Carolina Morandi - A Life in the Day - Laurence Simons

Carolina Morandi – A Life in the Day.

Carolina da Rocha Morandi

Carolina Morandi is an Associate at Laurence Simons.

She assists clients with creating their legal teams in both in-house markets and private practice.

 

In this instalment of ‘Life in the Day’, Carolina shares what her average day looks like as well as her interests and hobbies.

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What is your daily morning routine? 

Since I can remember, I have always been more of a night-owl and tend to be more productive during the evenings. So, a few years ago, I changed some habits and decided to exercise in the early morning, which gives me the energy to have a good start to the day. I am lucky to have a good gym facility at the building where I live, so I wake up around 7am, go to the gym, shower, have a large cup of black coffee and am soon ready to leave. I drive to work, which takes about 20 minutes, and play some morning news podcasts on the way. On work from home days, I work on my apartment’s balcony, so I can enjoy the view of the city whilst working.

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What is your Laurence Simons office like?

Our office is in the south area of São Paulo, which you could say is the financial centre of the city and where most of the law firms are located. São Paulo is a huge city, so having a good location makes life much easier to attend meetings and host clients/candidates.
Our office is not very big, but it is very cosy. We have three main rooms: a larger open space where the team works, and two meeting rooms, where we host clients and conduct interviews. We are on the 11th floor, so we can also enjoy a good view and beautiful sunsets.

How did you come to be an Associate at Laurence Simons?

 

In the middle of 2019, I was rethinking my career as a lawyer and decided to make a life-changing move. A friend of mine asked me if I had ever considered Talent Acquisition (which I hadn’t), as he thought my profile and skills would suit the job. I decided to talk to another friend, also a partner at a law firm, who happened to be Laurence Simons’ client. He put me in contact with Ricardo Chazin (our private practice Director LatAm). The idea was to get acquainted with the day-to-day then make a decision. But, as Ricardo said a few days later, the “stars seemed to have aligned” and a big project was about to start at Laurence Simons. Time met opportunity and I have been here for over a year now – and I love it!

 

 

What does your role encompass?

 

My job is to assist my clients in forming their legal teams in both the private practice and in-house markets in Brazil and Latin America. This includes understanding the clients’ needs, searching for the most suitable talents, interviewing candidates, and assisting during the whole search process. I am also responsible for prospecting new clients. Therefore, every day is very dynamic: from searching to interviewing, attending meetings, and representing Laurence Simons at events.

 

 

What projects are you currently working on?

 

In the private practice sector, I am currently looking for a Corporate partner for one of the largest law firms in Brazil and for some senior associates in the Oil & Gas, Insurance and Dispute Resolution teams. In the in-house market, we have recently placed two legal managers in Chile: one at a logistics company and another at a pharmaceutical company. We are negotiating a few positions in Latin America too, so more projects might soon be on the way.

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Who do you work most closely with?

On client pitches, I work closely with Ricardo Chazin (private practice Director LatAm) and Dennis Mello (in-house Director LatAm). However, we have a very united team, so Amanda, Janaína, Benedito and I exchange a lot regarding our searches. In March 2022, I spent one week working at our London office, so I had the opportunity to meet our London teams, as well as other Laurence Simons Directors from Germany and Switzerland.

What do you enjoy about your work?

 

My favourite part about my job is the impact we can have on people’s lives. When we find a good match between candidates and clients, not only do we assist in improving their teams, but we also change the candidates’ lives. The way I see it, working in Talent Acquisition is also selling dreams and opportunities and that’s what I love most about it.

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How do you socialise with the team?

We always try to do team lunches on our days working at the office. We also have monthly goals that, when achieved, we get to celebrate together! The person who scores the highest NFI of the month chooses what the team does; we have had lunches at trendy restaurants, been on a rafting trip, and spent an afternoon barbecuing and playing beach tennis.

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How do you spend time outside of work, and what are your main hobbies and passions?

I am an adventurous person and I love sports. I practice horseback riding, I do showjumping and participate in State and national competitions. I love to hike too and when it is ‘mountain season’ (during Brazilian winter), I plan trips to the mountains where I camp with my friends. I am always planning my next trip as I love to travel, in Brazil and abroad. Sometimes I go to my family’s house in the mountains in Minas Gerais, other times to my cousin’s lake house (where we can hike, go sailing, and wakeboard).
As a fan of sports, I go to some of my team’s matches in São Paulo (São Paulo Futebol Clube), and try to watch as much sport as I can during my time off (NFL, basketball, tennis, surfing, and so on).
Whenever I’m off work on a weekday, going out for dinner, running in the park, and attending exhibitions in São Paulo are also things that I enjoy doing.

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What are you currently looking forward to?

I am very excited about becoming an aunt (and a godmother!). My sister is expecting her first child, and I cannot wait to meet him! They live in California, so this is my next travel destination for sure!

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Can you tell us a little more about the city you live in?

I was not born in São Paulo. I moved to the city in 2010 when I went to college. São Paulo is huge and what we lovingly call the Brazilian concrete jungle. I always say that I learned to fall in love with São Paulo, and I think anyone could too. When you first arrive in the city, it might frighten you with its size, chaos, traffic, and noises, but it has something to offer everyone. Although there are skyscrapers, too much traffic and the city never stops, there’s also a cultural side of São Paulo that is one of the richest in the country. You can find nice museums, parks, a city centre full of history, the best restaurants in the country, amazing concerts, and a very active nightlife too. As the country’s financial centre, São Paulo is rich in diversity and culture, and very welcoming to ‘outlanders’ like me’.

What are your favourite places in the city?

 

That’s a hard question. I like so many things about the city. But keeping it short and food-wise, my favourite restaurants are Fotiá (Greek food), Maní (contemporary cuisine), Mercearia do Conde (multicultural food), and Nino Cucina (Italian food). Nice places for drinks are Pirajá, Orfeu and Bar dos Arcos (which is also very beautiful, as it is inside the municipal theatre).

 

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Do you have any recommendations?

 

Ibirapuera park is a great place for outdoor activities, also one of my favourite places in São Paulo. Culture wise, there are so many nice museums, but MASP (contemporary art museum), Pinacoteca (art museum), MIS (museum of image and sound), and CCBB have nice permanent and temporary exhibitions.

The city centre is very interesting and culturally rich. It is definitely worth a visit to the Municipal Market and Theatre. The COPAN building and the Farol Santander (both have beautiful views of the city) are also must-see spots. The building of the Law School of the University of São Paulo is gorgeous, and a heritage listed building in the city. It was the first law school in the country (founded in 1827), and the building has kept its original architecture. After a walk around the city center, one of the trendiest restaurants to go to is Casa do Porco.

The area called Vila Madalena is full of pubs and bars and very active during the evenings. Nearby, there is Beco do Batman, a graffiti alley that’s worth a visit.