The legal manager`s knowledge of regulatory developments forms the basis for advising on transaction planning or business initiatives. For the General Counsel to be considered a strategic partner in the business process, the CEO and the company`s executives must necessarily involve him in the business planning and decision-making process. Given the size and characteristics of each company, we understand that the legal department must report internally to the various directorates, the board of directors and shareholders, in addition to respecting a budget. Our business vision and knowledge of each of the industries in which our clients operate have allowed us to understand that each company needs a different legal services model depending on the stage of development it is going through. The legal manager is already considered a cornerstone of modern organizations. Indeed, for example, the Internet has enabled a rapid international expansion of many companies and a very easy way to collect personal data from their customers. In this context, effective legal management cannot cover everything in a complex business environment. Therefore, efforts and risks must be prioritized to achieve better results. Solutions must be practical and appropriate. Today`s legal manager must look for the reason for the problem and not just treat the symptom, that is, a vision that is much more preventive than reactive.

At the same time, you need to effectively meet internal requirements and advise on business strategies. All within the framework of the law. Legal managers of international companies face challenges when operating outside the parent company: adapting to local bureaucracies and cultural differences, conducting more and more cross-border transactions and operations, and adapting to compliance with offshore regulations such as compliance and anti-corruption policies. The legal manager must demonstrate a good ability to be an intermediary of the company and make informed business decisions in order to easily connect with other areas of the company. There is a strong tendency in the management of the company to seek support in legal areas to make strategic decisions based on both business and legal analysis. A legal officer`s ability to provide this combination in their advice can add fundamental value to the business. Therefore, it is important to emphasize that today, the General Counsel is himself a legal leader who, with his communication and leadership skills, helps define the direction of the company by aligning business strategies with the legal future. In principle, the legal officer is the lawyer within an organization who is responsible for managing, coordinating and supervising all legal aspects. In this sense, the legal manager is responsible for designing the methods that allow the company to comply with all applicable legal regulations according to its nature.

This includes those related to human talent to those inherent in the market or industry in which the company operates. In order to work on the efficiency process, the maturity level of your legal department must be determined. Only quantifiable clarity about the location of your legal department leads you to think about strategies and actions to take to achieve efficiency and quality of service. In addition, according to the same report, 90% of legal departments consider the control of costs incurred in their field to be a high priority, aspects that hinder the path to efficiency. Based on a flexible model adapted to the reality and real needs of each consulting firm, all legal, regulatory, compliance and judicial services are considered part of the model, regardless of their nature, complexity and amount, both nationally and internationally. In addition, according to a survey by the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC), 50% of the in-house legal departments that participated had at least one person for the legal operations role, which is a significant increase from last year`s 20%. The purpose of the legal department is to legally represent the Company by delegation of management, as well as to advise and assist senior administration and other organizational units in areas within their jurisdiction to ensure that the Company is accountable. While both situations create great business advantages, they also create a high legal risk environment with many more “fronts that need to be covered” compared to traditional businesses.