Team size: Three

In what ways does your legal function contribute to international business strategy, transformation or growth, beyond traditional compliance or risk mitigation?

Tabaqueira’s (the PMI – Portuguese Philip Morris International’s affiliate) legal function is not a final checkpoint; it is a strategic enabler of transformation. We help the business anticipate regulatory change, assess its impacts and make decisions that are not only compliant, but resilient and aligned with the company’s values of integrity and long-term sustainability.

The legal department contribution is to translate complex legal, policy and enforcement developments into clear business judgment. In fast-moving areas such as tobacco and nicotine regulation, this means identifying trends early, framing realistic scenarios and ensuring that strategy is built on sound legal foundations.

Ultimately, the value of the in-house legal department lies in turning uncertainty into clear, responsible direction. By being involved early and asking the right questions, Legal helps the business choose not only the path that is possible, but the one that is right.

How do you structure relationships with internal stakeholders and external counsel across different jurisdictions to ensure effective collaboration and decision-making?

At PMI we structure these relationships through a governance-led, globally coordinated model, focusing on clarity of roles, agile decision-making, and stronger integration across internal and external ecosystems. We establish cross-functional working groups tailored to each matter, bringing together business, regulatory, and if necessary, external counsel. These teams are aligned early on objectives and desired outcomes, ensuring that legal advice is embedded into business decision-making rather than delivered reactively.

External counsel are positioned as an integrated extension of the legal function. They are selected based on jurisdictional expertise and strategic fit. Internally we distill a multi-country advice into  coherent legal positions, ensuring alignment with global strategies. Internal stakeholders, internal and external counsel function as a cohesive ecosystem, enabling faster, better-informed, and strategically aligned decisions across markets.