Brazil 2016 – GC Powerlist
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Brazil 2016

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  • Powerlist

Alderiza Agustini

Legal and Compliance Director | Bridgestone do Brasil

Alderiza Agustini has built her legal career on experiences of large multinational corporations such as Adidas, Philips and Claro. Using past experiences to demonstrate her proficiency, Agustini was made legal...

Alexandre Aguiar de Brito

General Counsel | Santo Antonio Energia

Santo Antonio Energia operate one of the largest hydroelectric plants in Brazil, which has the capacity to supply energy for 45 million people across the country through the Madeira transmission...

Alexandre D’Ambrosio

Executive vice president, legal and corporate affairs and General Counsel | Santander Brasil

Last year, the UK overtook Brazil as Santander’s most profitable global market. Nonetheless, with Brazilian operations accounting for 20% of the group’s profits – and its largest division in Latin...

Amira Chammas

Legal Director | Formitex

Amira Chammas oversees a team of mixed professionals including seven lawyers, two interns and one legal assistant for Formitex, a Brazilian company with operations in several areas including papers, laminates,...

Ana Fidalgo

Legal Superintendent | Lojas Americanas

Since 1994, Ana Fidalgo has worked in the legal department of Lojas Americanas, a Brazilian retail chain with approximately 860 stores in all 26 states. The company, which employees approximately...

Andre Brickmann Areno

Chief Legal Counsel | Gerdau

With operations in 14 countries across three continents, Porto Alegre-based Gerdau is one of the largest steel producers in Latin America and among the largest producers of specialty and long...

André Rizk

Legal director | Via Varejo

A subsidiary of Companhia Brasileira de Distribuição and Brazil’s biggest electronic appliance chain, Via Varejo requires comprehensive and timely legal advice to mitigate the many risks the business encounters across...

Antonio Basílio

General Counsel | Enel Brasil

Formerly trading under the brand name Endesa, Enel Brazil is one of the largest electricity companies in the country, with over 15 million clients and almost 18,000 employees. Headquartered in...

Antonio Pedro da Silva Machado

Legal Director | Banco do Brasil

Financials

Antonio Pedro da Silva Machado has served as legal director of Banco do Brasil since 2012, having first joined the state-owned bank in 2005. Having completed a postgraduate degree in...

Antonio Rabelo Filho

Tax director | Oi

Formerly trading as Telemar, Oi is one of Brazil’s largest companies, and one of the largest telecommunications companies in South America in terms of both subscribers and revenues. Undergoing several...

Arnaldo Tibyriça

General counsel | Grupo Abril

Arnaldo Tibyriça is the general counsel and senior vice president at Groupo Abril, one of the largest media conglomerates in Latin America. Tibyriça, who has served the organisation for 13...

Augusto Cesar Fortuna

Legal manager | Almap BBDO

Augusto Fortuna currently leads three employees as legal manager for Almap BBDO. Fortuna describes Almap BBDO as ‘actively contributing to the advertising industry, one of the most engaging and creative...

Boris Gris

General Counsel | Arcos Dourados Comércio de Alimentos (McDonald's)

Cited by nominators as an ‘extremely high-skilled and very efficient’ lawyer, Boris Gris leads a proficient and knowledgeable legal department at Arcos Dourados Comércio de Alimentos, the Brazilian part of...

Breno Rodrigo Pacheco de Oliveira

Secretary general and General Counsel | Vivo

Breno Rodrigo Pacheco de Oliveira has spent over 16 years with telecommunications giant Vivo – which is Spanish multinational Telefônica’s presence in Brazil. Leading Vivo’s legal team, a function comprising...

Bruno Damasceno

Legal Manager | Sulnorte Serviços Marítimos

Bruno Damasceno, legal manager at Sulnorte Serviços Marítimos, is referred to by one source as ‘an excellent professional, with business-oriented vision and exceptional knowledge on tax litigation’. Across his career...

