Team size: About 90

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

The legal team has been largely involved in the internationalisation of the company for the past two and a half years. Their participation include leading major corporate reorganisations, such as the B3 exit together with the Nasdaq listing (which was the first transaction of its kind in the capital markets in Brazil); cross border acquisitions and their integrations; the formation of new business and business segments in the USA and their governance and legal adequacy; strategizing on day-to-day products and services for the international business; and creating Inter’s SuperApp, which now serves Brasil and the US.

Aside from the international business, the legal team is deeply involved in strategizing and implementing day-to-day products and services for the Brazilian business. On the litigation front, the legal team has been deeply involved in bringing innovation and technology to boost its operations, with the focus on bringing financial and operation efficiencies, data quality and cost control.

What would you say are the unique qualities required to be successful as an in-house lawyer in your industry?

The financial services industry has been going through constant changes in laws, regulations, and technology, and has been significantly driven by innovation. To be successful in our industry, an in-house lawyer must have an in-depth understanding of the environment; be open to changes in the status quo; and be driven by innovative solutions to challenges in the legal and regulatory framework. Even traditional banking services are now being offered in different formats, which challenged their regulatory environment when they were first launched.

Also, the in-house lawyer must understand the business of the company, and the opportunities that arise across our businesses. They should be able to deal with multiple deals, projects, and studies as the industry works at a very fast pace. In-house lawyers should be able to use data to demonstrate the impact that gaps in operations may cause in the litigation front, bringing the business together to solve such gaps.

How have you fostered a closer collaboration between the legal department and your business counterparts?

First, I highlight that the legal team is an important part of the business and forms a team with the business teams, as we have the same goals, which is to booster the company’s revenues and reputation while guaranteeing legal adequacy. We are here to present intelligent and strategic solutions, and we are also part of the results.

I like to highlight that great communication is crucial; the legal team must communicate clearly, with facts and data; be especially open to feedback; and understand the objectives of the business teams to create synergy. The legal team should understand that a risk matrix is crucial, and to what extent it should drive decisions. I also like to foster a spirit of collaboration and team work as important tools to achieve success.

Do you have a cause, business-related or otherwise, that you are passionate about?

I have a few causes that I am passionate about. One of them is to be able to contribute to gender diversity; helping women be included and thrive in their challenges as they evolve in their careers. Another one is being involved in small programs that help the underprivileged in Brazil. I am now in the process of embracing the ESG agenda at Inter, and moving forward, I expect to be able to make more contributions in these two causes (and others as well) with more impact.