Team size: circa 50

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

Most challenging experiences up to date in JM would include the restructuring of the Group’s ownership structure in 2011, the preparation of the legal ground field for the Group’s entrance into Colombia, the legal structuring or set up of a new agri-business area in the Group, and to draft or recommend sustainable corporate governance tools and practises required not only by soft law but also by hard law (codes of conduct, anti-corruption policies, rules and regulations, procedures for transaction with related parties and more).

In the last couple of years, sustainable finance and sustainable corporate governance that was already in the agenda from previous years became a leitmotif for European and national regulation, requiring a special focus from the legal side.

Pressure from Anti-trust authorities grew exponentially both in Portugal and in Poland, requiring much attention from the legal departments not only in dealing with existing proceedings but also anticipating new streams of conflict.

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

For in-house lawyers it is important to “deserve a seat at the table” but, at the same time, it is also important to have the capacity (some even say, “the backbone”) to question and challenge with the decision-makers any course of action that is not in compliance with the law. Of course, along this path the general counsel needs to be in close contact with his C-suite colleagues, talk to areas across the business to understand legal issues beyond the legal team’s focus, cultivate a proactive rather than reactive approach to business and try and develop his own business acumen as much as possible.

How do you feel the pandemic has changed the world of work for in-house counsel and the function of the general counsel?

The pandemic has significantly changed where and how in-house lawyers work. Remote work has become the new normal. Lawyers’ traditional reluctance to deal with technology softened as time went by and the pandemic persisted.

On the other hand, in-house lawyers needed to find new ways to deal with the pressure of a constantly changing legal environment. From the legal standpoint there was an emergence of laws (hundreds in fact) aimed at dealing with the health calamity situation. Several declarations of emergency state took place in Portugal. Across all the jurisdictions it was necessary to assure full compliance with the law making sure the business could continue with minor disturbance, whenever possible.