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?

In my opinion, it is very important to work with external lawyers who align with our company’s values, and that is clearly something we demand during the hiring process.

Looking forward, what technological advancements do you feel will impact the role of in-house legal teams in the future the most? Which have you found most useful in your legal team?

Technological advancements have greatly changed the way legal departments work within a company. As it is a permanent and positive progress to the work we do, making us more agile, informed and swift during decision-making, technology has a tremendous impact in our daily strategic solutions. Technological advances bring greater precision and enable the strategic planning of the legal activities of internal legal departments. For example, in litigation, I understand that agility and predictability provide an important tool for more strategic decisions in the conduct of legal proceedings. Another important point is that legal technological tools make it possible to identify operational risks with greater agility.

As we live in a fast-paced world today, what skills will a corporate legal team need to succeed in the modern in-house industry?

I believe that it is very important for an in-house lawyer to develop financial acumen, to more intelligently identify where legal risks are, to develop emotional intelligence, and good negotiation and project management skills.

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

For me, it is very important to know the business in-depth, to build relationships with people who work in different areas, to listen carefully and identify issues and their possible solutions. I also believe effective communication, is key, being concise, answering within the time expected and avoiding technical language is of the outmost importance.

What are some of the main legislative or regulatory changes that have impacted you?

Brazil has implemented changes in its labour legislation with the potential to benefit companies in the structuring and execution of their business plans in the country. For example, it was previously not allowed to outsource its core business. Currently, companies will be able to outsource any of their activities. Other changes include the creation of new forms of employment contracts, strengthening of collective bargaining, and changing the way disputes are conducted, with the aim of discouraging workers from filing labour lawsuits.