Carlos Silva

Legal director | Angeloni Group

Cited by one nominator as possessing ‘a solid technical and academic background’, Carlos Silva’s legal expertise has drawn acclaim throughout the industry. Silva is credited by partners for his enhanced...

Claudia Politanski

Vice president legal | Itaú Unibanco

Financials

Claudia Politanski has been integral in the building of Itaú Unibanco’s legal department; a team of 721 professionals, which is widely recognised for its technical excellence and management expertise by...

Clovis Torres

Executive officer, general counsel and chairman of the board of directors | Vale

Clovis Torres is the executive officer, general counsel and chairman of the board of directors at Vale, the largest mining company in Brazil. Torres is praised by one source for...

Cristiane Rego

Legal coordinator - corporate executive | Braskem

Boasting approximately 15 years of experience across the chemical and petrochemical industry, Cristiane Rego has provided legal support at companies including Petroquímica União and Quattor Participações where she spent a...

Eduardo Andretto

General Counsel | Fibria Celulose

Eduardo Andretto is the General Counsel at Fibria Celulose, a pulp and paper company, specialising in the cultivation of forests as renewable and sustainable sources of life. Andretto originally joined...

Eduardo Frota

Legal Director | The Coca-Cola Company

Food, beverages and tobacco

Eduardo Frota has been working within in-house legal teams of multinational corporations for over 15 years, gaining experience in the energy and fast-moving consumer goods sectors. Currently the legal director...

Erica Barbagalo

Legal Director | Monsanto Brasil

Legal director Erica Barbagalo leads a team of 23 employees at Monsanto Brasil, an agriculture and biotechnology company. Barbagalo has been praised for her role in revolutionising the legal department...

Ernesto Antunes de Carvalho

Superintendent of the legal department | Banco Safra

Financials

Cited as a key figure in the legal and banking industry, Ernesto Antunes de Carvalho is regarded by nominators as an ‘extremely technical lawyer, with deep knowledge on litigation’. The...

Fabiana Bianchini

Legal and compliance manager | Sura Insurance Brazil

Insurance

Following Grupo Sura’s acquisition of RSA Insurance’s Latin American assets, Sura Insurance (Brazil) was formed early in 2016. Legal and compliance manager Fabiana Bianchini was a key part of this...

Fabiana Medeiros

Legal manager | Companhia Brasileira de Metalurgia e Mineração (CBMM)

Brazilian mining company Companhia Brasileira de Metalurgia e Mineração (CBMM) are specialists in the mining and processing of niobium, which is used to create a steel-strengthening alloy. CBMM is the...

Fabio Calpacci Leone

Legal and Tax Director | Grupo Pão de Açúcar (GPA)

Praised by several external sources as being ‘a leading GC in Brazil’, and an ‘outstanding legal and tax director with very accurate legal and business skills’, Fabio Leone is legal...

Fabio Spina

‎Global general counsel | CSN

Fabio Spina is in charge of global legal affairs at Companhia Siderúrgica Nacional (CSN), one of the largest steel producers in Latin America. Spina, a widely renowned lawyer, has assisted in...

Fatima Picoto

Legal Director Brazil | GlaxoSmithKline

‘I’m contributing, through my work, to make a better world. Each partnership on the vaccines field represents more people protected against some diseases’, says Fatima Picoto legal director for Brazil...

Felipe Alves

Legal director | Janssen Cilag Pharmaceutical

Healthcare

Felipe Alves is the current legal director of the Brazilian arm of Janssen Cilag Pharmaceutical, who operate as a subsidiary of American pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson. Alves has held...

Fernanda Bardi

Legal Director | Wal-Mart Brasil

Fernanda Bardi, legal director for Wal-Mart in Brazil, has won praise for keeping a cool head in difficult times. The retailer has reportedly closed around 10% of its Brazilian outlets...

Fernanda Rocha C. Pogliese

Legal manager | Energisa

Fernanda Rocha C. Pogliese heads legal matters at Energisa, a privately-held energy company that distributes to 7% of the Brazilian population. The legal manager, who has been with the company...

