Team size: Six in-house lawyers

How do you approach managing legal aspects during periods of instability or crises, and how does your legal strategy align with the broader business strategy to ensure the organization’s resilience?

It is important to have a solid management of legal issues aimed at anticipating and prior knowledge of the continuous variations in national regulations. This will serve to protect the company from upfront political, social, and economic changes in the different countries where the company has operations. This way, we would be prepared to implement legal measures regarding any inconvenience that may arise.

In periods of crisis, it is important for legal departments to assess different scenarios prior to taking immediate actions to eliminate or reduce the future impact of adverse situations. This will ensure that the company can meet its annual goals.

It is also very important for every in-house lawyer to know and identify themselves with the commercial goals set by the company for the future. In this regard, every commercial and organisational objective set by the company should be shared with every department, including the legal department. This ensures that efficient plans of action are established to support the operation of the company and the process of achieving goals, ultimately securing the profitability of the business.

How do you prioritise diversity and inclusion within your legal department, and what initiatives have you implemented to foster a more inclusive and equitable work environment?

The consolidation of the in-house lawyer staff has prioritised gender equality, as the team is currently composed of 70% women lawyers from different cities across the country. Additionally, in our hiring process for interns, we prioritise younger students with low incomes who are starting their first jobs in our restaurants while studying law.

We have prioritised that members of the legal team are composed of professionals who are not only highly talented in legal issues but also possess profiles that can adapt to the duties of their positions. To achieve this, we have implemented a collaborative work system where each lawyer shares their knowledge. This approach allows lawyers to become capable of providing counselling and support in every specialisation, thereby securing their professional success.

Can you discuss a particularly challenging dispute or M&A scenario you encountered and the innovative strategies you implemented to address it?

After the acquisition of a well-known company in the fast-food industry in 2020, our company has been undergoing a complex restructuring process aimed at diversifying every business unit. As we move into 2024, the company has planned five important projects, each involving corporate restructuring.

This scenario is extremely challenging for my team, as it requires coordination with various departments involved in the changes. The strategy set for this year involves assembling a work team integrated by every department of the company, with counselling from the legal team to achieve every proposed objective. The teamwork is outlined in a Gantt chart, detailing every specific activity, and progress is monitored through weekly meetings and the use of software designed to supervise each project.