Team size: Circa 70

Jurisdictions your role covers: Americas

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

We obtained multiple government-imposed anti-dumping measures aimed at establishing competitive parity between locally produced steel goods and foreign imports, reinforcing equitable market conditions and supporting sustainable industry growth. The expected financial impact of these measures amounts to several billions of reais for the brazilian industry. Also, the acquisition of two Small Hydroelectric Plants (SHPs) in the state of Mato Grosso, each with an installed capacity of 29MW, for the price of approximately R$440mn. Lastly, we successfully obtained numerous favorable decisions in tax-related judicial and administrative proceedings, resulting in a cumulative benefit of approximately R$2bn

What new pressures are you facing from the business as expectations for legal to act as a strategic partner continue to grow? 

As expectations for legal to act as a true strategic partner continue to grow, one of the main pressures we face is the need to move beyond a purely gatekeeper-driven role and actively contribute to business growth. This means providing clear, actionable recommendations that balance risk with opportunity, rather than simply identifying obstacles. The business increasingly looks to legal not only to safeguard transactions but also to structure them in ways that unlock value and enable innovation.

Here at Gerdau, we try hard to be a pro-business legal department. This doesn’t mean being pushovers. It means we focus on having an attitude of trying to be as flexible, as creative and as diligent as possible. This requires us to anticipate potential issues, propose creative solutions, and align our advice with the company’s broader strategic objectives. In practice, it means shifting from being perceived as gatekeepers only to being recognised as enablers, partners who help the business move forward with confidence while maintaining the highest standards of governance.

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

Our team has adopted a proactive and layered strategy to manage disputes and mitigate risks. We focus on anticipating potential issues before they escalate, combining rigorous legal analysis with a deep understanding of market and regulatory trends. This allows us to structure agreements and transactions in ways that minimise exposure while still enabling business growth.

At the same time, we emphasise collaboration with business units to ensure that legal is seen as a strategic partner rather than a reactive function. By fostering open communication, we can align risk management with commercial objectives, ensuring that disputes are resolved efficiently and, whenever possible, prevented altogether. Our approach blends strong litigation capabilities with preventive measures, such as compliance programs, governance frameworks, and early engagement in negotiations, so that legal not only protects the organisation but also creates conditions for sustainable and fair competition.