An interview with Walquiria Favero, Head of Legal at Nexa Resources in Brazil.
How would you describe the state of the GC Community in your region? How has it changed since you first moved in-house?
In the early 2000s, legal departments were primarily answerable to CEOs and often served as personal advisors to both the executive leadership and shareholder families. Over the years, the pace and scope of work in corporate legal functions have changed drastically.
In our region, GCs are increasingly taking on responsibilities beyond traditional legal areas, often driven by budget constraints and a growing emphasis on measurable results. Brazil’s high level of litigation creates significant pressure to mitigate the impacts of legal contingencies, which remains a top priority.
Additionally, I observe a persistent challenge in adopting new technologies within legal departments. These advancements could greatly enhance efficiency and allow for better resource allocation, but the integration process has been slow.
Why is expanding your network important to you?
Expanding my network is of paramount importance. Firstly, it allows for the exchange of knowledge, keeping us informed about industry trends, enabling effective benchmarking, and facilitating the rapid adoption of best practices. It also opens doors to identifying top talent and provides countless other professional advantages.
Equally significant is the opportunity to connect with people beyond their LinkedIn profiles and job titles. Understanding their skills and networks extends beyond the immediate needs of our roles – it fosters collaborations, drives business opportunities, and broadens professional relationships.
What kinds of connections or discussions would be most valuable to you?
Building connections with professionals from other jurisdictions remains particularly challenging, yet it’s vital for those with shared interests or overlapping markets. Creating more spaces for these exchanges – be it through discussion groups, collaborative projects, industry events, or informal gatherings – would be incredibly valuable.
What do you want to achieve by collaborating with other GCs and senior in-house lawyers?
Collaborating with other General Counsel and senior in-house lawyers is a tremendous opportunity to exchange experiences, address doubts, and share perspectives, especially when engaging with professionals from analogous sectors. These discussions are invaluable, and international exchanges further broaden our horizons and enrich our understanding.
Are there specific topics, challenges, or experiences you’d like to share or learn more about?
Personally, I dedicate my time to studying and teaching about the future of legal professions, focusing on the impact of emerging technologies in the legal field. I’m particularly eager to engage in discussions on this topic, sharing insights and exploring how innovations can optimise our work and drive progress within our organisations. Beyond that, I firmly believe we have a social responsibility to reflect on the broader implications for the workforce – considering the future of professionals, fostering technological education, and enabling reskilling and upskilling initiatives.
When it comes to technical legal topics, I propose categorising discussions: senior leaders are often more focused on the broader economic impacts, regulatory changes, and trends, whereas operational-level discussions tend to delve into the technical specifics. On technical matters, we’re seeing significant effects from self-regulation initiatives and the influence of higher court decisions on the market. Exploring the trends surrounding these themes is critical.
From an economic perspective, recent shifts in international trade practices and the ripple effects of global conflicts on supply chains also present pressing legal challenges. These are crucial areas where legal departments must step up and navigate effectively. Creating platforms to tackle these issues collaboratively would be immensely beneficial.
