How do you approach 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?  

During periods of instability or crises, which, by the way, have become commonplace in Mexico and around the world in recent years, my approach is to combine flexibility with the law and core values. Unfortunately for us civil law lawyers, not all situations and cases have been anticipated by legislation to resolve disputes, conflicts, or crises. When dealing with modern crises, the chances of finding a relevant law, clause, or precedent are even more unlikely. Principles of law, foundational education, and even constitutional law rise from the depths of our training to help create solutions and provide advice to stakeholders and teammates.  
It is important to be involved in every aspect of the business; knowing and understanding the details of situations, priorities, and context is crucial to being empathetic and foreseeing potential impacts and scenarios that may arise from any decision. Additionally, it is vital to be available and to build open channels of communication that allow people to feel comfortable with you and your team, ensuring that the legal and compliance departments are seen as accessible and reasonable, and capable of understanding and helping in any situation.  

What strategies do you employ to ensure the successful digital transformation of a legal department while maintaining compliance with Mexico’s data protection laws?  

The essential strategy is to keep in mind that Mexico’s data protection laws primarily regulate the collection and processing of any personal information by a private entity acting as a controller or processor. It is also important to consider the types of information you are going to process through any program, application, or server to ensure that the owner, creator, or supplier of such tools complies with the minimum legal requirements for adequately processing, saving, storing, and even destroying any information to which you may grant access. Furthermore, it is crucial to first ensure that you have implemented the appropriate privacy notice and transfer documents that allow you to share the information you may need.  

How can general counsel foster a corporate culture that supports ESG principles and compliance across all levels of the organisation?  

As a General Counsel, you and your team must set an example of compliance and actively support and foster ESG principles, establishing the tone for the entire organisation. The legal team needs to be present, listen to stakeholders, and be fully aware to provide informed advice.  

People often ask why I attend so many meetings or read so many emails. My answer is that if I was invited, there is a reason for it. Sometimes, the reason may simply be to say in a future discussion that the legal department was present. This certainly provides more certainty for the business and adds responsibility for us, but I cannot complain if I or my team miss something important because we didn’t attend, listen, or pay attention. It is challenging to accomplish, but it lies at the heart of our function.  

How do you manage and motivate your legal team to ensure high performance and professional growth?  

They never get bored. They are deeply involved in the business and participate in the decision-making process. They are empowered to challenge my decisions and legal opinions at any time, but with solid legal reasoning.