José Eduardo: the trajectory of a leader who was constantly ahead of his time

“We are committed to continue looking ahead and challenging ourselves, with ambition to go much further, always”. This quote by José Eduardo Carneiro Queiroz has the essence of the strategic north defined for the future of Mattos Filho – Vision 2023. But, looking at the steps taken by Zé, as he was called, it is possible to say that this quote also symbolizes his own trajectory: the young intern who challenged himself to “do more” and became Managing Partner of one of the most respected law firms in Latin America, being named “Law Firm Leader of the Year”, one of the most prestigious awards in the legal market, as well as “Person of the Year” by the Brazilian Chamber of Commerce in Great Britain.

A Law graduate of the USP (University of São Paulo) and a Business Administration graduate of the FGV (Getúlio Vargas Foundation), since 1995, when he joined Mattos Filho as an intern, José Eduardo always stood out for his interest in the most diverse subjects related to the firm. Although his focus was in Capital Markets, he moved easily to other areas, such as M&A and Banking, without ever leaving aside his genuine interest in the management of the firm.

His dual graduation contributed to give him, from an early age, a more comprehensive perception of the business. “Time shaped Zé as a multifaceted, plural professional. As someone who really knew how to see business from all sides”, says Roberto Quiroga, Managing Partner of Mattos Filho, professor and mentor of José Eduardo. It was through him that Zé arrived at the firm and, since then, Quiroga had won more than a pupil – he won a great friend.

Over the years, José Eduardo has evolved professionally, becoming a partner in 2001 and being elected Managing Partner in 2015. He was currently in his second term. José Eduardo’s rise to the firm’s top management position was not surprising to anyone who saw, even in the young intern, the qualities of a leader.

“He got very close to me and, during my years as Managing Partner, he was a great disciple. I realized that he was tailored to develop this activity in the future. Zé had the leadership DNA”, says Quiroga.

According to founding partner Ary Oswaldo Mattos Filho, even though he was marked by his unique leadership skills, José Eduardo brought together other behavioral and professional qualities that were decisive for successful management in a business model such as the firm’s. “In addition to his organizational capacity, he was very careful in tending to partners, lawyers, and clients. He was skilled at listening and building consensus”, he says.

Under the careful management of José Eduardo, Mattos Filho continued to grow, expanding its operations, developing business, and gaining even more strength in the legal market, being consolidated as one of the most important law firms in Latin America. While his eagerness to undertake and innovate helped to boost the business, José Eduardo always reinforced the importance of preserving Mattos Filho’s essential values, which made the firm achieve almost three decades of success: the collaborative work model, the focus on excellence in customer service, the valorization of talents, and the generation of opportunities.

For Quiroga, José Eduardo’s comprehensive vision contributed in a relevant way for the firm to reach its current level. “He was able to understand broadly the national and international legal market. Still young and with a brilliant career, he managed to achieve the best expertise one wants from a law firm manager “.

Growth and opportunities

His history, built inside Mattos Filho, made José Eduardo see the firm as a place of opportunity. “Zé has always been focused on growth because he understood that this meant creating more opportunities for new generations of lawyers”, explains Quiroga.

During his tenure, from 2015 to 2020, the number of lawyers in the firm jumped from 384 to 622. Among lawyers, the number of partners has also increased significantly: from 64 to 107. José Eduardo also structured a new model for the advancement and career management of lawyers, reinforcing the continuous investment in their talents.

In 2017, Mattos Filho reformulated all processes related to attracting and retaining talents, maintaining an open dialogue, and motivating professionals throughout their careers. Currently, the Programa Jovens Talentos (Young Talents Program) allows the recruitment of law students as interns and trainees, with the goal of training and educating young professionals to develop tomorrow’s leaders. “One of the most important things we have done in the last 10 years has been a strategy to add talent to the firm”, said José Eduardo, during the opening of Client Summit 2019, the main event for clients of the firm.

During the period he was ahead of Mattos Filho, José Eduardo also worked hard to expand the business, including strengthening the international presence of the firm. In addition to New York, Mattos Filho opened its doors in London, becoming the only Brazilian firm based in the city. With this international strategy, it was possible to help foreign investors to do business in Brazil in an articulated manner and to support Brazilian clients in Europe.

In Brazil, Mattos Filho also expanded its offices and structure, including a second building in São Paulo, with a floor dedicated to training professionals, the Academia Mattos Filho (Mattos Filho Academy); and another space dedicated exclusively to clients at Faria Lima. In addition, the offices in Brasília and Rio de Janeiro were also renovated and expanded in view of the growth in Mattos Filho’s operations throughout the country.

Promotion of diversity and inclusion

José Eduardo specialized in Economics and Political Science at Georgetown University (USA), being interested in topics related to public management. He argued that the private sector could contribute even more significantly to the construction of a fair and inclusive country, and he always emphasized the importance of the firm fulfilling its role in society. “Without a vision of the common good, it is very difficult for a society to evolve,” he once said. Guided by this ideal, José Eduardo supported and stimulated the development of social initiatives and the promotion of diversity and inclusion like it had never been done before.

During the five years of his tenure, the number of women in the firm’s society more than doubled: from 19 to 40 partners. In the Executive Committee, 30% are women and, when considering the total number of lawyers, they add up to 58%. In the administrative area, the scenario is no different, and 50% of the corporate titles belong to women.

As a result, in 2019, José Eduardo was recognized in the global list INvolve HERoes Advocates as the only Brazilian among the 40 male executives who stood out as leaders in promoting gender equity within their organizations. “The idea of promoting a vision of equity and policies that can favor women’s development is part of that. But, there will only be more women in leadership if men are really willing to break negative behaviors that inhibit this type of development”, he said at an event.

