Marta Almeida Afonso – GC Powerlist
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Portugal 2023

Energy and utilities

Marta Almeida Afonso

Head of legal and company secretary | REN - Redes Energéticas Nacionais

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Portugal 2023

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Marta Almeida Afonso

Head of legal and company secretary | REN - Redes Energéticas Nacionais

How important is choosing to work with external lawyers who align with your company’s values? Are you likely to reconsider what firms you work with based on this?

Choosing to work with external lawyers who align with my company’s values is extremely important to me, especially regarding the values of integrity and diversity. It is also a way of bringing my contribution to the business environment and promoting the people I feel deserve to be at the forefront of the most challenging transactions.

Working with lawyers who share my company’s values can help ensure that legal advice is not only legally sound, but also considers broader ethical considerations. As general counsel, it is my responsibility to ensure that the external lawyers we work with are aligned with our values and committed to helping us achieve our goals in a responsible and sustainable manner. If we find that a firm is not aligned with our values, we are likely to reconsider our relationship with them.

Why are in-house lawyers well-placed to drive change within their organisations?

In-house lawyers are well-placed to drive change within their organisations because of their unique position within the company. Being very close to management, in-house lawyers have a deep understanding of the business and its goals. This enables them to provide legal advice that is not only legally sound, but also considers the company’s broader objectives and values.

Furthermore, in-house lawyers are in a position to work closely with other departments, to ensure that the company’s values are integrated into all aspects of the business. In-house lawyers can also provide training and education to employees on legal and ethical issues, particularly in anti-bribery and other ESG matters, helping to create a culture of compliance and responsibility.

Overall, in-house lawyers have the opportunity to make a significant impact on their organisations by using their legal expertise to promote integrity and diversity. By working collaboratively with other departments, in-house lawyers can help ensure that their company operates in a way that is legally compliant, responsible and sustainable.

"Marta is both the head legal counsel and REN SGPS (listed company) company's secretary. Marta is responsible for a range of important matters in house. She deals both with day-to-day work, including assisting the BoD and the Executive Committee as well as in transactional work, including large M&A and capital markets transactions. Her vast past experience as a lawyer in tier 1 law firms really stands out, she provides her strategic on all matters and she actively works together with the external lawyers as part of the team. "
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Marta Almeida Afonso - Iberia 2016

Head of legal and company secretary | REN (Redes Energéticas Nacionais)

‘Marta Almeida Afonso has significant experience in handling innovative and complex matters in different jurisdictions, despite her young age’ one source says. ‘She succeeds in motivating the teams in stressful...

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Marta Almeida Afonso

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