About

Following five years of private practice in the market-leading firm Garrigues, Sara Gonçalves joined the Portuguese branch of Endesa, the second largest electricity supplier in Portugal, to lead the creation of an in-house legal department. ‘After three months of negotiation, I accepted the challenge and started working at Endesa on July 18th, 2011. It was an opportunity that I simply couldn’t reject’ she says. She admits that the transition from law firm to an in-house role without prior legal structures was very challenging. ‘I was used to working in a very structured way at Garrigues, with computers, databases, support systems and partners to whom I could turn for advice. When I started it was just me and my computer, and while it has been a challenge, there is nothing like creating something out of nothing. I have created it from scratch’. Prior to her arrival in Endesa, all legal work was outsourced. She started by gathering all the relevant documentation that was scattered among Endesa’s external advisors and organised it, creating file room procedures and databases. Since then, Gonçalves has supported some of Endesa’s most important deals. She led the legal work for the signing of the concession agreement with the Portuguese State for the development of Girabolhos’ dam in the north of Portugal and her contribution for the adaptation of the existing supply agreements to the Portuguese commercial and legislative reality was paramount. Also secretary of the board, Gonçalves participates in all the board meetings and the decision making process.