How do you approach managing legal aspects during periods of instability or crises, and how does your legal strategy align with the broader business strategy to ensure the organisation’s resilience?

Handling legal matters during periods of instability or crisis requires agility, strategic thinking, and a strong connection to the business. My approach is built on three core pillars: proactive risk management, close cross-functional collaboration, and clear decision-making frameworks that support speed and clarity without compromising compliance or long-term resilience.

In challenging contexts, I make it a point to ensure legal is at the center of strategic discussions from the outset. This means not only identifying risks but translating them into tangible business impacts and helping leadership make informed, timely decisions. Legal must act pragmatically and clearly—especially when time and pressure are critical.

In these situations, risk management needs to move beyond prevention to become more responsive. I mobilise the legal team to operate in a more agile, focused way—prioritising issues by urgency and impact, and working closely with operations, finance, HR, compliance, and communications. I believe resilience does not mean avoiding all risks, but rather understanding them deeply, responding decisively, and ensuring the business has the right tools to move forward with confidence.

Another key element is alignment between legal strategy and overall business strategy. In times of uncertainty, a legal’s role goes beyond risk mitigation—it becomes a driver of solutions, a protector of reputation, and a safeguard for the company’s ability to execute. Whether renegotiating contracts, supporting business continuity efforts, guiding restructuring processes, or managing contractual and operational impacts, our team must always maintain a holistic, forward-looking view.

I also place strong emphasis on communication. In crisis scenarios, lack of clarity can create more disruption than the crisis itself. That’s why I strive to communicate with objectivity, accessibility, and empathy—sharing practical guidance, supporting materials, training sessions, and maintaining open channels for questions that naturally arise. In doing so, the team becomes a true partner to the entire organisation.

What are the major cases or transactions you have been involved in recently?

At Grupo Soma, we operate in a very dynamic and creative environment, which means the Legal team needs to be deeply connected with the business to support the company’s growth effectively and responsibly. Over the past few years, I have been directly involved in all of the company’s strategic legal matters.

One of my main areas of focus has been leading M&A transactions. Grupo Soma has grown significantly through the acquisition and combination of successful fashion brands, and I have been responsible for overseeing the legal side of those deals from start to finish – including structuring, due diligence, negotiations, closing, and post-deal integration. These transactions are complex not only from a legal standpoint but also in how we align the new businesses with our governance structure and culture.

Another important front has been our litigation management strategy. I have worked on initiatives to clean up and reduce our litigation portfolio through tailored settlement programs and data-driven decision-making. We have also defined clear legal theses to guide our approach to higher courts. This has helped reduce legal risks, improve efficiency, and strengthen our position in key jurisdictions.

Beyond transactional and litigation work, I have also been closely involved in diversity and inclusion efforts. The Legal team has played an active role in building internal policies around gender, race, and LGBTQIA+ equity, and in supporting external initiatives that reflect Grupo Soma’s values. For us, legal isn’t just about managing risk – it is also about upholding the company’s culture and long-term commitments.

What I enjoy most about my role is the ability to combine deep legal expertise with a strong business mindset. Whether we are closing a major acquisition or shaping our approach to sensitive litigation, my goal remains the same: to ensure that legal strategy is fully aligned with business objectives, empowering the company to move forward with clarity and confidence.

How do you prioritise diversity and inclusion within your legal department, and what initiatives have you implemented to foster a more inclusive and equitable work environment?

Diversity and inclusion are not just values we promote — they are principles we integrate into the daily life of our legal department. We understand that building a more diverse and equitable work environment strengthens our ability to deliver better, more innovative, and more responsible legal solutions. That’s why we have made D&I a real priority, both in our team’s composition and in the way we operate.

Our first step has been to adopt intentional and structured recruitment processes. We have reviewed our selection criteria, expanded outreach to attract talent from underrepresented groups, and trained our leaders to recognise and mitigate unconscious bias during hiring. We have truly organised a team that reflects the plurality of the society we serve – in terms of gender, race, background, and experiences.

Also, I understand that, once people are part of the team, it is important to work hard to ensure they feel seen, heard, and valued. In this context, we promote ongoing education on topics such as racial equity, inclusive leadership, and LGBTQIA+ rights, often partnering with specialised consultants and affinity groups. For example, in April 2024, in partnership with our D&I team, we organised a training called Afrobetizar – a powerful and thoughtful experience designed to deepen our team’s racial literacy in a respectful and meaningful way. Initiatives like this help broaden our collective understanding and reinforce a culture of respect and openness within the legal department.

We also ensure that the values of diversity and inclusion go beyond the walls of our own team. As a Legal department, we have worked closely with the People and ESG teams to support the company’s broader D&I agenda – whether through policy development, reviewing partnership contracts, or contributing to the legal aspects of public campaigns and social initiatives. In doing so, we reinforce that legal is not just a back-office function, but a key ally in building a more inclusive organisation as a whole.

I truly believe that prioritising diversity and inclusion in the legal department means acting with intention, consistency, and accountability. We are building a team that is not only technically excellent, but also human, empathetic, and aligned with the future. We want to help shape – inside and outside the company.