Fernando Calia

Legal and Corporate Affairs, Brazil and Southern Cone | PepsiCo

Food, beverages and tobacco

Taking a legal leadership position across a large geographic region at one of the world’s most recognisable brands, Fernando Calia oversees legal and corporate affairs across the Brazil and Southern...

Fernando Merino

Group General Counsel | Grupo Pão de Açucar (GPA)

With a long history of leading legal departments in some of the most important companies in Brazil, Fernando Merino can point to a distinguished career across the banking, mining and...

Fernando Rascov Lodi

Legal director - Latin America | Sherwin-Williams

Referred by nominators as a ‘dynamic individual with highly developed legal instincts’, Fernando Rascov Lodi is credited for the development of an optimal legal division that demonstrates a significant influence...

Fernando Zanetti

Legal and compliance director | Zanetti

Fernando Zanetti leads the legal department at Bunge Brasil, a global agribusiness and food company. Zanetti believes that, as legal and compliance director, it is incumbent on him to ‘ensure...

Flávio Franco

Legal Director | Netshoes

Netshoes is a fast growing sporting goods e-commerce company that operate with a relatively compact legal department led by legal director Flávio Franco. Taking overall responsibility for all legal matters...

Flavio Valle

General counsel | Prumo Logistica

Flavio Valle is described by one nominator as ‘having managed to train and maintain a top-notch legal department in the face of the broad economic and political crises that have...

Glaucus Pimenta

Legal Director | Grupo Águas do Brasil

Legal director Glaucus Pimenta is cited by sources as a ‘first-rate and quality legal expert’. Pimenta is responsible for legal affairs at Grupo Águas do Brasil, a provider of solutions...

Guido Rogerio Macedo Silveira Filho

Legal general manager | Ipiranga

Oil industry veteran Guido Rogerio Macedo Silveira Filho has represented some of the largest companies in the sector since 1994. He has been with Ipiranga – a subsidiary of Ultrapar...

Gustavo Costa

Executive Legal Director and compliance officer | White Martins

Noted for being ‘open to the search for practical and innovative solutions’, current executive legal director and compliance officer Gustavo Costa has almost two decades of experience within the White...

Henrique Rabelo

Legal manager | Cast Group

Formed more than a quarter of a century ago, Brazilian information technology (IT) company Cast Group specialises in IT consulting, outsourcing and the integration of software platforms. Although Cast has...

Heraldo Geres

Vice President Legal | Marfrig Group

Since 2006 Heraldo Geres has been at multinational food company Marfrig Group, where he currently assumes the role of vice president overseeing legal affairs from the company’s base in São...

Ivan Dilly

Legal Director | Rolls Royce Brazil

Rolls Royce’s first in-house lawyer in Brazil, Ivan Dilly has over 15 years of experience to draw from in the world famous engineering company’s Brazilian outpost. Currently its legal director...

Joana Rocha

Legal Manager | Brasil Insurance

Insurance

Described by one source as ‘an extremely professional, business-oriented, responsive and yet still kind and patient lawyer’, Joana Rocha serves as legal manager at Brasil Insurance, the first insurance brokerage...

Joao Vicente Camarota

Managing Director - head of legal South America | Morgan Stanley

Joao Vicente Camarota is currently managing director and head of legal in South America for Morgan Stanley, covering Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Peru and Uruguay. Camarota started his legal career...

Johan Albino Ribeiro

General counsel | Banco Bradesco

Financials

Commended by one source for his ‘abilities and wisdom’, Johan Albino Ribeiro has been described as a ‘skilled and seasoned lawyer who excels as a negotiator, always finding sound solutions...

Jonas Pulcheri

Legal manager | Rede D'Or São Luiz

Rede D’Or São Luiz is the largest independent hospital operator in Brazil, with more than 4,000 beds and 34,000 employees across Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Pernambuco Federal District....

