About us

Our History

Until 1974, the sole P&I correspondents in the ports of Santos and Rio de Janeiro in the Southeast of Brazil were the Figueiredo Group, a then large regional organization comprising among their range of activities shipping agency, customs brokering, warehousing, freight forwarding, etc.

As the business expanded and the P&I sector required a fully dedicated and specialised staff to cope with the increasing workload, in 1975, the Figueiredo Group decided to establish a company entirely devoted to representing P&I clubs and other marine insurers in the region, resulting in the formation of Representacoes Proinde Ltda. in downtown Santos with the opening of a branch office in Rio de Janeiro. The name Proinde stands for Protection and Indemnity.

While initially part of the Figueiredo Group, the newly founded company enjoyed complete autonomy in handling P&I matters and, at the same time, gained considerable expertise through its connection with a large organisation in the shipping industry.

Recognizing the necessity for administrative and financial independence to invest in training and remain competitive in the rapidly changing market, Proinde required a shift in structure. Although the Figueiredo Group acknowledged this need, they opted to focus on other businesses. Consequently, in early 1993, the control and ownership of Representacoes Proinde Ltda. were fully transferred to its current management. The Rio de Janeiro branch office was closed and replaced by a connected but independent company, Representações Proinde (Rio) Ltda.

To meet the needs of our principals, Proinde extended its network of offices in 2005 by establishing Representações Proinde (Nordeste) Ltda. and Representações Proinde (Norte) Ltda., in the ports of Recife and Manaus, respectively. The former caters to Brazil’s Northeastern Region, while the latter serves the river ports and terminals in the Western Amazon. In 2018, Representações Proinde (Belem) Ltda. was opened in the city of Barcarena, home to the busy river port of Vila do Conde, near Belem. In 2023, Representações Proinde (Sao Luis) Ltda. was set up in São Luis to attend the seaport of Itaqui and enhance the rendering of services in Brazil’s so-called Northern Arc ports.

After half a century of existence dealing with shipping-related problems for leading marine insurers and shipowners, our company has accumulated substantial expertise and practical experience in the P&I representation while remaining fully committed to the mission that led to its creation.

Learn more about What We Do