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The legal team overseeing Novartis’ Portuguese operations plays a key role in the global drug maker’s local operations and has become increasingly vital in a changing market. The small team led by Leonor Pissarra, chief legal officer and country compliance head, supports both Novartis’ day-to-day operations in the market and engages with important stakeholders to strengthen its market position. Portugal has historically spent more than the OECD average on pharmaceutical products for its citizens but the effects of austerity and reduced government expenditure have created tough conditions for the industry. Working closely with regulators so that Novartis can continue to support the healthcare needs of the Portuguese population has been a hugely important aspect of the legal team’s work. Novartis has also been active in promoting Portugal as a site for clinical trials, helping to mark it out as an important centre for the company’s research and development activities while contributing to the perception of Portugal as a market for cutting-edge medical research. Pissarra outlines how the factors affecting Novartis are changing, and how the legal team can help manage this. ‘The legal environment is becoming more and more restrictive and complex to the pharmaceutical industry’, she says, ‘with greater limiting of marketing activities and more barriers to gain market access. Therefore, the support of lawyers is crucial to find ways to overcome the difficulties and find compliant solutions that contribute to a successful performance and strong reputation of the company’. Pissarra speaks highly of her team, especially legal and compliance strategic projects manager Sónia Valadas, who she describes as ‘instrumental to raising the legal and compliance department to the next level’.