In environments where legal systems, corporate interests, and criminal pressure intersect, conflict resolution often requires more than formal procedures. Across Latin America and beyond, a growing number of complex disputes are now being addressed through an emerging discipline known as civil counterintelligence. One of the most prominent figures shaping this field is José Lemes Soares, widely known as JL Soares.
According to an article published by OKMagazine, Soares is the founder and chief strategist of Perseu Counterintelligence, a firm that advises high-net-worth families, multinational corporations, and legal teams operating in high-risk and high-stakes environments.
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Origins Rooted in Real-World Conflict
Unlike many specialists in strategic or intelligence-related fields, Soares did not begin his career in academia or government service. Prior to founding Perseu, he was managing his family’s transportation business. His professional direction changed abruptly when an organised crime group targeted a vulnerable member of his family.
Confronted with legal mechanisms that proved too slow and insufficient to address an immediate threat, Soares organised and led a coordinated response involving multiple agencies. The operation succeeded in neutralising the risk and protecting his family, but it also revealed a critical insight: traditional legal tools alone are often inadequate against adversaries who operate outside established rules.
This experience — later referred to by Soares as “Case Zero” — became the foundation for what he would formalise as civil counterintelligence, a framework designed to manage asymmetric conflicts through strategic intelligence rather than procedural escalation.
A Methodology Built on Strategy and Insight
At Perseu Counterintelligence, Soares applies a structured approach known as the Strategic Doctrine. Rather than focusing solely on legal arguments or financial data, the doctrine examines power imbalances, behavioural patterns, and hidden networks of influence that shape conflict outcomes.
Soares describes his role as that of an “operational architect.” He personally leads the diagnostic phase of each engagement, mapping the forces at play before assembling multidisciplinary teams. These teams may include legal professionals, behavioural specialists, digital forensics experts, and ethical hackers, depending on the nature of the case.
The objective is not confrontation, but engineered resolution — identifying leverage points that allow disputes to move forward when conventional approaches reach a stalemate.
Select Operations and Public Cases
While much of Perseu’s work remains confidential under strict non-disclosure agreements, several publicly known cases have highlighted Soares’s methods. In one instance, his team rapidly exposed a fraudulent luxury car dealership in Brazil connected to organised crime, dismantling the operation before traditional investigations concluded.
In another case, Soares intervened in a stalled corporate restructuring involving a major Brazilian educational institution. By identifying a key psychological barrier within the decision-making process, his strategy helped unlock a multimillion-dollar agreement that had remained unresolved for months.
Perseu has also operated in cross-border contexts, providing discreet advisory services in Europe and the United States, demonstrating the adaptability of its framework beyond regional boundaries.
Ethics and Strategic Discipline
Central to Soares’s work is the “Doctrine of Just Engagement,” a principle that limits Perseu’s involvement to cases involving legitimate imbalance or injustice. The firm avoids engagements driven by revenge, vanity, or reputational manipulation.
Educated in part at Gordonstoun School in Scotland, Soares credits his early training with instilling composure and focus under pressure. However, he emphasises that his most influential education came through direct exposure to crisis situations where strategic thinking had immediate consequences.
Redefining Conflict Resolution
Today, JL Soares is widely recognised as a leading voice in civil counterintelligence, a discipline that continues to gain relevance as conflicts grow more complex and multidimensional. By combining intelligence, behavioural insight, and ethical restraint, Soares and Perseu Counterintelligence offer an alternative model for resolving disputes where traditional methods fall short.
