What are the most significant cases or transactions that your legal team has recently been involved in? 

In the payroll loan sector, during and after the pandemic, we had a significant increase in lawsuits. As a result, the role of the internal legal department, together with partner law firms, was fundamental to mitigate the company’s risks. The team worked strongly on fraud prevention issues, such as: improvements in defenses through legal design, legal opinions on digital contracting (electronic signature), mapping of offending lawyers, among others. 

Did the pandemic lead to a lasting increase in the interaction your legal team has with the strategic plans of the company? 

During the pandemic, the legal team has had more interaction with the company’s strategic plans, due to legal issues and changes in the business environment. With legal and business knowledge, the team provided personalised services, reduced costs, and identified and mitigated potential legal risks. In addition, we helped develop business strategies considering regulatory issues for the long-term success of the company. 

How do you suggest in-house lawyers build strong relationships with business partners? 

To build strong relationships with business partners, in-house lawyers can take steps such as:  

– Know the partner’s business objectives, as it’s important to understand what the partner is trying to achieve with the business and how the legal team can help them achieve their goals.

– Communicate regularly, essential for building strong relationships. In-house lawyers must be in regular contact with business partners to understand their challenges and offer solutions.

– Be a collaborative partner; in-house lawyers must work closely with business partners to find solutions to the challenges they face. They must be a collaborative partner and be willing to help find solutions that meet the partner’s objectives.

– Understand the partner’s business, building a strong relationship with a business partner is important to understand their business. In-house lawyers should be familiar with aspects of the partner’s business and be able to provide legal advice that aligns with its objectives.

– In-house lawyers must be proactive and anticipate the needs of their business partners. They must be willing to offer timely and relevant legal advice to help support the partner’s objectives.