Por Wald, Antunes, Vita, Longo e Blattner Advogados
Nosso sócio e fundador, Professor Arnoldo Wald, foi reconhecido pela Who’s Who Legal como Thought Leader 2020 nas áreas de Litigation e Arbitration. Os guias “Thought Leaders” da WWL apontam os principais advogados e especialistas em todo o mundo, entre os que agregam “visão, expertise e sabedoria” às suas respectivas áreas de atuação.
Reproduzimos, a seguir, a entrevista com o Professor conduzida pela WWL.
Arnoldo Wald, founder of Wald, Antunes, Vita, Longo e Blattner Advogados, has for the past 66 years acted as lawyer and consultant in high-complexity cases relating to several legal areas, in both judicial and arbitral disputes. Professor Arnoldo Wald is recognised as one of Brazil’s most prominent lawyers by various professional rankings and is considered “the most influential lawyer in Federal and Superior Courts of Justice” by Revista Exame.
What inspired you to pursue a career in law?
My father and my professors were my greatest inspirations to pursue a career in law.
What is it about your role as a litigator that you enjoy most?
I really enjoy the power to act in relevant cases, in order to bring justice to causes that seem legitimate, and I am always fighting for the values in which I believe.
Why did you decide to set up your own firm?
After I graduated from law school, I created my law firm – in association with my former colleague, Carly Silva – in a small office, in order to represent our first clients. At the same time, this opportunity allowed me to come up against the challenges of the profession and its inherent responsibilities.
What makes your firm stand out from its competitors in the market?
The main features that allow us to differentiate ourselves from other firms in the market is our experience of over 65 years dealing with different scenarios in Brazil. In addition, the firm’s purpose is to provide tailor-made solutions for our clients; implement creative solutions; and come up with new methods of resolving conflicts, as once was the case of arbitration in Brazil.
As a recognition of our work over the years, the firm features as a leader in its area according to relevant rankings such as in The Legal 500, Latin Lawyer 250 and Chambers Global. It has also been listed in the GAR 100 ranking of the best arbitration law firms in the world for several consecutive years.
How does your experience as a professor enhance your work in private practice?
My teaching experience has allowed me to put my dedication and courage into solving relevant cases with new solutions.
How has the dispute resolution market in Brazil changed since you first started practising?
Since I started my career, dispute resolution has seen accelerated and continuous transformation. The changes I’ve experienced over my career of more than 65 years include the revision of legal paradigms – including the development of a new Brazilian Constitution and the alterations in civil and commercial legislation – and the emergence of alternative dispute resolution methods.
As an example, arbitration in Brazil started as an experiment and a theory at the end of last century, as there was a lack of national precedents. In this aspect, we have managed, in less than 15 years, to make a revolution that in Europe or the USA has taken almost a century. Now arbitration is widely used as an instrument of dispute resolution and is organised into a market. All those developments introduced us to a completely different set of challenges than those faced at the beginning of my career.
Looking back over your career, what is the most memorable case you have been a part of?
One of the most memorable cases was the defence of the former president of a federal agency of public policies in a legal investigation that led to the issuance of the first habeas corpus in Brazil before the Superior Military Court, during the military dictatorship period, changing the position of our Supreme Court some days later. Due to the harsh context and the innovative result, I believe this case can be considered a relevant achievement that shaped my career as a whole.
What has been your greatest achievement to date?
My greatest achievement has been merging my passion for teaching with my enthusiasm for acting as a lawyer in relevant social and business cases, and keeping that routine up for 66 years with the same dedication – and creating one of the most important law firms in our country, along with my partners.
Entrevista publicada no Who’s Who Legal.