Securitas: private security meets compliance
Carla de Abreu Lopes, Securitas’ new legal director, reflects on her shift from tech and the expanding responsibilities of in-house counsel
by glória paiva
Originally from Tomar, Portugal, and a law graduate from the University of Coimbra, Carla de Abreu Lopes showed an early appetite for crossing borders and adapting to new contexts. Between an Erasmus in Belgium and an LLM in EU Law in the Netherlands, she built a multicultural path that led her to Garrigues, where she joined after taking part in an international competition in European law. She spent almost ten years at the firm, consolidating her experience in competition, commercial contracts and regulatory law.
The shift to the corporate world came with Samsung, where she created the legal department in Portugal from scratch and immersed herself in risk management and compliance at high speed. Later, she further strengthened her international experience in the technology sector, including a period at Huawei. She now takes on the role of director of legal, risk & compliance at Securitas Portugal, at a time when the private security sector is modernising with the growing integration of technological solutions. The Portuguese team works in close coordination with Securitas’ Ibero-American Division. In an interview with Iberian Lawyer, Lopes shares how she views this new challenge.
What are the differences between working as legal counsel in a technology company and in a private security company?
The technology and private security sectors have their own specific regulations. In technology, the focus is on contract review, data protection, intellectual property and digital law. In private security, attention centres on regulation, employment law and civil law. The Securitas Group’s transformation strategy is based on the integration of technology as a driver of change, enabling the development of intelligent and innovative security solutions. My move to Securitas represents an evolution towards strategic direction in a critical sector, where the legal aspect is inseparable from risk. It is not just a matter of legal review: it is about participating in the business, bringing together technology and the provision of security services.
What are the immediate priorities in the area of legal, risk & compliance at Securitas Portugal?
The priorities are aligned with the regulatory complexity of private security and the need to strengthen corporate governance. The focus is on implementing robust internal policies, centred on transparency, ethics and compliance in a highly regulated sector. It is also essential to adapt to how the security sector operates, understand specific obligations and anticipate new challenges. The area is not limited to legal: it involves compliance and risk management in an integrated way.
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