José Alvarenga

Legal & Compliance Manager | Icatu Holding S/A

José Alvarenga is the legal and compliance manager at Icatu Holding S/A, an independent Brazilian life insurer, pension provider and financial planner for 5.5 million customers. Alvarenga has been central...

Jose Moscati

Managing director and associate General Counsel - contracting Latin America | Accenture

Professional services firm Accenture has operations across the world, and Jose Moscati operates as one of the most senior figures in its Latin America business working out of São Paulo....

José Roberto Pernomian Rodrigues

Vice president - legal and corporate affairs | BRF

BRF is a large Brazilian food company that has been in business for over 82 years, creating products under several brand names including Sadia, Perdigão and Qualy. Sadia was recently...

Josie Jardim

General Counsel for Latin America | GE

Josie Jardim, General Counsel for Latin America at GE, is defined by one source as a ‘well trained legal professional with in-depth business expertise’. The industry renowned Jardim supports GE,...

Júlio Cesar Beltrão

Legal Director – Latin America | Unilever

Legal director Júlio Cesar Beltrão is responsible for the labour and litigation matters for Unilever across Latin America. Beltrão has been praised for his ability to deliver clear and concise...

Katia Caruso

Senior Counsel and Compliance officer | Evonik Degussa Brasil

With over 15 years of in-house experience, Katia Caruso has proven her legal ability and commercial nous in her current role as senior counsel and compliance officer at Evonik Degussa...

Katia Valverde Junqueira

Director of Legal Affairs Brazil | Gas Natural Fenosa Brasil

Katia Valverde Junqueira is director of legal affairs in Brazil for Gas Natural Fenosa, a Spanish multinational specialising in distribution, supply and transportation of natural gas. The Brazilian part of...

Khalil Kaddissi

Legal Director | JBS

Khalil Kaddissi is legal director at JBS, the largest meat processing company in the world, overseeing the corporate law department. Upon joining JBS in 2014, Kaddissi gained responsibility for contracts,...

Leandro Miana Telles

Deputy general counsel and head of legal investment banking | Banco Itaú

Financials

Leandro Miana Telles is the head of legal for investment banking at Banco Itaú BBA, the corporate investment arm of Brazil’s Itaú Unibanco group, one of the leading banks in...

Leonardo Viveiros de Castro

Chief legal officer | Leste Investimentos

Leonardo Viveiros is characterised by his peers as a ‘renowned business lawyer with a broad practice experience’. Viverios who leads a team of 10 has spearheaded strategic decision-making at Leste...

Louangela Bianchini

Head of Legal | Cielo

As one source stated, Louangela Bianchini is a ‘stellar lawyer, putting into practice her long experience of finance law’ as head of legal at Cielo, the largest Brazilian credit and...

Lucia Paolini

Vice president legal and business affairs | Fox Latin American Channels

Lucia Paolini, vice president legal and business affairs at Fox Latin American Channels, has accumulated a wealth of experience during her illustrious career. Her current tenure at Fox Latin American...

Luciana Ferreira

Legal Director, compliance, regulatory and sustainability | Rio Energy

Luciana Ferreira has been described by sources as a ‘dedicated and knowledgeable lawyer with an eye for business’. Ferreira currently leads a team of 10 at Rio Energy, an investment...

Luciana Freire

Legal Manager | Banco BMG

Financials

Luciana Freire is legal manager at Brazilian financial institution Banco BMG, who benefit from what one nominator calls Freire’s ‘extremely professional, business-oriented and responsive’ approach. With a remit that includes...

Luciano Araújo Ferraz

Legal and Regulatory Director | TAESA

Luciano Araújo Ferraz is the legal and regulatory director for TAESA (The Transmitting Electricity Alliance SA), one of the largest private electricity transmission groups by revenue in Brazil. With approximately...

Luis dos Santos Martins

General Counsel | IBM Brazil

Luis dos Santos Martins currently leads a team of 75 lawyers, paralegals and corporate security experts in his role as General Counsel for IBM Brazil. Martins is an expert in...

