How do you approach managing legal aspects during periods of instability or crises, and how does your legal strategy align with the broader business strategy to ensure the organisation’s resilience?  

It has become increasingly important for companies to have a solid business continuity plan in place, considering the many world events happing nowadays that trigger crises and disruptions across many commercial activities, markets and economies. It is fundamental for us, as general counsels, to work together with the management in the construction and periodic revisions of such business continuity plan, in order to make sure that it follows an effective legal strategy and is backed up by a structure of binding contracts, agreements and guarantees with key business associates (for instance suppliers and customers). It is also important to assure that such legal strategy is consistent with and responds to the needs of the company’s purpose and roadmap for the following years. This approach led us to quickly adapt to and successfully overcome global crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the logistics and shipping crisis, and the war in Ukraine. 

What are the main cases or transactions you have been involved in recently?  

Successful trade remedies and antidumping cases before the Dominican Trade Defense Commission (Comisión Reguladora de Prácticas Desleales en el Comercio y sobre Medidas de Salvaguardias). The cases were related to corrugated steel bars (reinforcement bars or rebars) imports from Turkey, Spain, China, and most recently, Costa Rica. The final decision on some of those cases have been challenged before local courts, and we have successfully defend them alongside the Trade Defense Commission. We have also successfully manage to extend the validity periods of the antidumping duties imposed in the cases against Turkey and China. 

Financing transactions. From project financing for the construction, installation and start-up of the necessary equipment and machinery for our production lines, to working capital facilities, debt restructuring, refinancing and derivatives, in Metaldom, S.A. we have engaged in the negotiation and closing of quite a few financing transactions relevant to our business, and that were key to ensuring our ability to stay competitive, to innovate and to quickly adapt to the market and meet our clients’ needs. 

What measures has your company taken to embed sustainability practices into its core business operations, and how does the role of the general counsel contribute to driving and ensuring sustainable practices within the company?  

Our company has set as one of its mains goals to be a regional leader in ESG practices, and carries out many initiatives to promote and expand such practices across the entire value chain. As general counsel, we work together with our Environment and Sustainability departments to ensure full compliance with the applicable laws and regulations, and also embrace the best corporate governance practices for the decision making process. 

What emerging technologies do you see as having the most significant impact on the legal profession in the near future, and how do you stay updated on these developments? 

Artificial Intelligence, without a doubt. AI has become increasingly useful for analysing and intelligently summarising big loads of data, saving us a great deal of time. As any emerging technology, it should be used wisely and with a lot of care, in order to avoid mistakes.