Karla Lini Maeji is a partner in the Compliance & Investigation practice at TozziniFreire with extensive experience acting as counsel for foreign listed companies doing business in Brazil, focusing her practice on internal investigations, and regulatory and criminal enforcement. She has conducted numerous cross-border investigations, especially into corruption, fraud, and procurement irregularities reporting to Audit Committees, interacting with external auditors, and having a keen eye for handling matters that may affect the company in different areas of law and jurisdictions. She has consistent experience strategically representing clients before multiple authorities, both in the context of leniency agreements and defense. Karla also regularly advises corporate clients on a broad range of compliance matters for having a deep understanding of her clients’ business and potential impacts on the company. One of her initiatives was the creation and coordination of TozziniFreire´s Government Sales practice group, which consolidates all the experience acquired in cases involving the issue to offer truly multidisciplinary assistance to clients. Karla is known by peer-reviewed publications as a "distinguished lawyer", with a "practical approach to problem-solving" and "a good business overview, besides having great technical knowledge of compliance". She holds an LL.M. from Columbia University School of Law, USA, and took a secondment program at an international law firm in London.
// Academic education
LL.M. from the Law School of Columbia University School of Law, New York, USA, 2013. Graduate of the Law School of Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie, 2008.
// Recognition
Recommended by relevant legal guides, such as Chambers Global, Chambers Brazil, Latin Lawyer 250, The Legal 500, Análise Advocacia Mulher, and Who’s Who Legal. She is also recognized as a Rising Star by LMG Expert Guides and an Acritas Star by Thomson Reuters.
// Additional Activities
CCEP (Certified Compliance and Ethics Professional) by SCCE (Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics).
Practice Group Leader of the Compliance & Investigations Committee of the World Law Group.
Coordinator of the Compliance Committee at IBRAC (Brazilian Institute of Studies on Competition, Consumption and International Trade).
Member of the Anti-Corruption Committee of the IBA (International Bar Association).
Guest professor in the Compliance postgraduate course at FGV-RJ (Fundação Getúlio Vargas - RJ), at IBGC (Brazilian Institute of Corporate Governance), and at EY Academy.
// Publications
"The Advantages of a Robust Compliance Programme in the Event of an External Investigation" chapter (co-author). In The Guide to Corporate Compliance. London: Latin Lawyer/LACCA (Law Business Research), 2020. "Anti-corruption compliance in Brazil", chapter (co-author). In Anti-corruption compliance in emerging markets - A resource guide. Arnold & Porter LLP, 2016. "Brazil" chapter (co-author). In The Asset Tracing and Recovery Review. Law Business Research Ltd., 2013.