Luis Fernando Radulov Queiroz

Vice president, general counsel and integrity officer - South America | ABB

Luis Fernando Radulov Queiroz describes the role of a general counsel as a highly challenging yet rewarding duty. He explains that it is imperative a general counsel is able to...

Luiz Eduardo F. do Amaral Osorio

Vice president, chief legal and institutional relations officer | CPFL Energia Group

Currently serving as the chief legal and institutional relations officer at CPFL Energia, Brazil’s largest private company in the power sector, operating in generation, transmission and distribution, Luiz Eduardo F....

Luiz Rodolfo Ryff

General counsel for the presidency | Rio 2016 Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games

An experienced and diligent general counsel with over 15 years of involvement in the Olympic movement, Luiz Rodolfo Ryff is well-placed to dispense readily accessible, high quality and cost-effective legal...

Márcio Silveira

Legal and compliance | Oracle

Márcio Silveira is in charge of legal and compliance matters at Oracle, an international computer technology company. Silveira leads a highly skilled and efficient legal department that has assisted Oracle...

Marco Araújo

Global General Counsel - commercial banking and regional General Counsel Latin America | HSBC

Marco Araújo’s global and regional remit reflects the high level of operational and legal expertise he brings to HSBC, experience gained from an in-house career that extends to over 20...

Maria da Graça Montalvão

Legal Director, General Legal Counsel | Yamana Gold Brazil

Yamana Gold, is a Canadian-based gold producer with significant gold and copper production, exploration properties, and land positions in Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Mexico and Colombia. Maria da Graça Montalvão is...

Maria Izabel Cardozo

Legal Director | Philip Morris Brazil

Maria Izabel Cardozo is legal director at American tobacco company Philip Morris’ Brazilian affiliate, a role in which she provides full legal support to the company and manages the department...

Mauricio Bezerra

General Counsel | Odebrecht Ambiental

Mauricio Bezerra is General Counsel of Odebrecht Ambiental, the water and wastewater business of the historic Brazilian conglomerate Odebrecht. Joining Odebrecht in 2007, Bezerra initially led the tax and finance...

Mauricio Joffily Pinheiro

Head counsel Latin America | Shire

Based in São Paulo, but with a continent-wide remit, Mauricio Joffily Pinheiro is Shire’s head counsel for the Latin America region, a position he has held since February 2015. Arriving...

Maytê Ximenes

Legal director Brazil | Groupon Brasil

In 2012, Maytê Ximenes joined Groupon Brasil with the task to ‘manage people and help to develop the business’ for the global e-commerce platform that specialises in offering discounts on...

Nelcina Tropardi

General counsel and corporate relations director - Paraguay, Uruguay and Brazil | Diageo

Able to ‘command respect and inspire confidence’ by offering ‘creative legal solutions’ across three different jurisdictions, Nelcina Tropardi is Diageo’s general counsel and corporate relations director for Paraguay, Uruguay and...

Newman Debs

Legal Director | Unilever

Newman Debs is the legal director at Unilever, the global consumer goods company, where he leads 10 lawyers and specialists in critical areas including competition, litigation, labour, commercial, marketing support...

Patricia Barbelli

Legal Director | Whirlpool Latin America

Seasoned lawyer Patricia Barbelli is the legal director at Whirlpool Latin America, an international home appliances provide. She is proficient in a wide range of areas including contracts, litigation, tax,...

Patricia Thomazelli

Legal superintendent | Itaú Unibanco

Financials

With approximately 45 employees reporting into her, Patricia Thomazelli focuses on institutional legal matters at Itaú Unibanco, the Brazilian banking group that has a wide range of financial operations across...

Pedro De Abreu Mariani

General Counsel | AmBev

Pedro De Abreu Mariani has been with AmBev since 2004, and currently holds the position of General Counsel and corporate affairs officer. In this joint role Mariani oversees the legal...

Pedro Pace

Legal Director Latin America | Apple

Praised by one nominator for his advanced and ‘proactive approach’, seasoned legal director Pedro Pace is renowned throughout the technology sector for his in-depth expertise and enhanced business acumen. Pace...

