Interview with: Tiago Monteiro Mascarenhas, Founding Partner, MRA Advogados

What do you see as the main points that differentiate MRA Advogados from your competitors?

From experience obtained over the past 10 years we have realized the main difference of MRA is that we position ourselves as a partner to the client, rather then a mere service provider.

A results-driven approach to our client’s problems allow us to have a better and closer interaction with them becoming a day-to-day solution finder to their issues.

Which practices do you see growing in the next 12 months? What are the drivers behind that?

We have been, through the international partnerships closed over the past years, focused on developing a stronger presence in the legislative field as well as in the mining sector.

The driver behind this goal is the fact the we have come to understand the Mozambican market both from the perspective of the Government as well as from the point of view of the investor and this has allowed us to see the faults (on both sides) that occur in the relation between these two parties, and intend to (in the best way possible) try to be part of the solution and bring prosperity to Mozambique and subsequently to the investors.

We strongly believe that a well written and adjusted legislation, aligned with the best international practices, may allow Mozambique to become a more attractive country to investors and this will ultimately result in the increase of wealth for the country and the Mozambicans.

Regarding the mining sector, this has been and will continue to be a preferred area of activity for MRA. Over the last 6 years we have been assisting multiple ventures in this field and we shall continue to consider this area as a great opportunity, since we believe we are prepared and have the experience to ally the needs of the investor to the objectives of the country and its representatives.

What’s the main change you’ve made in the firm that will benefit clients?

Keeping the partnership perspective with our clients, we have incorporated new invoicing methods that adjust to the client’s needs, providing for a fair solution to both parties.

Is technology changing the way you interact with your clients, and the services you can provide them?

Definitely, virtual meetings have become a day-to-day part of our business and allows us to interact on a daily basis with our international clients.

It has also allowed for the managing team the liberty to be outside of Mozambique in the pursuit of new business while at the same time keeping direct and permanent contact with the team in Mozambique.

Can you give us a practical example of how you have helped a client to add value to their business?

Through our tax and corporate department, we have advised our clients on optimizing their corporate structures and assisted them in the repatriation of invested funds, allowing them to continue to envision Mozambique as an attractive jurisdiction in which to invest.

Our labor department has also assisted client in a collective dismissal proposal that in the end resulted in a fair agreement to all parties.

Our Immigration department assists on a regular basis our clients and its team members to obtain the right of residency in Mozambique, going the extra mile and accompanying the client to the immigration offices so as to guide them through the sometimes-difficult ordeal that this process can become.

Are clients looking for stability and strategic direction from their law firms – where do you see the firm in three years’ time?

As a result of several conversations held with our clients, we understand that we need to undertake a more circular approach to the relationship.

This means that we cannot look at the relation from the perspective of lawyer (service provider) to client (service hire), but rather look to our clients’ expertise and experience to better improve our company and collaborators, endorsing training programs between both entities.

In 3 years’ time we shall hopefully have established ourselves in the legislative field, generating all of the above mentioned results for the country and also have set MRA furthermore as a reference for national and international clients in the legal areas of activity we have been working on and will continue to work in the future (i.e. mining; construction; retail; Health; Banking).