Comparative law notes
In Brazil, a legally binding arrangement can be called "contrato", "acordo", "pacto" or "termo" depending on the instrument it refers to (e.g., shareholders' agreement = acordo de acionistas; loan agreement = contrato de empréstimo; prenuptial agreement = pacto antenupcial; secrecy agreement = termo de sigilo). The term "contrato" is sometimes used to refer specifically to the written instrument that embodies - and constitutes evidence of - the agreement (SILVA, DE PLACIDO E. Vocabulário Jurídico, 2014).