LATAM countries your role covers: Entire region

What are the most significant cases and transactions in the LATAM region that you or your legal team have recently been involved in?

A major highlight of our recent endeavours involving the Latam region was our Series C fundraising round in 2022, where we successfully secured a USD$200 mi investment by Tiger Global, Insight Partners, BofA and BNYM, who joined our then existing cap table which included major players in the VC space such as Citi, Google Ventures, SalesForce Ventures, Accel, Tribeca and Illuminate. Latam growth contributed to this milestone, as it nurtured investors’ interest because of Genesis’ client base and technology adoption in the region, which include major Brazilian banks and financial institutions, local revenue and talent pool supporting the global organisation.

Navigating the intricate cross-border regulatory landscape and ensuring a global compliant operating model were paramount during this process. Our Latam expertise allowed us to address local regulatory and employment intricacies effectively, which provided an attractive framework, supporting the fundraising success.

This is particularly relevant for the management and daily operations of our Brazilian subsidiary, which I directly support.

Additionally, we established a best-in-class stock option plan that incorporates the LATAM countries’ legal and regulatory complexities, which exemplifies our ability to leverage our LATAM expertise to leverage continuous and compliant incentives to our global workforce.

From a commercial perspective, we supported the company’s business development initiatives with some of the largest Brazilian banks and players in the financial markets. My LATAM experience and Brazilian qualification also allowed us to successfully manage compliance, corporate and commercial matters in-house, with subject-matter domain.

In relation to IP work (in addition to commercial deals involving the licensing of our technology and SAAS sales), we leveraged local partners and my regional expertise to obtain its first trademark registration in Brazil.

What are your organisations plans in the LATAM region over the next 12 months and how will your legal expertise help to achieve these plans?

Looking ahead, Brazil will continue to be a central hub for our Latam business and an important location to support the business globally. We have a substantial talent pool in Brazil and expansion into Latam is often on the radar. The region hosts some of the most sophisticated financial markets and players, which are precisely the market Genesis caters to and is very receptive to innovation and modern technology adoption.

Leveraging my expertise in the Brazilian legal system, fluency of the local languages and, of course, extensive experience working within the region will be crucial in driving these aspirations.

How do you adapt your legal counselling to align with the diverse business practices and customs of various LATAM countries?

Adapting legal strategies to the diverse business practices across Latam is a cornerstone of our approach. My Brazilian legal qualification and profound understanding of regional intricacies, combined with my previous 10+ years’ Brazilian private practice experience working with cross-border, multicultural organisations, equip us to communicate with local stakeholders and clients seamlessly.

The same is reflected in the way we engage with local clients – by understanding the different cultures, interests and challenges, we can provide actionable commercial, business-oriented advice to support the company’s targets in the region.

Having strong partners in the region is key in achieving our goals in the region, and we leverage our well-established relationships with law firms to tackle specific legal requirements – we have a firm understanding of when a national firm should be engaged rather than a global firm with a regional presence.

By collaborating with local experts, we ensure our strategies align with regional norms while maintaining global excellence standards. Our approach is rooted in effective communication and cultural fluency, vital components in establishing trust and credibility in each jurisdiction.