Priscila Cruz

Legal, compliance, security and corporate affairs director - Latin America | RB

As an individual who prides herself on ‘making a difference in people’s lives’ through her work, Priscila Cruz is currently in charge of RB’s (formerly known as Reckitt Benckiser) legal,...

Rafael Magalhães Martins

Legal Specialist -corporate affairs | Invepar

Rafael Magalhães Martins is the senior counsel in charge of corporate affairs for Invepar, the infrastructure holding company that owns stakes in São Paulo–Guarulhos International Airport, Linha Amarela and the...

Raul Lycurgo Leite

Chief Counsel | Cemig

Cemig is a well-established power company that operates in 23 Brazilian states, the company has a 25% market share in the region, and is responsible for the operation of 120...

Reinaldo Morais Filho

General Counsel | Cetip

Cetip is one of the biggest companies within Brazil’s financial system, and despite a relatively rocky period for the sector in the country, Reinaldo Morais Filho continues to prove his...

Renato Maia Lopes

General Counsel | Votorantim Metais

The talented Renato Maia Lopes has almost two decades of experience in the legal sector. Cited by one source as ‘diligent and articulate’, the knowledgeable lawyer has been integral to...

Ricardo Mourao

General Counsel - Brazil | Goldman Sachs

Two events over the past decade have seen Goldman Sachs play an important symbolic role in Brazil’s economic fortunes. In 2006, the firm launched its US-domiciled “BRIC” fund, targeting growth...

Ricardo Sasaki

Legal director | Ajinomoto do Brasil

A deeply experienced lawyer with excellent problem-solving abilities, Ricardo Sasaki is the director of legal and intellectual property at Ajinomoto do Brasil, the Brazilian arm of the Japanese food and...

Roberta Carvalho

Legal Director | Nike do Brasil

Roberta Carvalho has more than 20 years’ experience as an in-house lawyer across a variety of sectors, including technology, telecommunications and sports. Currently holding the position of legal director for...

Roberto Paes

General Counsel Americas | Tetra Pak Americas

As regional general counsel for Tetra Pak in the Americas, Roberto Paes oversees the legal affairs for Tetra Pak’s operations throughout North, Central and South American countries. In-line with this...

Sandra Gebara

Legal Director | Carrefour

The Brazilian operations of French multinational supermarket and retail chain Carrefour, the world’s second largest retailer by sales, have played an increasingly significant role in the group’s activities over recent...

Sandra Lopez Gorbe

Head of Legal | Ultrapar

Before joining Ultrapar in 2008, Sandra Lopez Gorbe accumulated experience from various other large listed companies including two years in Merrill Lynch São Paulo, as well as law firms across...

Sergio Pompilio

Executive vice president legal and corporate affairs | Johnson & Johnson

Assuming his current position in 2012, after several stints in-house at large companies in Brazil, Sergio Pompilio is executive vice president for legal and corporate affairs at Johnson & Johnson’s...

Shirley Meschke

Legal Director | Laboratórios Pfizer

Shirley Meschke joined Pfizer, the world’s largest research-based pharmaceutical company, in 2006. Having led mergers, acquisitions, divestments, business transactions and corporate reorganisations that were crucial to the region, she was...

Silvia Santiago

Legal Manager | Guy Carpenter

Silvia Santiago is the legal manager at Guy Carpenter, a subsidiary of Marsh & McLennan that specialises in risk and reinsurance. Santiago is proficient in technical and legal support in...

Solange Costa

Chief Counsel for Global Mining | Vale

Solange Costa, chief counsel for global mining, contracting for Latin America leads a team of three at Vale, the largest mining company in Brazil. Costa has been integral to the...

Susana Silveira

Executive General Counsel and Legal Superintendent | Camargo Corrêa

Executive General Counsel Susana Silveira oversees the legal department for Camargo Corrêa, one of Brazil’s largest private conglomerates that has operations domestically and internationally for products spanning real estate, construction,...

