About

Solange Costa, chief counsel for global mining, contracting for Latin America leads a team of three at Vale, the largest mining company in Brazil. Costa has been integral to the development and reformation of the organisation’s internal mining legal team. The modifications resulted in vast improvements to response time, efficiency, and additionally, contractual and consultative matters. The legal department’s participation in significant mining negotiations were additionally enhanced. Costa is a key part of Vale’s strategic decisions, her insights and market expertise make her a valuable partner to the corporation. She explains that it has been a major achievement to be able to ‘participate in strategic businesses for the company with focus on contractual and consultative point of view’. Costa describes her biggest challenge during her tenure at Vale as monitoring the new regulatory framework for mining law in Brazil; despite the challenge she has successfully ensured that Vale’s key activities are aligned with these changes. Having spent 16 years in the mining sector, having previously held jobs at companies such as AngloGold Ashanti and Companhia Siderúrgica Nacional (CSN), Costa is part of a number of associations aimed at the continued development of the industry in South America. She continues to be known in the industry as an expert in mining, environmental and civil law, and won the 2016 Latin American Counsel Award for Regulatory (Non-Financial Services) Individual of the Year. One source has stated that ‘Solange is a member of a select group of mining lawyers in Brazil that inspire me’.