During his tenure, Mattos Filho launched initiatives to discuss the challenges faced by different minority groups concerning diversity and inclusion in society. In addition to 4Women, created to discuss gender equity, the firm established discussion groups on topics aimed at the LGBT+ community (#MFriendly) and people with disabilities (eMFrente). LiRe, in turn, was the group launched to discuss religious freedom in the workplace and to allow religious professionals to exercise their beliefs and rituals. SOMA, on the other hand, brought the possibility of debating the equally important issue of ethnic-racial equity in the legal market, including the hiring of young black men and women, law students, through the SOMA program – reinforcing Mattos Filho’s commitment to attraction, development, and retention of talents for an increasingly inclusive and diverse work environment.

Believing that people can make a difference in society, José Eduardo also supported MOVA, Mattos Filho’s volunteer program, which encourages professionals to participate in social initiatives, promoted by partner institutions, donating their time and supporting solidarity. During his tenure, the firm also institutionally supported several projects with financial resources and developed by leading organizations in the social area, such as Juntos pelo Desenvolvimento Sustentável (Together for Sustainable Development), from Comunitas, in which it integrated governance with other business leaders.

All these Mattos Filho’s initiatives were a source of pride and joy for José Eduardo, who used to talk enthusiastically about them whenever there was an opportunity. “One of his most striking characteristics was that he was always willing to deal with collective issues, to think about society and the community in which he lived”, recalls Roberto Quiroga.

Access to justice and human rights

José Eduardo was an advocate for the promotion of human rights and always expressed concern about the issue: “We know that we live in a society in which many have no access to human rights. It is important to stir the private sector to induce improvement with greater respect for human rights “.

Seeking to strengthen Mattos Filho’s commitment to promoting access to justice, José Eduardo supported the launch, in 2018, of the 100% pro bono practice, which has a team of lawyers working exclusively on human rights issues and public interest law, with the same career plan as other practice areas of the firm.

José Eduardo was also an associate member of the deliberative council of the Instituto Mattos Filho (Mattos Filho Institute), also launched in 2018 by the firm’s partners, with the mission of promoting the legal awareness and strengthening access to justice for a free, diverse, and democratic society. The Institute is currently a reference in terms of encouraging pro bono work, legal education, and offering scholarships to diversify the profile of legal professionals in the labor market.

A recognized leader in the legal market

If the results and successful projects of the firm make the wonderful trajectory traced by José Eduardo clear, the awards he received reinforce this recognition publicly. During his professional life, José Eduardo has accumulated dozens of awards in the areas of capital markets, banks, and M&A, which were given by renowned institutions in the legal sector such as Chambers, The Legal 500, Who’s Who Legal and Lacca. In 2019, he was elected “Person of the Year” by the Brazilian Chamber of Commerce in Great Britain, an important award that was also given to former ministers Henrique Meirelles and Celso Amorim. In the same year, José Eduardo was also elected “Law Firm Leader of the Year” by Latin Lawyer, one of the most respected institutions in the legal market, and received the aforementioned INvolve HERoes Advocates.

Firm of the future

Despite the relevance and leadership achieved by Mattos Filho in the legal market and its undeniable professional success, José Eduardo did not let himself stop. With the same aspirations as when he was an intern, he “wanted more” for the firm. He always wanted Mattos Filho to continue innovating and undertaking new projects.

Guided by a long-term strategic vision and unwavering optimism, he believed in the potential of the legal market and concluded that there are many business and investment opportunities in Brazil, considering that there is still much to do in the country. Even in the midst of the economic crisis caused by the pandemic, he continued to affirm that the future prospects were positive for a firm like Mattos Filho, although he was very cautious. “He was a very optimistic person, thinking about the future, thinking ahead”, summarizes Roberto Quiroga.

Recently, when social distancing completed 100 days in Brazil, José Eduardo wrote an essay about this period on his LinkedIn profile. In the text, he praised and thanked the resilience and engagement of all the firm’s professionals in the face of unprecedented adversity. “Today, I look at that period and see how well the firm has worked. We continue to serve our clients without any limitations. This was only possible with everyone’s incredible dedication. It gives me great satisfaction to see the team we have”.

Once, when talking about career, José Eduardo said that “the greatest professional exercise for each of us is to think about what we are capable of and would like to do. It’s about what really moves us “. Undoubtedly, Mattos Filho’s project – consistent and constant – was what moved José Eduardo. This project does not depend on one person but all of us, he used to say. “Mattos Filho is a firm that is thinking about 20, 30, 40 years from now. It is a firm that wants to remain in a leadership position. We have a group of people who are very committed to our projects and that is what makes the difference “.

In more than two decades of dedication to the firm, José Eduardo has gone beyond a brilliant career – he has built strong ties with everyone for his professionalism and his actions focused on innovation, ethics, and collaboration.

At the award ceremony for the “Person of the Year” of the Brazilian Chamber of Commerce in Great Britain (2019), he quoted, in his speech, a famous phrase by statesman Winston Churchill: “Success always requires greater effort”. And he added saying: “I’m willing to put my personal effort on what we are doing at Mattos Filho and help Brazil to be a better country for all the Brazilians.” His early death, unfortunately, will not allow him to continue this journey with his partners.

However, his legacy is intangible, as it transcends the motivational spirit of a leader and permeates the vision of the future – built on solid ground – for the firm, encouraging Mattos Filho’s partners and professionals to continue this project that he so intensely embraced. “That was certainly what he would like us to do and it is exactly what we are doing”, concludes Ary Oswaldo Mattos Filho.