About

Global insurance giant Zurich has had a presence in Latin America since 1964 when it first invested in Argentina, and subsequently followed by entering into the Brazilian market in 1986 and then expanding into Chile, Mexico and Venezuela in the 1990’s. Today, owing in part to a joint venture with banking group Santander in 2011, Zurich occupies a position as one of the top five insurers in the market and as such, is serviced by a legal team based in Brazil. Providing Latin American focused legal support to the Zurich Company, the highly capable legal, regulatory and compliance professionals that make up the team are known for their flexibility covering the complex and often volatile insurance market. Valéria Schmitke leads the team in her role of Latam regional general counsel and is responsible for all legal matters, spanning corporate law, consumer directives, litigation, labour law and insurance matters. The team is also a foundation upon which Zurich can roll out its various products in a compliant manner, as it is responsible for all compliance programs including AML, FCPA, OFAC and complaints handling.