What are the most significant cases or transactions that your legal team has recently been involved in?

The Baxter legal team in Brazil is working actively on the integration of our recent worldwide acquisition – Hillrom – completed in December 2021, for approximately US$12.5bn. The combination of Baxter and Hillrom unites two leading medtech organisations, building on Baxter’s robust global footprint to expand legacy Hillrom and Welch Allyn products – including smart bed systems, patient monitoring and diagnostic technologies, respiratory health devices, advanced equipment for the surgical space and others – into new international markets. Brazil is advancing on a commercial and legal integration strategy that has been recognised as best in class in comparison to other jurisdictions.

Did the pandemic lead to a lasting increase in the interaction your legal team has with the strategic plans of the company?

The legal team at Baxter has historically been a very engaged business partner to all our commercial teams and, at a leadership level, an active participant in the definition of the strategic plans for the company. Although our level of interaction with the company’s strategy has not increased dramatically due to the pandemic, the sanitary crisis posed by Covid-19 indeed urged the legal team to act with even more speed in supporting the strategic decisions of the company. This push for agility, managing ambiguity and increased accountability has had a lasting effect on the way we work as a team, and on the support that we provide for our internal clients.

As we live in a fast-paced world today, what skills will a corporate legal team need to succeed in the modern in-house industry?

I would emphasise the importance of three skills important for the legal team to succeed: communication, leadership, and emotional intelligence.

Communication was the first big change I had to deal with as part of my job transition from private practice to in-house: acknowledging my interlocutor was no longer another lawyer, learning to speak the language of the business, understanding their goals and challenges and being able to communicate in a straightforward and easily understandable manner. The right communication creates understanding and buy-in from internal clients and, thus, credibility.

Second, leadership. A legal executive of a company plays a much bigger and relevant role than simply leading the legal department. Such an individual serves as an example and role model for the entire organisation and is looked on at times of crisis for decision-making that goes beyond legal aspects. One needs to embrace this challenge and be ready and available to be a true leader.

Emotional intelligence is key, not only because self-awareness and self-management are so critical for dealing with the high pressure and responsibility of work performed by a corporate counsel, but mainly because it is in this ability that resides our potential to build teams, create productive relationships and manage conflict in tough times.