Suzana Fagundes

Head of Legal, compliance and institutional relations for Central and South Americas | ArcelorMittal Brasil

ArcelorMittal, the Luxembourg-headquartered company that is the largest steel producer in the world, has expanded its operations in Latin America significantly in the past decade. ArcelorMittal Brasil is comprised of...

Terena Rodrigues

Executive vice president and general counsel | Embraer

Serving as general counsel at Embraer, an international frontrunner in the aerospace sector, the talented and adaptable Terena Rodrigues has accumulated a wealth of experience over 12 years in many...

Vanessa Santos Magalhães

Legal and government relations manager | adidas

‘If I had to define an in-house lawyer I would say: a competent, technical professional with curiosity and interest in the business and operational aspects of her industry’, says legal...

Vivian de Bocchio

General Counsel | Olympus Optical

Described by one nominator as a ‘very capable lawyer, with a talent to handle several complex issues simultaneously without losing efficiency’, Vivian de Moraes Simoes Bocchio leads Olympus Optical do...

Wilson Carlos Pereira Ivo

Executive Legal Director and Compliance Officer | Merck Sharp & Dohme

Executive legal director and compliance officer Wilson Carlos Pereira Ivo describes working in a challenging environment and in multidisciplinary areas of the law as ‘very exciting’. Ivo currently leads the...

For 29 years, The Legal 500 has been analysing the capabilities of law firms across the world. The GC Powerlist is the latest publication from The Legal 500, turning its attention to the in-house function, and recognising those corporate counsel who are driving the legal business forward. The latest edition is the GC Powerlist: Brazil, which identifies an array of the most influential and innovative in-house counsel working in the region.

The GC Powerlist is a series of publications, highlighting the most influential in-house lawyers in business today.

We have canvassed opinions from law firm partners and in-house counsel across Brazil, to identify corporate counsel that have been instrumental in changing or forming opinions within their company or industry; developing brilliant technical solutions to complex issues; creating innovative structures to ensure that the in-house function is driving the business forward; or providing a business working model that other corporate counsel should follow. Our team of experienced researchers assessed the nominations, speaking both to general counsel and nominating lawyers to finalise each jurisdictional list. The GC Powerlist: Brazil features not just information on why that individual has made the list, but also comment from the law firms about how they feel individual corporate counsel have helped shape innovation in the legal industry.

CBSG

CBSG logo

Notwithstanding the frustration resulting from the relaxation of the Brazilian economic austerity policies that led the country to lose very quickly an arduously earned investment grade, Brazil is the undisputable leader of Latin America and, with a GDP of more than USD 1.5tn, one of the world’s ten largest economies. It is true that in the past five years the public administrations (not only the federal, but the majority of state and municipal administrations all over the country) failed to act even when the signs that the good times were coming to an end appeared. It is also true that corruption drained enormous amounts of money and led to disastrous endeavours.

 

However, all this turmoil faced by the country, which was diagnosed by the critics as the end of the Brazilian dream, had a very interesting side effect: it triggered a battle against corruption (which probably will be long and fierce) that put to test our check and balances system. And even adding to such turmoil the political storm caused by a presidential impeachment process, the system is working satisfactorily, in accordance with the Brazilian Constitution. The growing feeling is that Brazil is becoming a true and consolidated democracy, with everyone subject to the rule of law.

In this very demanding scenario, the role of a general counsel is instrumental, not only in the success but, sometimes, in a company’s survival. Over the past decades, we at CBSG have noticed deep changes in the role and importance of general counsels in Brazil, regardless whether the company is a local one or a subsidiary of a multinational enterprise. Considered in the past as a departed or an ancillary activity within a company, the roles of the legal department and the general counsel grew in importance in such a way that in some cases became an essential tool to the feasibility of a company’s core business. The growing importance of the legal departments encouraged the general counsels to be more pro-active: the flow of ideas and suggestions became a two-way lane, and the law firms, such as CBSG, and the legal departments relationship grew in intensity, with outstanding results.

