Team size: four 

Major legal advisers: PLMJ and DLA Piper 

What are the most significant cases or transactions you and your team have been involved in? 

The legal department of Tabaqueira is aimed at serving as trusted business advisor, equipped to foreshadow, consider, and address threats presented by the business strategies and operation, while working collaboratively to ensure that internal clients receive legal support. As such, the team has been deeply involved in all fronts of business transformation of the company and in all relevant projects, especially those related with the launch and commercialisation of smoke-free products in Portugal and though not risk-free—are a far better choice than smoking cigarettes. The team also manages litigation strategies, defending the company interests in courts and administrative bodies. 

Even in the best-case scenario, Covid is likely to have far-reaching ramifications. How are you safeguarding the long-term health of the business? 

Supporting individuals in the team and assuming a leadership role in the organisation are of utmost importance. COVID-19 confirmed the need to integrate workers’ well-being to push for implementation of new ways of working.  During the pandemic, the legal team constantly monitored legal updates and provided timely, accurate and actionable support to the leadership team. We also worked closely with the business to create relaunch plans and collaborated with people and culture to implement SMART and hybrid work schemes. Importantly, digitalisation and remotisation increased, and many relevant legal processes are now executed at a distance. 

As we enter the next decade, what skills will a corporate legal team need to succeed in the modern in-house industry?  

In-house teams need to be able to make legal decisions that are correct in terms of applicable law, but also correct in terms of overall corporate goals. So in-house lawyers should be more than “just lawyers,” technical legal skills alone are not enough and will not be enough. The in-house legal team needs to demonstrate counselling skills, curiosity, business acumen, and a broad strategic vision, able to focus on both internal and external customers to better understand the business. Finally, by becoming a business advisor and having a seat in the board rooms and business meetings, the corporate legal team will succeed by playing a role in innovation and in expanding boundaries while they continue to put in place strategies to protect the company.