When your case reaches Brazil.
Site inspections, evidence collection and expert reporting for U.S. law firms, insurers and engineering consultancies with matters in Brazil. Court-appointed and party-retained.
5,000+
technical reports delivered
Nationwide
coverage across Brazil
CREA-SC 146.906-5
licensed civil engineer
IBAPE
member institute of engineering appraisals
The problem
A U.S. file with a Brazilian site is not a translation problem
When a claim, a defect case or an asset dispute involves property, equipment or a party in Brazil, the technical work has to happen on Brazilian soil, under Brazilian procedure, in Portuguese, before a Brazilian court.
Sending a U.S. engineer solves the engineering and creates a new problem: evidence gathered outside Brazilian procedural rules carries little weight where the case will actually be decided. Hiring a local generalist solves the jurisdiction and creates a different problem: no one on your side can read the work critically.
We are the third option. A Brazilian forensic engineering practice that works to the standard your file requires and reports in a language your team can use.
How expert evidence works in Brazil
Why the procedure matters more than you expect
Brazilian civil procedure concentrates technical evidence in a single expert appointed by the judge, not in competing experts retained by each side. That court-appointed expert conducts the inspection, answers the questions submitted by the parties and files one report that carries decisive weight.
Each party may appoint its own technical assistant, who attends the inspection, submits questions and may file a dissenting opinion. The assistant does not replace the court expert, but shapes what the court expert examines and can challenge conclusions on the record.
Two consequences for a foreign firm:
The field protocol decides the case. What is measured, sampled and photographed during a single court-supervised inspection is usually the entire evidentiary record. There is rarely a second visit.
Being present matters. A party without a technical assistant at the inspection has no practical way to influence or contest the technical findings later.
Diego Köpp works in both roles: appointed by the court as the neutral expert, and retained by parties as technical assistant.
What we do for firms outside Brazil
The engineering side of your Brazilian file
Site inspection and evidence collection conducted to withstand scrutiny under Brazilian procedural rules, with photographic and instrumental documentation.
Cause and origin analysis for construction defects, structural failures, storm and water damage, fire and equipment loss.
Damage quantification and cost of repair or reconstruction under Brazilian technical standards (ABNT NBR) and local market data.
Technical assistant representation at court-ordered inspections, including questions submitted to the court expert and dissenting opinions.
Property, land and equipment appraisal under NBR 14653 for asset, insurance and dispute purposes.
Reporting in Portuguese for the court, with an executive summary in English for your team, plus a call to walk through the findings.
When firms call us
Typical situations
- An insurer or reinsurer needs cause of loss determined on an insured property in Brazil.
- A manufacturer faces a product liability or performance claim on equipment installed in Brazil.
- A U.S. or multinational owner has a construction defect dispute with a Brazilian contractor.
- A law firm needs a technical assistant at a court-ordered inspection and a report its client can read.
- A forensic engineering firm has a client with a Brazilian asset and no local capability.
How an engagement works
Four steps
1
Scoping call
Thirty minutes to review the matter, the site and the procedural posture. No charge.
2
Written proposal
Scope, deliverables, timeline and fees, in English. Fees quoted in USD or BRL.
3
Field work
Inspection scheduled around the court calendar when the matter is already in litigation. Mobilization to most Brazilian capitals within a week.
4
Reporting
Full technical report in Portuguese for filing, executive summary in English, and a review call with your team.
About
Diego Köpp
Civil engineer, founder and technical director of Köpp Experts, a forensic engineering and appraisal practice based in Santa Catarina, southern Brazil, operating nationwide.
Registered with CREA-SC (146.906-5) and a member of IBAPE. Postgraduate studies in building pathology. Practice areas include construction defect, structural failure, insurance loss, property and equipment appraisal, and accounting and handwriting examination through a multidisciplinary team.
Regularly appointed as court expert by state and federal courts across Brazil, and retained as technical assistant by parties and their counsel.
FAQ
Can you testify in a U.S. court?
No. I am licensed in Brazil and my work product is built for Brazilian proceedings. Where a U.S. proceeding needs the underlying facts, I support your retained expert with documented field evidence, measurements and analysis, and I am available for depositions on the record where the parties and the court permit it.
What language will the report be in?
The technical report is filed in Portuguese, as required. You receive an executive summary in English and a review call. Full certified translation is available on request.
How quickly can you get to a site?
Within a week for most Brazilian capitals, faster for the southern and southeastern regions. Court-supervised inspections follow the judge’s calendar.
How are fees structured?
Hourly for investigation and consultation, fixed fee for defined scopes such as an appraisal or a single inspection. Quoted in USD or BRL, invoiced from Brazil.
Do you carry professional liability coverage?
Yes. Details provided with the proposal.
CONTACT
Tell us about the matter
A short note is enough to start. You will hear back within one business day.
Diego Köpp • contato@koppexperts.com
Tel: +55 (47) 99266-8954
Whatsapp • +55 (47) 99266-8954 (Mobile / Whatsapp)
Santa Catarina, Brazil · Nationwide coverage
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