Isabel Fernandes

Director/General Counsel – Legal Services Department
Grupo Visabeira S.A.
Portugal

“Through GC Connected, I hope to contribute to a global dialogue on what it means to be a legal leader today – how we enable transformation, embed legal foresight, and elevate our teams.”

I am a committed career Woman, always leading with Empathy!
Graduated in Law from Coimbra’s University and registered Lawyer at the Portuguese Bar Association, my professional career is characterised by a diversity of performed functions (either as external or in-house lawyer), in the public and private sectors, as well as countries/jurisdictions where they have been performed over time (Macau, Mozambique and Portugal).

Having initiated my professional career at the Studying and Planning Department of the Portuguese Ministry of Justice, particularly assisting the representation of the Ministry within OECD and European Commission in several legal matters (1993-1994), I then went to Macau as part of the Office for Legal Translation in charge of supporting the Governor within the territory transition process to China (1994-1996).

After this, I moved to Mozambique having taught a Law degree at the country’s first private university before being an active part of the reform of its tax regime and advising some of the most iconic foreign investing projects in the country as Associate Director of PricewaterhouseCoopers Mozambique (1996-
2006).

While in Mozambique, I was also correspondent of the International Bureau of Fiscal Documentation (2002-2006).

I currently lead a thirteen–person legal team as Grupo Visabeira’s General Legal Counsel in charge of ensuring in depth support and advice on diverse and complex legal subjects taking an essential role within the management structure of this Portuguese multinational and multi-sector company.

In March 2021 I also assumed the Presidency of the Diversity & Inclusion Commission of the Federation of Portuguese speaking Lawyers (FALP), whose main objective is to raise awareness of the issue of diversity and inclusion in the legal sector, promoting diversity and inclusive practices, contributing in this way to the training of the Portuguese-speaking lawyers for the defence of citizens in matters where violations of the law may exist on the basis of discrimination.

I continue to cultivate a particular aptitude and enjoyment of building, developing and leading teams, trying always to instill among their elements a feeling of commitment and sharing the values of demand, dedication and professional loyalty that should always conform their performance and relationship with other colleagues.