It was a good match: Juliana Bastianello Baldin was helping clients understand Brazil’s complex legal system, while GTIS, one of her clients and a real estate investment firm, was trying to expand into the country. Now, as Baldin celebrates a decade at GTIS and manages its legal team in Brazil, she can also reflect on […]
Features Latin America
Daniel Tapia – América Móvil
From bribes to public fraud to extortion, corruption is a growing issue in Latin America. According to the Council on Foreign Relations, the region loses five percent of gross domestic product because of corruption every year. Daniel Tapia is working to change this culture as much as he can. As chief compliance officer at América […]
Mariangela Bartz – Votorantim Cimentos Brasil
Brazilian legal operations can be a challenging for attorneys, says Mariangela Bartz. Fast-changing business conditions, complex regulations and taxes, and a high number of lawsuits—especially related to labor disputes—can come on suddenly, like a tropical downpour. Given than context, Bartz wasn’t surprised to find a heavy caseload of lawsuits awaiting her on her first day […]
Luis-Xavier Hernandez – Unilever
When standing on the tee box before launching golf balls hundreds of yards down the fairway, Luis-Xavier Hernandez stops. He blocks everything out. He concentrates only on his body. Controlling one’s emotions, he explains, can be the difference between the average Saturday hacker and routinely scoring near par, and he sees parallels between his weekends […]
Heloisa Pereira – Imerys
Taking maternity leave isn’t too difficult in Brazil. That’s because the Brazilian Labour Code offers special protections to pregnant employees, including 120 days of paid leave that can be extended a further 60 days if agreed on with the government. Problems arise when the new mothers try to resume their roles—only to find they’ve been […]
Juliana Ugarelli – Getinge
They’ve long been used to save lives, but ventilators quickly became one of the most sought-after machines as the COVID-19 pandemic arrived. In Brazil, where Juliana Ugarelli is head of legal for Latin America for Getinge, helping provide its ventilators, as well as other medical devices, has been among the most rewarding times of her […]
Patricio Marquez Macias – Medtronic
Last year, when Black Lives Matter protests swept the United States, Americans weren’t the only ones called to action. In Mexico City, Patricio Marquez Macias watched protests play out in the news and across social media, particularly following the murder of George Floyd. The movement inspired him and his colleagues at Medtronic to create a […]
Rafael Vietti da Fonseca – Itaú Unibanco
Despite being an in-house attorney, Rafael Vietti da Fonseca also views his role through an external counsel mindset. To him, this means delivering “the best experience and providing the greatest value to clients in order to get the very next deal.” As Itaú Unibanco’s head of legal for corporate and investment bank and distribution, he […]
Luis Augusto (Lucho) Zelaya – Banco Industrial, S.A., Guatemala
When the COVID-19 pandemic arrived in 2020, most companies shut their doors and scrambled to move services online. While many banks scaled back, as well, Lucho Zelaya says Banco Industrial took a different approach, adding to its online services. According to Zelaya, BI’s legal manager, even before the pandemic, digital enhancements were making legal and […]
Catherine Romang – CBC
Has Catherine Romang quenched her thirst for legal knowledge? Likely not, even after more than 20 years practicing and teaching corporate and international law. Now the legal manager and compliance officer for Uruguay operations of Latin American beverage producer CBC, Romang has been able to use her expertise in those disciplines and others to help […]
