Esther Flesch
{{short description|Lawyer (b. 1967)}}
{{Orphan|date=March 2019}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Esther Flesch
| image =
| birth_name = Esther Miriam Flesch Sandoval
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1967|03|09}}
| birth_place = São Paulo
| occupation = Lawyer
| years_active = 1988 - today
| education = Universidade de São Paulo
| awards = 100 Women in Investigations 2015 - Global Investigations Review (GIR) – 2015{{cite journal|url=http://leisenegocios.ig.com.br/index.php/2015/05/07/brasileiras-figuram-em-ranking-de-mulheres-que-atuam-no-combate-a-corrupcao/|title=Brasileiras figuram em ranking de combate à corrupção|last=iG|date=7 May 2015|access-date=8 Jan 2018|journal=|archive-date=13 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180813174906/http://leisenegocios.ig.com.br/index.php/2015/05/07/brasileiras-figuram-em-ranking-de-mulheres-que-atuam-no-combate-a-corrupcao/|url-status=dead}}
| website = https://estherflesch.com.br
}}
Esther Miriam Sandoval Flesch (São Paulo, March 9, 1967) is a Brazilian lawyer. Flesch is one of the most prominent lawyers in Brazil, and achieved recognition in international rankings such as Latin Lawyer,{{cite journal|url=https://www.bakermckenzie.com/en/newsroom/2017/04/latin-lawyer-deal-of-year|title=Baker McKenzie Receives Latin Lawyer Regulatory Deal of the Year Award|last=iG|date=4 June 2017|access-date=8 March 2018|journal=|archive-date=4 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171104013018/http://www.bakermckenzie.com/en/newsroom/2017/04/latin-lawyer-deal-of-year/|url-status=dead}} Latin American Corporate Counsel Association (LACCA),{{Cite web|url=http://laccanet.com/approved/102/anti-corruption-compliance/|title=Latin America's leading private practitioners as voted for by the region's leading corporate counsel|date=|website=LACCA Net|access-date=8 Jan 2018}} and Legal 500.{{Cite web|url=https://www.legal500.com/firms/53211-trench-rossi-watanabe/53816-sao-paulo-brazil/|title=Legal 500 rankings|date=12 Dec 2017|website=Trench Rossi Watanabe em Legal 500|access-date=8 Jan 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180922135743/https://www.legal500.com/firms/53211-trench-rossi-watanabe/53816-sao-paulo-brazil|archive-date=22 September 2018|url-status=dead}}
Early life
She earned her doctorate from the University of São Paulo (USP).
Career
She worked for the law firm Trench, Rossi e Watanabe (TRW) from 1989.{{Cite web|url=https://estherflesch.com.br/curriculo/|title=Currículo Esther Flesch|date=23 Sep 2017|access-date=8 Jan 2018|website=Site oficial Esther Flesch|archive-date=13 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180813175208/https://estherflesch.com.br/curriculo/|url-status=dead}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.chambersandpartners.com/latin-america/person/141344/esther-miriam-flesch|title=Esther Miriam Flesch|date=23 Sep 2017|access-date=8 Jan 2018|website=Página de Esther Flesch no Chambers & Partners|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150626221348/http://www.chambersandpartners.com/latin-america/person/141344/esther-miriam-flesch|archive-date=26 June 2015|url-status=dead}}
She participated in various conferences and lectures in Brazil and abroad.{{Cite web|url=http://latinlawyer.live/investigations2015|title=Latin Lawyer - GIR 3rd Annual Anti-Corruption & Investigations Conference - Thursday, 15 October 2015|website=latinlawyer.live}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.amcham.com.br/noticias/juridico/justica-sera-rigorosa-com-empresas-que-omitirem-casos-de-corrupcao-6803.html|title=Justiça será rigorosa com empresas que omitirem casos de corrupção|website=Amcham Brasil}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.abramed.org.br/congresso/programacao.html|title=Programação - 2º Congresso Internacional de Gestão em Saúde ABRAMED|website=www.abramed.org.br}}{{Cite web|url=http://youcare.com.br/2o-congresso-internacional-de-gestao-em-saude-abramed-compliance/|title=2º CONGRESSO INTERNACIONAL DE GESTÃO EM SAÚDE ABRAMED: COMPLIANCE|date=August 29, 2017}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4GHOdkHNZg|title=Canal YouTube AmCham Brasil|website=YouTube |date=|access-date=8 Jan 2018}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMow3D22604|title=Canal YouTube Brasil Forum|website=YouTube |date=|access-date=8 Jan 2018}}
