Case Study Samarco

This episode features a conversation with Sabrina Becue, a post-doctoral researcher at the University of São Paulo, and Eugenio Vaccari, Associate Professor at Royal Holloway, University of London. Both Sabrina and Eugenio are III NextGen members.

The podcast explores the complex cross-border legal fallout of the Samarco dam collapse, bringing together Brazilian and UK perspectives on one of the most significant environmental and insolvency cases of the past decade. Our guests discuss how Brazil’s innovative yet controversial response—including the creation of Fundação Renova and the separation of environmental liabilities from Samarco’s judicial reorganisation—reshaped the role of insolvency law in mass-damage events. We also examine the parallel litigation in England, where more than 600,000 claimants pursued BHP’s parent companies, raising questions of jurisdiction, applicable law and parent-company liability. Through this conversation, the podcast highlights the interaction between environmental obligations, corporate governance, restructuring frameworks and access to justice across borders.

The podcast is introduced by NextGen’s co-chair, Olya Antle of Cooley, and moderated by Francesca Burigo, Professor of Business Law at University eCampus in Italy. It was recorded in early February 2026, with information accurate at the time of recording.