Team size: 30  

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 would begin with a survey or legal audit to identify, evaluate and mitigate latent risks, as well as the development and presentation of a contingency plan for their correct approach. It would carry out a comprehensive review of current contracts, agreements or commitments so that they can rely on force majeure clauses, emergency clauses and flexible terms in the event of unforeseen or crisis situations. Hence the importance of being proactive when writing and ensuring that these terms are included in all cases, no matter how minimal the costs or associated periods may be. 

It is important to maintain constant and clear communication with all interested parties (shareholders, central management, work team, clients, suppliers, internal and external stakeholders, etc.). I would activate the institution’s crisis and emergency committee and, if it does not exist, I would propose its creation to serve as a special communication channel to quickly report on legal changes, updates on the most relevant events that may affect us and serve to share proposals, ideas and communicate immediate actions by centralising information. In addition, it is important to document all subsequent events and actions through minutes and/or minutes, as well as schedule commitments for follow-up; so that we can ensure that all procedures and decisions are executed in a timely manner and in accordance with the instructions and legal system.  

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? 

The company has environmental social responsibility programs such as the 3R Project, created in 2018, which promotes and executes actions aimed at reducing our environmental footprint, such as: waste separation, specialised collection for recycling and solid waste management. , investment in technology that improves energy efficiency, reforestation and coastal cleaning days, reduction in the use of paper, replacement of plastic with glass or reusables, containers for waste classification, internal talks, film forum, virtual reality experiences for create awareness, among others. 

The legal consultant’s participation in all the institution’s programs is direct and equal to other employees and from his role as a member of the purchasing committee he ensures compliance with all environmental laws and regulations, in addition to being a leader who actively promotes the example to his work team by encouraging and promoting support for all the institution’s initiatives. 

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?  

Without a doubt, the rise of what is now beginning to be known as the next industrial revolution, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning lead this list. The use of AI for data analysis, document review and prediction of legal outcomes, as well as the implementation of systems to automate repetitive tasks and improve the efficiency of our service. 

Blockchain has driven the development of smart contracts that are executed automatically when certain conditions are met, without the intervention of a lawyer or a notary public, making it easier for the business world to manage; since it represents security and transparency in legal transactions and in supply chain management. The implementation of advanced cybersecurity technologies to protect confidential information and comply with data privacy regulations, both at the State and private sector levels, requires staying up to date by continuously training in secure practices to prevent cyber-attacks, due to their level of advancement and constant change. 

The Dominican Republic, for example, had 158 million attempted cyberattacks in 2020 and by 2021 it received 2.2 billion. In 2022 it increased considerably to 5 billion; while during 2023 they dropped to 470 million attacks. Despite these alarming figures, our country is among the 50 countries with the fewest cyber-attack attempts. Particularly, I choose to participate in conferences and seminars on emerging technologies virtually or in person, I am passionate about documentaries, series and films; especially from real events. I also subscribe to forums, podcasts, publications and magazines specialised in technology and law, and I try to follow international entities and professionals that focus on legal innovation and AI on social networks.