Key team members:

Bernardo Lacerda, General Counsel

Paula Iglésias, Senior Legal Counsel

Rui Pedro Pinto, Legal & Compliance Officer

Helena Soares, Legal Counsel

Team size: Four

Major legal advisors: Telles de Abreu e Associados; Morais Leitão, Galvão Teles, Soares da Silva & Associados; Vieira de Almeida & Associados; Tozzini Freire Advogados; Morais & Associados

Jurisdictions your role covers: Portugal, Brazil, Spain, Switzerland and Peru.

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

Over the past year, the Legal Services Department of Solverde – Sociedade de Investimentos Turísticos da Costa Verde, S.A. (“Solverde”) has been involved in highly complex and sensitive projects and transactions, with a cross-cutting impact on the group’s various areas. Among the most significant interventions is the design, development and implementation of regulatory compliance programs focused on preventing money laundering, terrorist financing and corruption, in line with the guidelines of regulatory authorities and applicable international standards.

The legal team has monitored M&A transactions involving multiple jurisdictions, as well as assuming responsibility for drafting, negotiating and reviewing commercial and civil contracts – entered with public and private entities, national and foreign — ensuring legal compliance and alignment with the Group’s strategic objectives.

In the area of ​​human resources, the Legal Services Department provided advice on conducting disciplinary proceedings, ensuring compliance with labor obligations and mitigating reputational risks. In terms of intellectual property, it promoted the registration of trademarks in Portugal and in several foreign jurisdictions, in conjunction with local and international partners.

Legal advice was provided across the group and related entities, with a special focus on standardising practices, mitigating risks, and consolidating contractual and regulatory models. Finally, the actions implemented in terms of corporate governance and data protection, developed in close collaboration with the Data Protection Officer (DPO), ensuring compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and other applicable legislation, stand out.

How does your team contribute to the overall business strategy of the company? Can you share an example of a recent legal-led initiative that had a significant impact?

Over the past year, Solverde’s Legal Services Department has played a key role in consolidating the compliance model and adapting the group to the regulatory demands of the gaming and hotel sectors – both land-based and online. In a context of increasing scrutiny by national and international authorities, the team has ensured that operations are compliant.

The work carried out was based on a clear strategy to strengthen internal control and prevention structures, with a particular focus on combating money laundering, corruption and terrorist financing. In this context, a complete review of the internal regulatory framework was carried out, in line with the most recent European directives, the guidelines of regulatory bodies and the best international practices in the sector.

The main initiatives implemented include:

(i) The creation of an internal regulatory compliance program, which includes a code of ethics and conduct, a risk prevention plan and the operation of an internal reporting channel;

(ii) The development of specific policies on money laundering, conflicts of interest, harassment in the workplace and the protection of personal data, the latter in conjunction with the Data Protection Officer;

(iii) The strengthening of identification and due diligence mechanisms in relation to customers, suppliers and partners, directly involving the Compliance Officer (member of the Legal Services Department) and the operational areas, especially the Gaming Departments and hotel units.

The introduction of this new compliance model promoted closer collaboration between management bodies and operational departments, resulting in improvements in process efficiency, the ability to detect and respond to risks and agility in decision-making.

What are some of the biggest legal or regulatory challenges currently facing your industry, and how is your team preparing to address them?

The gaming sector, whether land-based or online, is characterised by a rigorous and continually evolving legal framework, marked by extensive regulations and administrative guidelines that reflect core concerns regarding responsible gaming, the prevention of addictive behaviors and the fight against money laundering.

The main current challenges are in strengthening requirements related to advertising, identification and due diligence of players, reporting suspicious transactions, as well as in harmonising and making compatible the regimes applicable to in-person and online gaming.

In view of this complex scenario, the Legal Services Department has developed a focused approach in three areas:

(i) Strengthening monitoring of regulatory activity, with special attention to the guidelines of the Gaming Regulation and Inspection Service (SRIJ), the National Data Protection Commission (CNPD) and the Financial Information Unit (UIF);

(ii) Implementation of robust internal policies, aimed at strict compliance with applicable legal obligations;

(iii) Proactive and ongoing cooperation with the sector’s regulatory body.

More than ensuring mere compliance with standards, the Legal Services Department has been taking on a strategic role, helping Solverde operate with predictability and security, in a sector subject to high scrutiny and regulatory requirements that are constantly being updated.