Can you tell us about your journey to becoming an in-house counsel? What inspired you to pursue a career in this field?

The conversations at home between my father and my sister, who are a police officer and a lawyer respectively, and their passion to defend their positions and points of view, have instilled in me a profound impact and respect for the legal profession. Throughout my legal journey, I have had the joy of working in both the public and private sectors. However, the dynamism, interactions, and decisive management of the private sector aligned with my personality and vision of the future – particularly, the direction I wanted my career to go.

In your role as an in-house counsel, what are the main responsibilities and tasks you handle on a day-to-day basis?

The range of responsibilities and tasks varies greatly. Each project has its own personality and dynamism. I equally support all areas of the company, from HR to Sales, understanding that my attention to internal clients must align with the company’s goals and priorities.

I manage tasks and responsibilities ranging from managing relationships with our distributors, route to consumer, and regulatory matters; negotiating and approving advertising issues and fostering innovation. I am always in search of opportunities that contribute to the continuous improvement of the seven countries where we operate as the South LAC Market. This includes seeking efficiencies, improving relationships, and strengthening external resources.

The active and permanent interaction and participation of the in-house lawyer’s role is necessary to manage the complexity of the seven countries and guarantee the continuity of a highly regulated business.

What are some of the key challenges you have faced as a rising star in-house counsel, and how have you overcome them?

I believe that the initial challenge was to disassociate the stereotype of the in-house lawyer as someone distant from the company’s needs, solely focused on legalities. Once this image is dispelled and transformed into cooperation with teams, with clear, direct, and efficient communication, active participation, simplicity, and leadership in addressing needs with a holistic vision – not merely legal – the perfect bridge is generated for executing plans.

My focus has been on connecting with the team, understanding them, speaking the same language, fostering synergies, expanding my vision, and always maintaining clear, fluid, open communication. Throughout, I have maintained my personality, being myself, demonstrating the best disposition and maintaining good spirits!

What steps have you taken to enhance your professional development and expand your legal skill set?

First, stay curious about everything. The in-house lawyer cannot be just another guest but must have a key role in decision-making.

Maintain a holistic vision when looking for alternatives, understand needs, and believe in my own instinct and experience. Maintain simplicity and efficiency always. One of the most important points is what you transmit as a person and professional. Everything has its own value: the energy, enthusiasm, creativity, and the one-on-one relationship that you build with the team.