Rafael Mendes Gomes leads the Compliance practice at CMGA Law and is recognized as one of the most experienced and prominent compliance professionals in Latin America. A former Chief Governance and Compliance Officer at Petrobras, former Director of Risk and Integrity at Novonor and OEC (formerly Odebrecht Group), and former General Counsel, Vice President of Legal Affairs, and Chief Ethics & Compliance Officer at Walmart Brazil, Rafael brings together 18 years of in-house experience and more than a decade in private legal practice.
For over eight years, Rafael led the Compliance and Investigations practices at two leading law firms, advising more than 100 companies on compliance matters. His work has included numerous internal investigations and remediation efforts related to Operation Car Wash (Lava Jato), as well as enforcement actions under the Brazilian Anti-Corruption Law and the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA).
Rafael has provided compliance and internal investigations counsel to clients across a wide range of industries, including: Aerospace, Agribusiness, Water and Sanitation, Toys, Foreign Trade, Construction and Infrastructure, Cosmetics, Defense, Education, Engineering (EPC), Energy, Real Estate Development, Food & Beverage, Automotive, Pharmaceuticals, Shipbuilding, Media & Communications, Mining, Maritime, Oil & Gas, Petrochemicals, Insurance, Healthcare, Financial Services, Shopping Centers, Nonprofit Sector, Paints and Specialty Coatings, Information Technology, and Retail.
His experience includes matters involving the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), World Bank, Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), European Investment Bank (EIB), U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Brazil’s Office of the Comptroller General (CGU), state-level comptroller authorities in São Paulo, Minas Gerais, and Rio de Janeiro, the City of São Paulo, the Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office, Petrobras, UK Export Finance, global banks, other foreign authorities, and international organizations.
As a result of his successful track record in Compliance, Anti-Corruption, and Investigations, the firm where Rafael practiced in 2015 and 2016 was ranked by Chambers & Partners among the top 5 compliance law firms in Brazil. Rafael was recognized as one of the top 10 individual lawyers in the compliance category.
In the years that followed, Rafael was repeatedly and consistently recognized as one of the most admired compliance professionals, both as a legal practitioner and as an in-house compliance officer, in rankings and directories such as Chambers & Partners, Leaders League, and Análise Editorial. In 2017, he was voted Top of Mind in Compliance – Consultant Category by LEC (Legal, Ethics & Compliance) during the International Compliance Congress in São Paulo. The award was announced during the International Compliance Congress in São Paulo. He has since been honored three additional times by LEC’s Compliance On Top award as one of Brazil’s 20 most admired compliance officers.
Rafael holds a degree in Physical Education from the School of Physical Education and Sports at the University of São Paulo (1990), a Bachelor of Laws from the University of São Paulo Law School (1997), and postgraduate degrees in Business Law (PUC-SP, 1998) and Digital Business (FGV/SP, 2001). He completed the Advanced Management Program (AMP) at IESE Business School (University of Navarra, Barcelona, 2009), and was one of the first Brazilians to earn the CCEP (Certified Compliance and Ethics Professional) certification from the Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics (SCCE), in Toronto, Canada (2009). In 2018, he completed both the Exponential Technology and Leadership Program at Singularity University and the Board of Directors Training Program at the Brazilian Institute of Corporate Governance (IBGC).
Rafael is fluent in English, Spanish, and German, with advanced proficiency in Italian, and has extensive practical experience in legal and compliance matters, including teaching and public speaking in both English and Spanish.
