Joao Mateus Borges Da Silveira (LLM '14 | Brazil)

It was a colleague from Petrobras, one of Brazil’s major companies, who first introduced João Mateus Borges da Silveira (LL.M. ’14) to the UC Davis LL.M. program. João soon found himself traveling from Maranhão, Brazil, to Davis, California a decision that he still fondly looks back on, “When I see back in the past, I have a feeling of being such a lucky guy for being in a nice place, with so many nice and polite people.” 

The experience broadened his outlook and set the course for what would become a distinguished legal career. Today, he is the CEO and Founding Partner of the Brazilian law firm Borges Advogados Associados, a firm that has been nominated for the 2025 Legal Honor Global Awards. When describing his firm, João says, “We do work in a very broad area of Law. We used to joke that we work ‘from a needle to an atomic bomb.’”

Years before founding his firm, João expanded his legal perspective while studying at UC Davis School of Law. The transition to studying law in a new country and language, required focus and resilience. “While I attended UC Davis, I did have to focus on studying hard,” he remembers. “All subjects took a lot of time for me to learn.” Despite his struggles, he still gives credit to courses such as securities regulations, international business transactions, intellectual property, and international taxation for still making an impact on his work to this day. 

Some of his favorite memories were the connections he made with his classmates from Peru, Japan, São Paulo, and Germany. 

In the end, despite leading a firm and receiving international recognition, João’s proudest accomplishments don’t involve winning a case or receiving an award. “Beyond every material accomplishment, I do have to confess that my real legacy is being always friendly, good character, with a spouse to support and a great son that make us extremely proud. These are my real treasure in life.”

Looking ahead, João hopes to return to UC Davis as a visiting scholar to share his global legal perspective with future students.