Legal and Compliance Team of JLL recognized by The Legal 500

​​SÃO PAULO, November 20, 2017 – The Legal and Compliance department of JLL is in GC Brazil 2017 Powerlist, a ranking organized by The Legal 500 publication, which recognizes the best legal departments of companies in Brazil.

For the last 29 years, The Legal 500 analyzes the competence of legal offices throughout the world. The publication has created a new series and rankings, such as the GC Powerlist, to recognize professionals and companies' legal department teams, which contribute strategically to the advancement of the business.

JLL: Ethics come first – To Gustavo Biagioli, Legal and Compliance Director for JLL, the increased compliance requirements in companies caused a change in the performance of legal teams and their strategic role in organizations. "At this moment in the history of our country, highlighted by numerous corruption cases that quickly had world impact, and have ruined businesses and caused irreparable damage to the reputation of companies and their people, organizations realize that transparency and an ethically effective posture are competitive differentials which are indispensable for businesses to succeed", says Biagioli.

Recognizing the importance of more effective interaction between the legal teams and other business areas of the company, the JLL's Legal and Compliance team worked to strengthen their compliance practices and focused their attention in its health program, which is a reference in the global market.

In 2016, JLL won the Pro-ethics Seal, the most important health certification in the country. The seal is an initiative of the Managing Committee of the Controller General's Office/Ministry of Transparency, which publicly recognizes and encourages companies that are effectively committed to prevent and fight against corruption and any other fraud.

The team also worked on strengthening the communication, seeking to expand proactively the knowledge of the processes in the different areas of business of JLL. "We had several meetings with the departments to understand the difficulties and challenges they face and proposed solutions toward the viability of the business," he says. "We were also able to make people aware of the need and the importance of investing time in risk mitigation and create policies and standards that enable the running of business with governance".

The Legal and Compliance team has a key role in all phases of JLL's business, whether it be in the process of real estate transactions, condominium administration, facilities' management or projects, following up the negotiation, the signing of contracts and monitoring throughout the duration of the contracts.

The strategies to reduce client's taxes and the initiatives to increase profitability in the areas of business of JLL are also among the accomplishments of the area. For Biagioli, these initiatives have a major impact, because they change the perception of the Legal Department, which is seen as a revenue-generating area, and not only an expense. 

"Being in GC Powerlist is a recognition for all the hard work our team has performed to continue seeking excellence, and it reinforces our commitment to continue making ethical business practices a core value of JLL," says Biagioli.​

JLL (NYSE: JLL) is a leading professional services firm that specializes in real estate and investment management. A Fortune 500 company, JLL helps real estate owners, occupiers and investors achieve their business ambitions. In 2016, JLL had revenue of $6.8 billion and fee revenue of $5.8 billion and, on behalf of clients, managed 4.4 billion square feet, or 409 million square meters, and completed sales acquisitions and finance transactions of approximately $145 billion. At the end of the third quarter of 2017, JLL had nearly 300 corporate offices, operations in over 80 countries and a global workforce of over 80,000. As of September 30, 2017, LaSalle Investment Management had $59.0 billion of real estate under asset management. JLL is the brand name, and a registered trademark, of Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated. For further information, visit ir.jll.com.​