Being named in the Legal 500 General Counsel Powerlist for Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands (‘Benelux’) is a significant achievement for legal professionals. Charmaine Abreu Lobo has made it to this elite list for the second time in a row, earning recognition not only in Europe but she had also left a mark when her PIL was acknowledged in the Supreme Court of India.
BACKGROUND
Charmaine traces her roots to Bastora and is the daughter of Antonio (Antu) Abreu Lobo and Esther Abreu Lobo.
She completed her SSCE from New Goa High School (Mapusa), HSSCE from St Xavier’s, Law from Goa University (5-year Hons degree) and an MBA from Goa Institute of Management (GIM).
Charmaine then moved to Belgium and completed a master’s in law in Brussels and a second management programme in leadership from Yale. She is presently based out of Brussels with her husband, Joel D’Silva, who is also a lawyer, and their two daughters.
ACTIVITY
Charmaine is currently Managing Counsel at McKinsey & Company, where she heads a team of in-house legal professionals at McKinsey for the region of Benelux and Central Europe.
“With 18 years of legal experience, I currently provide legal guidance and strategic legal advice to internal teams at McKinsey on multiple legal topics in connection with its client work for the region and beyond, including Data Privacy, IP & IT, Competition law, Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Corporate Governance, Digital, Analytics, and Legal Contract Negotiation,” said Charmaine.
Asked how she got into legal practice, Charmaine said: “From a larger frame, I noticed the pride in my parents’ eyes whenever I won an elocution competition or spoke up for them in any way.”
“I just wanted to be an even bigger strength and source of pride for them. One thing led to another, and as a result, law felt like the right thing to do. Also, this made sense, given the line of reputable lawyers and judges from my family.”
Charmaine held multiple roles prior to becoming in-house counsel, including practising law at the High Court of Bombay at Goa, lower courts and tribunals, advising as part of a law firm.
“But I felt that being an in-house counsel resonated most with the impact I wanted to bring and the level of proximity I wanted to have with the actual subject matter and business,” said Charmaine.
CHALLENGES
Charmaine said she always viewed challenges as massive opportunities and always made the most of it – taking one step at a time.
“Being a woman in a male-dominated profession when I started out, moving countries or rather, continents, not knowing the local foreign language and having to restart my legal career. My path had several of these opportunities.”
“But I have overcome them as I had the support at home from my husband who is my rock, anchor and pillar of strength. My parents who always encourage me and cheer me on, my mentors and sponsors who have picked me up each time I needed it (even when I refused to acknowledge when I needed it) and my sisters and cousins who were always there when I needed them.”
ACHIEVEMENTS
Charmaine said her biggest achievement has been to see the individuals she has mentored and sponsored succeed, including in the legal profession.
“In addition to this, prior to moving to Belgium, this public interest litigation I co-filed and won, along with a fellow law student, has always stayed with me. This PIL was directed to improve compliance to the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act. This also resulted in improving accessibility and multiple other elements for the differently abled. This PIL was later acknowledged by the Supreme Court of India. It felt great and at a very early stage in my career, gave me a sense that I was able to do something for the people around me - and thirst to do more,” Charmaine added.
Charmaine was also named in the Legal 500 General Counsel Powerlist for Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands (‘Benelux’) for the second year in a row, a major achievement for legal professionals.
GOAN IDENTITY
Asserting that she is very proud to be Goan, Charmaine said her Goan heritage and culture have made her strong, confident and distinct as an individual.
“I had the educational and career boost in Goa that set me up for success. Being Goan, and the distinct identity I gained from this, particularly helped me to be resilient not only in my profession but also in my new country.”
“It allowed me, with ease, to bring my warmth and human side to work and people around me. It also helped me share, very proudly, my culture and food with colleagues and friends from other parts of the world. I never stopped or will stop being a true Ambassador of my Goan roots and culture.”
ADVICE
When asked for her advice to young Goans, Charmaine replied: “In your journey, remember you are not alone. You have family, friends, mentors and sponsors around you - who have been there and done that already, so don’t be afraid to reach out and ask for guidance, without having to reinvent the wheel. No question is too silly. And lastly, there is absolutely no substitute for education, passion, hard work...and Goan food.”
