Marcella
Constâncio

Brazil · Washington, D.C. · Volunteer service for families in need

Marcella Constâncio is a board director and legal executive with nearly a decade of practice in Brazil — including leadership as Head of Legal & Operations for a multi-tenant commercial enterprise (~350 tenants). While advancing her LL.M. studies at George Washington University Law School, she serves Freedom to Belong as a volunteer co-founder — not in a paid staff role — dedicating time to immigrant families who need support and often cannot afford to pay for help. Her work is mission-first: clarity, dignity, and access for people with little or no means.

Volunteer co-founderHelps families who cannot pay Board Director Diretora Jurídica Head of Legal & Ops Direito Migratório Commercial contracts GW Law LL.M. PUC Minas PT · EN · ES · FR

LinkedIn Instagram ↗ Experience Download / Print profile

~9years legal practice (BR)

350+tenants · legal/ops portfolio

4working languages

GWLaw · LL.M. pathDownload / Print profile

About Marcella

Marcella Constâncio builds the legal and operational systems that keep complex businesses running — and that protect people when life crosses borders.

As Head of Legal & Operations (Diretora Jurídica) at a commercial shopping center in Greater Belo Horizonte — including work associated with Shopping Xavantes — she has owned the legal and operational backbone behind a portfolio of approximately 350 tenants: contracts, stakeholder management, dispute pathways, and continuity of operations.

After nearly a decade of practice in Brazil (civil, business, commercial, and migration-related matters), she advanced to the United States for graduate legal study at George Washington University Law School (LL.M.), strengthening her capacity for U.S.–Brazil and international legal strategy.

Her professional identity sits at the intersection of enterprise legal leadership and human mobility — highly relevant to boards overseeing immigration-support and belonging-focused organizations such as Freedom to Belong and professional pathways like US Legal Now.

“Building an international legal career” — from nearly nine years of practice in Brazil to the U.S. legal system and GW Law (public LinkedIn narrative).

Why boards value Marcella

What nominating committees and co-directors get when Marcella is at the table.

Legal + operations in one seat

Not advisory-only. She has run legal and ops — contracts, compliance culture, and day-to-day execution under pressure.

Multi-tenant / multi-stakeholder

Experience governing relationships at scale (~350 tenants): negotiation volume, risk balance, and practical dispute resolution.

Immigration & mobility lens

Professional focus that includes direito migratório — essential for boards serving immigrant communities and cross-border clients.

Cross-border credibility

Brazil practice depth + U.S. graduate legal education (GW Law) = bilingual, bi-system judgment.

Languages as infrastructure

Portuguese, English, Spanish, French — board, management, and client conversations without losing nuance.

Mission-ready governance

Comfortable bridging nonprofit purpose (education, belonging) and professional-service excellence (documents, process, integrity).

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Experience

Head of Legal & Operations · Diretora Jurídica

Commercial shopping center / multi-tenant portfolio (Greater Belo Horizonte) — including Shopping Xavantes context. Legal and operational backbone for ~350 tenants: commercial contracts, landlord–tenant frameworks, dispute resolution, and operational continuity.

Legal practice — Brazil (~9 years)

Civil law, business law, commercial contracts, dispute resolution, and migration-related legal strategy. Built the foundation for international practice and board-level counsel.

Naves Fleury & associated practice (public profile)

Professional association with civil and business law practice areas; formation at PUC Minas; multilingual client work (English, Spanish, French).

LL.M. candidate — George Washington University Law School

Washington, D.C. Advanced international / U.S.-facing legal education. Instagram professional handle references LL.M. @gwuniversity. Preparing for practice and leadership across the U.S. legal system and cross-border matters.

Volunteer co-founder — Freedom to Belong

Public professional directory associates Marcella with Freedom to Belong among her organizational affiliations — mission fit for immigrant education, community, and legal-adjacent pathways.

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Education & credentials

George Washington University Law School — LL.M. candidate Washington, D.C. · International / U.S. legal system focus · Public posts on international law career path
Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Minas Gerais (PUC Minas) Legal education — Civil Law · Business Law foundations
Core practice areas Commercial contracts · Dispute resolution · Cross-border legal strategy · Direito migratório · Operations governance

Languages

Portuguese — native / professional English — professional Spanish — professional French — professional

Expertise tags

Board governance Legal operations Commercial leasing & tenants Contract negotiation Dispute resolution Immigration / migration law Cross-border strategy Stakeholder management Risk & compliance culture