While some countries are failing in the fight against corruption, Brazil has achieved a real negative milestone in recent years. The country managed to deconstruct the Car Wash Operation , the most powerful symbol of the fight against corruption ever carried out in the country and also  encouraged impunity to public agents who commit acts of administrative impropriety, by sanctioning Statute 14,230 of 03.31.2022. Since then,  public agents can no longer be held responsible for damages caused by recklessness, negligence or malpractice, since only deceit (the intention to do or not to do) characterizes impropriety in the corresponding crimes typified by law. An open door for the "I don't know" people... For those who intend to prove anything, they must manage on their own prove that the agent intentionally did the act...

Considering the hardships the world is going through, recently paralyzed by one of the biggest pandemics in history which, claimed the lives of millions of people millions of companies that could not bear the burden of shutdowns and were not prepared for working remotely, it has become necessary to draw attention to something that many companies despise: the habit of performing risk assessments.

‍

At a time in history when the topics of diversity and inclusion are more and more relevant, a federal law enacted in 2023 is causing great controversy, even forcing a rush to the courts to ensure its compliance.

A lot is said about integrity, but examples of its practice are not always seen on a daily basis. Conversely, there are controversial situations in which actions that could be considered ethical are questionable due to their results.

The past few years have been tumultuous, particularly for Brazilians, in the battle against corruption. Controversial judicial decisions, sparking significant debate, diminished the effectiveness of Operation Car Wash (“Lava Jato”), a landmark anti-corruption probe, in Brazil. The once unassailable figures in the fight against corruption found themselves vilified in a country prone to casting shadows on those in the spotlight.

Corruption is definitely not an evil that only plagues Brazil but absolutely all countries without exception, to a greater or lesser extent. The existence of corruptors presupposes the existence of corrupts and vice versa. Therefore, focusing on fighting corruption at both extremes is essential, otherwise the effort may be in vain.

‍

Could a simple gift be a nuisance to a company? Depending on the situation and the parties involved, it certainly can!

‍

Professor Robert Henry Srour from the University of São Paulo (USP), who I respectfully admire as one of the greatest and best thinkers on ethics in Brazil, describes in his magnificent work “Ética Empresarial” an interesting scene from the movie The Devil's Own, 1997.

‍

On the afternoon of April 22, the webinar ‘Data Leaks and first decisions’ was presented by partner Douglas Leite and Attorneys at Law and data protection specialists Flávio Buzanovsky and Angela Fonseca.

‍