Rafael Garcia
Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel,
CEITEC Semiconductors,
Porto Alegre, Brazil
7:00 AM
My new tech toy wakes me up smoothly at the best time of my sleep cycle. It has a light that simulates a sunrise. It's remarkable how technology helps you start the day in a very good mood!
8:00 AM
My spouse and I love waffles and maple syrup, an untraditional breakfast for Brazilians. Seasonal fruits and cappuccino are on our table too.
9:00 AM
I check routine emails and legal news when I arrive at the office. My virtual agenda defines the day's priorities.
10:00 AM
I update the board on the legal risks on a class action suit and other relevant cases by presenting an executive summary of the facts, solutions and their risks. I write down the board's concerns and start sketching the legal strategy on each case.
11:00 AM
Our small legal department discusses legal strategies, guidelines and internal regulation proposals. As a state-owned company we are subject to many regulations that normally aren't applicable to private sector companies.
12:00 PM
Lunch time for everyone but me. I prefer having lunch without much noise, so I patiently wait for the crowds in the company cafeteria to disperse. I use this uninterrupted time to review non-complex contracts.
1:00 PM
My stomach starts rumbling. Brazilian "feijoada" (black beans) is superb after simmering for a long time. I find a table, sometimes with colleagues, and occasionally with the CEO. He is also fond of a peaceful lunchtime.
2:00 PM
I grab my espresso and enjoy a walk in the tropical garden outside my building. It's summertime in South America and the sky is blue. Inspiration fills me, and I generate new legal and strategic ideas.
3:00 PM
Back at my desk I find a draft proposal for buying chemical products. Semiconductors are a pure chemical process. The raw material, combined with import duties and transportation logistics, cost a lot. Brazilian authorities are skeptical about importing goods. Even a public company like ours faces a big risk of being fined because of an inexact description on an import form.
4:00 PM
Our engineers help me draft my legal arguments on a petition to avoid one of those importation proceedings fines. I ask them to explain like they would to a "six-year-old boy in a science fair." I realize the challenge of my defense plan.
5:00 PM
Time to get in touch with the Brazilian Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation. Our company runs under its supervision, which means our legal strategy must meet the state attorney's legal guidelines. The ministry's attorney general is impressed with our very low litigation risks. I tell him that our employees understand the importance of legal risk prevention. He invites me to a meeting next month in Brasília, the capital.
6:00 PM
The internal audit manager, the CFO and I finish the annual company report to the federal comptroller general. Because our company receives public funds, we face annual recommendations to reduce the budget. My job is to see which recommendations are possible.
7:00 PM
A new email from my CEO requests an urgent review of a NDA proposal from a potential business partner. I recommend non-disclosure deadlines and a special provision to determine whether the sensitive information would be exempt from the Brazilian Freedom of Information Law.
8:00 PM
Back home, I change clothes for my current passion: playing tennis. I take a cab to meet a law school friend at a nearby indoor court we call our "court of appeals." He plays as badly as me. When we tire, we head to a pub a few blocks away – a classic situation for a "match pint."
9:30 PM
After some beers, I take a cab back home. My wife, a home designer, is working on an architectural project. I take a shower and do some home duties while she finishes her job.
10:30 PM
We have a small dinner and watch TV with our two cats. After years suffering from bad sleep issues, I have learned to avoid computers and smartphones at night. After all, there is nothing better than a good night's sleep.