CBSG is delighted to be part of the first edition of the GC Powerlist Brazil. We always felt that, while the number of directories listing and ranking local law firms or other legal professions is growing, little attention has been paid to the legal departments and the general counsels. Therefore, The Legal 500’s initiative, especially in Brazil, is a relevant step in the right direction. It grants the community of general counsels in Brazil, of which the nominated individuals are impeccable examples, the recognition they more than deserve.

FCAM

FCAM logo

As the new government took office, it is already possible to notice an improvement in business perspectives and some recovery in the Brazilian economy. Despite the irregularities occurred in Brazil’s former administration, we can now realize that, for the past two years, Brazil has made some progress in key areas to get businesses back on track again, with clearer rules and a strong fight against corruption.

There were amendments to CADE (Brazilian Antitrust Authority) Law, which drastically reduced the time for the analysis of transactions that may influence competition. This reform has also determined that analyses must be made before transactions take place, as it already happens in most countries, offering more legal certainty to everyone involved.

The new Code of Civil Procedure in force has deeply changed the system to try to reduce the time for analysis of legal disputes, offer creditors greater protection and unify court precedents, so as to ensure greater safety in the business world. Such reform is not the only one: the reform of the arbitration law sought to settle some of its former conflicts with the procedural law, also resulting in a greater degree of legal certainty.

The quick and effective enforcement of some doctrines of the new anti-corruption legislation, a modern and practical doctrine and worldwide reference in legislation, has helped the fight against irresponsible practices and taken the Brazilian government to a new level of control, sovereignty and stability. Besides such legislation, the recently enacted law that regulates corporate governance of state-owned corporations was conceived with state-of-the-art and efficient tools, and concepts of corporate governance are already applied to prevent past facts from taking place again.

In addition to these issues, the new government has started discussions on the Brazilian pension reform, which is essential to balance government accounts. A reform of Brazilian labour laws is also under discussion, as it is extremely necessary in order to simplify the employee/employer relationship and reduce the number of labor lawsuits.

All the above demonstrates the efforts Brazil has made to follow the right path and create a new, modern and effective legislative framework, seeking to promote a sustainable and organized growth, for a healthy balance of legal relations.

On the other hand, as a result of the current economic crisis, there will probably be an increase in taxes, with a rise in tax rates or the creation of new taxes, as well as higher pressure from tax authorities for the collection of tax revenue.

Such pressure for raising tax revenue can be felt in view of the strong measures taken by administrative tax courts, particularly the Brazilian Council of Tax Appeals (CARF) after its internal regulation and structure has been rearranged.

Likewise, the use of highly-sophisticated technological resources by Brazilian tax authorities, combined with techniques for the selection of taxpayers and controversial issues, has made tax inspections much more accurate, giving rise to tax-deficiency notices and substantial fines, which has required taxpayers to continuously reassess their risks and tax procedures, by adopting strategies to avoid tax disputes.

In view of this optimistic and challenging scenario, we are convinced that FCAM has a motivated team of attorneys, with in-depth knowledge of the Brazilian legislation and legal reforms, with a wide experience in their fields, and who always seek to offer our clients creative, efficient and tailored-made solutions for each specific and concrete case, in order to add value and build successful relationships.

Jones Day Hong Kong Roundtable 2024

The Legal 500 was thrilled to join a selection of top Jones Day partners and a hand-picked group of 15 the most prominent GCs in Hong Kong for a freewheeling and no-holds-barred discussion on geopolitical risk management at a time of global transition. Steve Brogan, managing partner of Jones Day from 2002-2022 flew over to lend his considerable expertise to the discussion, as did Partner-in-Charge Hong Kong Joelle Lau. Joining them to give expert briefings on the topics of the day were partners Peter Wang, Dr Qiang Xue, James Fidler, Samuel Ngo and Charles Chau. The conversation moved from sanctions and counter sanctions, to the increasing pre-eminence of the Asian economy, to the philosophy of the rule of law in times of crisis.