About

Refinería de Cartagena’s (RDC) in-house legal department, led by legal vice president Herman Eduardo Galan, is comprised of 24 highly talented lawyers and is structured into four areas. These are the legal and litigation department, the arbitration group, the secretary general and lastly public relations and communications. The legal and litigation department is responsible for the drafting, reviewing and the execution of contracts and acts as counsel in minor judicial and administrative proceedings, as well as providing legal opinions pertaining the new projects and initiatives as to their legal framework and risks. The arbitration group is responsible for the supervision, coordination and management of external lawyers in national and international arbitrations, and its members also advise on and review each document to be submitted before an arbitration tribunal, draft briefs and assist with document production. Furthermore, the arbitration group analyses potential claims that the companies may have against contractors who were involved in the expansion and modernisation of refineries and which contracts have not been closed out, or vice versa. The secretary general is responsible for corporate affairs and other functions entrusted by the company’s management related to corporate responsibility and regulatory affairs, including but not limited to board meetings, corporate governance and the relationship with Colombia’s control bodies like Contraloría, Procuraduría and Fiscalia. The public relations and communications direction leads on the relationships with stakeholders and public opinion, to strengthen the reputation of RDC and generate a favourable business environment. Recent highlights of the team include the creation of the arbitration group for the purposes of having an area specialised in national and international arbitration. Talking on the company’s “we are the fuel for a better tomorrow” mission, Galan highlights that this ‘applies to the legal vice presidency as well. Given the modernisation and expansion of the refinery and its significance to the country, by having a strong legal department, we are not only defending the company’s interests but ultimately the nation’s interest and allowing there to be a tomorrow’.