ministry of Justice, the contract with J&F will be interrupted. However, the financial details of the contract, including amounts and payment methods, remain confidential. The holding company of brothers Joesley and Wesley declined to comment on the case.

The conglomerate that owns the meatpacking giant JBS obtained a recent victory in the Judiciary when STF Minister Dias Toffoli suspended the payment of a fine of R$10.3 billion, part of a leniency agreement signed in 2017, following the brothers’ award-winning collaboration. Baptist. The measure was taken during the judicial recess in December.

At 75 years old, Lewandowski, who joined the judiciary in 1990, was a lawyer until his transition to a judicial career. After working at TJ-SP, he was promoted to judge, accumulating nine years of experience in the São Paulo court.

After his retirement from the STF in April 2023, the minister was appointed by President Lula as the future Minister of Justice and Public Security, with his inauguration scheduled for February 1st.