Legal director | Klabin
Mariangela Bartz
Legal director | Klabin
Team size: 38
Jurisdictions your role covers: Brazil, the US, Austria amd Argentina
What are the most significant cases or transactions that your legal team has recently been involved in?
Working at a company with a 127-year history that prioritises sustainability and the longevity of its business requires the team to be creative, innovative, and adaptable, while also ensuring that decisions are made on a sound and principled basis, always taking into account a long-term perspective and a systemic view.
Klabin is a capital-intensive company, and its raw material — its forests — takes between six and seven years to grow in the case of eucalyptus, and 12 to 13 years in the case of pine. In other words, planning and day-to-day work are extremely important and have an impact on the future that is realised over many years.
In this context, routine matters — such as governance, corporate issues, and contracts with local and international clients and suppliers — are important because they build the foundation for business continuity. They require close attention to ensure that actions remain compliant, meet applicable anti-corruption and competition laws, including with regard to trade sanctions, and adhere to local and international regulations (for example, environmental rules). In addition, other matters such as sustainability initiatives and strong governance are fundamental to ensuring the long-term continuity of the business.
Some of the most significant recent transactions (in financial terms) were: (i) the acquisition of 150,000 hectares of land, primarily in Paraná, for US$1.16bn, in order to achieve the self-sufficiency target for the Ortigueira Unit; (ii) agreements with Timber Investment Management Organisations (TIMOs) to establish special purpose vehicles (SPVs), with Klabin contributing 23,000 hectares of forests and 4,000 hectares of productive land, and the TIMOs contributing BR$2.7bn; (iii) a public issuance of BR$1.5bn in debentures; (iv) bonus share issuances amounting to BR$1.6bn in 2024 and BR$800mn in 2025; and (v) in 2025, the first public issuance of a Rural Product Note (CPR) in the amount of BR$1.5bn — a groundbreaking transaction in the market, as according to B3 it was the first time a CPR had been offered directly to retail investors — and, in 2026, a second CPR issuance in the amount of BR$1.75bn.
What new pressures are you facing from the business as expectations for legal to act as a strategic partner continue to grow?
Having deep technical and legal knowledge is only one of the prerequisites for meeting the increasingly demanding expectations placed on the legal department to be part of the company’s strategy and to contribute efficiently to its interests. In this context, the ability to adapt and deliver effective solutions that mitigate risks for the company is essential.
The many changes in applicable local and international regulations — particularly environmental rules and others affecting international trade — as well as the recent imposition of tariffs and the impact of international geopolitical conflicts, also require a thorough understanding of the business in order to genuinely contribute to the company’s strategy.
What strategies has your legal team adopted to manage disputes and mitigate risks in Brazil’s dynamic business environment?
The legal department is not a cost centre; it makes a meaningful contribution to the company’s operations by reducing and preventing liabilities. For example, Brazil has recently seen a significant rise in labour litigation, and the solution does not lie in simply hiring the best law firms, but rather in working jointly with the company’s people and operations teams to address the root causes.
This principle also applies to civil matters. When the legal team has a deep understanding of the company’s business, contracts will properly reflect and address potential points of dispute in a commercial relationship. We have established KPIs to assess the effectiveness of our dispute management.
Using predictive assessments and monitoring legislative developments and the evolution of case law is essential. We track various bills and public consultations issued by different regulatory bodies that may have an impact on our activities.
How have economic fluctuations, exchange‑rate volatility or supply‑chain pressures in 2026 influenced your legal priorities?
Economic fluctuations, exchange rate volatility, and pressures on supply chains are factors that affect legal priorities. In this context, it is important to assess adjustment mechanisms linked to currency and inflation variations, analyse risks in international contracts, and devote greater attention to the allocation of responsibilities among suppliers and partners.
On the regulatory side, commercial and tariff instability requires constant monitoring of import and export rules, as well as stricter compliance with sustainability requirements.
Legal risk management plays a strategic role, integrating financial and operational aspects to ensure resilience in the face of complex scenarios.
