Across different sectors of the economy, the presence of women in leadership positions has increasingly occupied a place in discussions on governance and management. In law firms, this evolution is also present. At GT Lawyers, however, female leadership is not the result of a recent initiative, but has been part of the firm's history since its founding.
Founded in 2013 by Tamy Tanzilli, GTLawyers was born from the conviction that a firm is built as much on technical excellence as on the trust placed in the people who contribute to its growth. It is this vision that, over the years, has made it possible to consolidate a management model based on entrepreneurship, talent development and the gradual transfer of responsibilities.
An Entrepreneurial Vision: Tamy Tanzilli, Founding Partner
The history of GTLawyers began in 2013, when Tamy Tanzilli decided to found the firm, bringing to this project more than thirty years of experience in business law and cross-border operations.
Her career, however, goes beyond technical practice. A professor at EM Lyon Business School since 2003, a board member and, since 2025, SME Director on the Executive Board of the France-Brazil Chamber of Commerce (CCIFB), as well as vice-chair of its Legal Committee, Tamy has always maintained close engagement with the business environment and institutions, helping to strengthen relations between Brazil and France.
This recognition has also extended beyond the country's borders. Recognized by Chambers and Partners France as a foreign expert for Brazil in corporate law and mergers and acquisitions, as well as ranked by Latin Lawyer 250, she continues to be directly involved in the most complex transactions of the Corporate & M&A department
Even at the helm of the firm, Tamy remains close to legal practice. This reflects a vision of leadership in which running a firm means, at the same time, staying close to clients, sharing knowledge and creating opportunities for new professionals to develop. As she herself puts it: “the role of the lawyer goes far beyond simply solving problems; it is about being a strategic partner able to provide trust, security and a long-term vision”.
Anne-Catherine Brunschwig: managing partner no Rio
A firm does not grow solely by opening new offices or expanding its client base, but also through the ability to identify talent, invest in its potential, and assign responsibility.
The opening of the Rio de Janeiro office in 2017 reflects this philosophy well. Its direction was entrusted to Anne-Catherine Brunschwig, today a partner and managing partner of the Rio office.
Specializing in cross-border transactions involving North American and European groups, Anne also heads the firm's Compliance and Data Protection department. Her institutional path — as vice-president of the Brazil-Canada Chamber of Commerce for three consecutive terms, subsequently statutory legal director and, today, a member of its Board of Directors — reflects a career built on the combination of solid legal expertise and strategic responsibilities.
Her professional development reflects a defining trait of GTLawyers' culture: the firm's growth has always gone hand in hand with the strengthening of new leaders, in an environment built on trust, autonomy and complementarity among its partners.
Carolina Moresco: A Successful Career in Brazil
In a law firm, passing on knowledge goes beyond sharing technical aspects. It also means preserving a way of working, of serving clients and of building lasting professional relationships.
This continuity can be seen in the path of Carolina Moresco, partner in the corporate law and mergers and acquisitions practice. Holder of an LL.M. in Contract Law from Insper, she advises Brazilian and foreign companies on investments, commercial contracts and corporate transactions.
Alongside Tamy Tanzilli, Carolina is involved on a daily basis in the most strategic cases handled by the Corporate & M&A department. Her work demonstrates how the firm invests in developing new leaders and in the gradual transfer of the knowledge built up over its history.
Governance Focused on the Future
In little more than a decade, GTLawyers has consolidated its position as one of the leading firms advising foreign companies investing in Brazil.
This position is also reflected in the firm's international dimension: today, GTLawyers brings together more than sixty lawyers and advises more than three hundred clients, of which around 90% are foreign, with particular emphasis on the French Desk, coordinated by Cécile Verdeaux and dedicated to serving French-speaking clients — one of the distinguishing features underpinning this position of reference.
This growth is the result of its founder's entrepreneurial vision, but also of the building of a solid team and the progressive strengthening of new leaders. The paths of Tamy Tanzilli, Anne-Catherine Brunschwig and Carolina Moresco illustrate this evolution and show how experience, trust and professional development go hand in hand. As Tamy Tanzilli, founder of the firm, puts it: “female leadership is a sine qua non condition for bringing balance”, without sex, race or origin standing as a barrier to reaching positions of prominence.
More than highlighting individual stories, these three women leaders represent a culture built up over the years, based on trust, people development and continuity. It is this culture that has accompanied GTLawyers since its founding and that continues to guide its evolution.
