Abigail Miranda – Mercedes-Benz Vans

Growing up, Abigail Miranda’s father was a car aficionado fond of the craftsmanship and innovative brilliance of Mercedes-Benz vehicles. He drove several throughout Miranda’s younger days, so when Mercedes-Benz Vans tapped her in early 2020 to join its legal team, her dad was ecstatic.

Abigail Miranda | Mercedes-Benz Vans | General Counsel and Corporate Secretary

“My dad was a big car guy,” she says. “He drove Mercedes-Benz vehicles when I was growing up—it was the cream of the crop, a household name. When I joined, I was very interested in our product and took great pride in it. My dad was totally over the moon when I got hired.”

Headquartered in Charleston, South Carolina, Mercedes-Benz Vans Charleston, a division of the globally renowned Mercedes-Benz Group, is a leader in commercial and passenger van production. The company manufactures high-quality vans that balance premium design, functionality, and sustainability. The Charleston plant, where Miranda is based, produces the Sprinter and eSprinter models, ensuring businesses across the U.S. can access top-tier commercial transportation solutions. With a focus on innovation, safety, and efficiency, Mercedes-Benz Vans continues to set industry benchmarks for excellence.

Seeing the big picture

Miranda’s career path has been anything but conventional, though a deep appreciation for the bigger picture has always guided it. After earning her undergraduate degree in justice and law administration from Western Connecticut State University, she earned a JD at Quinnipiac University School of Law. She spent over four years in private practice at Cramer & Anderson in Connecticut, gaining experience in litigation.

However, despite her success in private practice, Miranda felt she only engaged with legal issues after they had already gone wrong. She longed for a role that allowed her to be proactive rather than reactive.

“I was in the litigation department and really enjoyed it, but as my time went on, I realized I couldn’t be part of the big picture,” Miranda recalls. “Everything had already gone wrong by the time it came to us.”

Her desire to contribute strategically led her to an in-house position as senior counsel for Equiscript. Less than two years later, in October 2020, she was recruited to Mercedes-Benz Vans Charleston as corporate counsel.

“Pinch myself that I have become a GC this quickly,” Miranda says. “When I first joined Mercedes-Benz, I didn’t think I’d become a GC anytime soon. I figured I’d be corporate counsel until my predecessor retired.”

The rapid rise, however, was a testament to Miranda’s ability to adapt and lead. When Mercedes-Benz Vans revamped its compliance function in North America, she stepped up, gaining the deputy GC and local compliance officer titles. Her success in this expanded role made her the natural choice when the previous GC transitioned to a head of HR role in April 2023.

“It was a humbling experience,” Miranda says. “Big shoes to fill, as he is highly respected. But the support I received from leadership here and from our head of legal in North America made the transition seamless.”

Leading with agility

Miranda describes her leadership style as agile and relationship focused. As one of only three attorneys at the Mercedes-Benz Vans plant in Charleston, she ensures her team remains flexible and responsive to the fast-paced environment.

“We are a team of generalists, which allows us to respond to the business as needed,” Miranda explains. “We each have strengths and preferences, and we can refer things to each other. It all feeds into being agile.”

Her team supports various legal needs, from employment law and immigration to compliance with ever-changing regulations. Given the change in administration and regulatory landscape, Miranda stays proactive.

“We keep our ears to the ground, refreshing the executive orders page, staying agile when it comes to things changing,” she says. “We talk regularly with our sister plant in Alabama, where they produce Mercedes-Benz SUVs and various Mercedes-Benz electric vehicles. The legal teams across the U.S.  benchmark and understand new or developing topics impacting all of us.”

In addition to her legal responsibilities, Miranda has made professional development a key focus. She revisits and refines the delegation of duties regularly to ensure her team remains adaptable and well-prepared.

“Professional development for my team is not just something we use to respond to the needs of the business,” she emphasizes. “It’s about ensuring we are all growing within our roles.”

Miranda spearheaded hiring a new team member just six months after stepping into the GC role, ensuring a well-rounded and knowledgeable legal team.

Collaborating for the future

One of Miranda’s strengths is her ability to cultivate strong relationships across the organization. From CEOs and HR leaders to engineers and frontline workers, she believes legal should be seen as a business partner rather than a hurdle.

“Starting here, it was clear that the attorney/client relationship was different than I was used to,” Miranda says. “I’ve always aimed to be an approachable business partner. I’m here for the problem and will still be here after it is resolved.”

One of her key initiatives has been increasing accessibility to legal training. With over 2,000 people on-site at the Charleston plant, she has implemented a monthly legal training day, offering sessions throughout the day to ensure as many employees as possible can attend.

“It has successfully ensured our services are accessible,” she says. “We’re giving people the tools to make changes, and when you’re out there once a month, you can build relationships.”

Miranda is also actively involved in corporate governance as a corporate secretary and sits on the corporate governance committee. She sees this as an opportunity to continue growing within her role and to shape the future of the legal function at Mercedes-Benz Vans Charleston.

“Where do I go from here? I’m never going to know everything, and there is still plenty to learn in this role,” she reflects. “I have the best of both worlds—a small local team but a bigger network to tap into if necessary.”

Although her journey to GC may have been faster than anticipated, Miranda is focused on the long game. She remains deeply invested in her team’s success and the company’s mission.

“When you ask my son what I do for work, he’ll tell you his mom makes Mercedes vans. It’s what we’re all here to do: aligning our team’s mission with the company’s. Partnership on the front lines with the key mission in mind has made my work successful,” Miranda says.