Team size: 17 (across six jurisdictions)

Can you give us an idea of the sort of work your team has done recently?

Our team is responsible for all legal matters of BRF outside Brazil. While Brazil is responsible for 90% of the production, the international markets are responsible for almost 50% of the revenue of the company. We have a multicultural and multijurisdictional team, supporting the business from Chile to Japan, with team members in Brazil, Austria, Turkey, UAE, China and Singapore. Our scope encompasses legal matters related to our day-to-day operations (contracts, litigation, corporate, regulatory, privacy) and strategic matters (M&A, corporate reorganisation).

If you had to give advice to an aspiring in-house lawyer or general counsel, what would it be and why?

I would advise focusing on understanding the business in detail. This will enable the in-house counsel to be a partner for the success of the business, and not a mere manager of legal issues. Business expects in-house counsel to add value, and this can only be achieved by understanding the business in all aspects.

How do you suggest in-house lawyers build strong relationships with business partners?

In a similar fashion, in-house counsel needs to understand the issues being faced by business partners, not only from a legal perspective. Understanding the business implication of an issue will give in-house counsel the chance to find creative solutions that will help the business partner achieve its objectives in a legally compliant way.