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

I take care of over 800 lawsuits and/or administrative procedures, focusing on Labor (individual and collective), Civil/Commercial, Environmental and Real Estate. Responsible for providing consulting assistance to the internal clients in the listed areas and third sector (foundation). I also provide training sessions for several company departments, specifically in labor law, outsourcing, environmental law, real estate and IP in all aspects, as preventive work (avoiding new risks), mitigating existing legal risks and prospecting new resources for the company. Recently, I took care of implementing a tool to control the Aperam Group’s corporate documentation worldwide and also developed a training package on Intellectual Property for the Brazilian employees. I am also Chairman of the Fiscal Council of the company’s Private Fund (“Aceprev”).

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

The in-house lawyer cannot just be seen as someone who spends company money, paying convictions. So, the in-house lawyer cannot stay in his office waiting for the demands to come in. He must be in direct contact with his internal clients (other company’s departments) and with other external stakeholders because, only then, he will be able to act proactively to reduce risks for the company and capture improvements that can lead to gains for the business in which he operates.

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

The initial period of the pandemic was challenging for lawyers in general, but especially for those who deal with Labor Law, which is my case. Companies often needed immediate solutions and there was a flood of new rules that required hours of study, participation in events, and exchange of ideas with colleagues to understand what could and could not be done. But we came out stronger with more knowledge and more experience.