Court halts JBS case
On September 17 of 2019 the Federal Court of the 1st District (Tribunal Regional Federal da 1ª Região) accepted a motion to halt prosecution against lawyer Esther Flesch in the case involving the plea bargain deals of JBS executives.{{cite journal|url=https://www1.folha.uol.com.br/poder/2019/09/trf-tranca-acao-contra-ex-procurador-pivo-de-polemica-envolvendo-delacao-da-jbs.shtml|title=TRF tranca ação contra ex-procurador pivô de polêmica envolvendo delação da JBS|last=Folha de S.Paulo|date=17 September 2019|access-date=17 September 2019}} The court considered that the actions taken by Flesch were not criminal.{{cite journal|url=https://veja.abril.com.br/blog/radar/trf-tranca-acao-contra-marcello-miller-e-esther-flesch|title=TRF tranca ação contra Marcello Miller e Esther Flesch no caso J&F|last=VEJA|date=17 September 2019|access-date=17 September 2019}}
In 2018 Flesch had been mentioned in an inquiry of plea deals between JBS executives and the district attorney (DA) in Brazil.{{cite journal|url=https://www1.folha.uol.com.br/poder/2018/06/pf-indicia-ex-procurador-joesley-e-mais-tres-por-corrupcao-no-caso-jbs.shtml|title=PF indicia ex-procurador, Joesley e mais três por corrupção no caso JBS|last=Folha de S.Paulo|date=18 June 2018|access-date=14 Nov 2018}}
In 2017 she sued the Trench Rossi Watanabe law firm after an episode in which former DA Marcello Miller was hired by Trench to participate in negotiations of plea deals with JBS.{{cite journal|url=https://www1.folha.uol.com.br/colunas/monicabergamo/2017/12/1940605-ex-advogada-do-trench-rossi-watanabe-processa-o-escritorio.shtml|title=Ex-advogada do Trench Rossi Watanabe processa o escritório|last=Folha de S.Paulo|date=12 May 2017|access-date=27 July 2018}} Amongst the reasons for the lawsuit were access to documents that the firm declined to provide.{{cite journal|url=https://noticias.uol.com.br/politica/ultimas-noticias/2017/12/06/advogada-diz-que-foi-bode-expiatorio-de-ida-de-miller-para-escritorio-que-fez-acordo-da-jbs.htm|title=Ex-sócia se diz "bode expiatório" e quer ver contrato de Miller com escritório que fez acordo da JBS|last=UOL|date=12 June 2017|access-date=28 July 2018}}
In April 2018 her request was granted by the São Paulo Court of Law (TJSP).{{cite journal|url=https://cultura.estadao.com.br/blogs/direto-da-fonte/tjsp-confirma-decisao-favoravel-a-advogada-esther-flesch/|title=TJSP confirma decisão favorável à advogada Esther Flesch|last=Estado de São Paulo|date=4 Nov 2018|access-date=8 March 2018}} A report in the Folha de S. Paulo newspaper revealed that Flesch “was interviewed in the United States by four members of Baker McKenzie in a locked room for ten hours.” In the case, Flesch confirmed that the decision to hire the former DA was taken by a committee.
In December 2018, VEJA magazine disclosed that Esther Flesch's defence had proof, including an e-mail, that revealed that the administration of Trench Rossi Watanabe had knowledge of the deal made with JBS. This included a bill in the amount of 700,000 reals sent to the company by the firm.{{cite journal|url=https://veja.abril.com.br/blog/radar/e-mail-contraria-tese-de-janot-contra-marcello-miller/|title=E-mail contraria tese de Janot contra Marcello Miller. Não era propina|last=Revista VEJA|date=16 Dec 2018|access-date=17 Dec 2018}}
Recognition
In 2015 she was named one of the 100 most notable female lawyers worldwide in investigations and compliance by the Global Investigations Review (GIR) in the publication Women in Investigations 2015. According to the publication, the list includes "women considered the most notable in the investigations field worldwide and includes professionals working in law firms, companies and in the public sector."{{Cite web|url=https://estherflesch.com.br/carreira|title=Carreira Esther Flesch|date=|access-date=8 Jan 2018|website=Site oficial Esther Flesch|archive-date=14 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180814001740/https://estherflesch.com.br/carreira/|url-status=dead}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.advisoryexcellence.com/experts/esther-miriam-flesch/|title=Esther Miriam Flesch}}