Team size: 110

Major legal advisors: Pinheiro Neto, Studio Rodrigo, PPU

Jurisdictions your role covers: Brazil, Chile, Peru and South Africa

What strategies has your legal team adopted to manage disputes and mitigate risks in Brazil’s dynamic business environment?

The legal team’s transformation journey began in 2022, when we were tasked with evolving from a reactive function into a truly proactive and strategic partner to the business. This was key to find ourselves today in a position to actually understand the business and deal with Risk mitigation and the volatile business environment we have in Brazil today. I would describe this journey as comprising four key phases.

We initially focused on establishing the structural and cultural conditions required for the legal team to operate as a core business function. This phase involved a significant mindset shift – moving from a reactive team, positioned adjacent to the business, to one fully embedded within it. The legal team began to see itself as a key participant across the entire lifecycle of projects, from initial conception through to final delivery. In parallel, we prioritised building consistency and trust in our data foundations. We strongly believe that sound decision-making depends on the quality and reliability of available data. With this in mind, we implemented several systems and developed baseline policies to support more structured and data-driven decision-making. These included standardised frameworks for settlement calculations and methodologies to more accurately assess litigation success probabilities.

This marked the point at which Legal became formally embedded in decision-making across all areas of the business. We ensured active participation in key governance forums, including executive committees, and secured representation of legal leadership at Board level in joint ventures. This was a critical step in expanding our influence and redefining Legal’s role – from a support function to a strategic partner. We established a consistent presence in core business discussions, reinforcing that Legal is an integral part of the organisation rather than an ancillary function.

Today, Legal is fully integrated into the definition of business strategies and project execution, operating on equal footing with other technical functions. Legal team members are embedded within operational teams and actively contribute to working groups, committees, steering committees, and Boards. We lead the Risk Committee and set its agenda and priorities. This function in key today. In addition, we lead cross-functional initiatives that go beyond traditional legal scope, coordinating multiple stakeholders in areas such as risk management, permitting, and M&A. This reflects a mature stage of integration, where Legal not only supports but actively shapes business outcomes.