Key insights

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1. Difference is not a weakness—it’s leverage
Flavia explains that foreign-trained lawyers often make the mistake of trying to look like everyone else. Employers gravitate toward familiarity, so competing head-to-head with U.S.-trained lawyers on pedigree is a losing game. The turning point in her career came when she leaned into what made her different—language skills, cross-border experience, and regulatory fluency others didn’t have.

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2. The hiring market rewards comfort, not capability
Hiring decisions are deeply human. When faced with two resumes—one familiar, one unfamiliar—most employers default to what feels safe. That bias disproportionately affects foreign-trained lawyers, regardless of competence. The solution isn’t to erase difference, but to reframe it clearly as business value.

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3. Career transitions are rarely planned—but they are survivable
From early layoffs to acquisitions that eliminated her role, Flavia’s career includes repeated forced transitions. Each time, she chose resilience over paralysis. Her lesson is blunt: if you let employers or circumstances dictate your confidence, you’ll never reach the role you want.

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4. Senior exits require more care than senior entries
Leaving a GC role—especially in a regulated industry—creates immediate external concern. Flavia describes how she planned a six-month transition, coordinated with regulators, briefed the board, and ensured her successor was trusted before making anything public. Leadership doesn’t end when you resign.

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5. Titles are powerful—and dangerously sticky
One of the hardest parts of stepping down wasn’t professional—it was psychological. Detaching identity from title took months. Flavia argues this is an unspoken challenge in legal leadership: many lawyers don’t know who they are without the role, which makes burnout and poor decisions more likely.

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6. Closing insight

The most effective GCs don’t just know when to fight—they know when to step back. In a profession obsessed with endurance, intentional transition is becoming a defining leadership skill.