What has been the number one challenge that has impacted you over the past year?

The most exciting thing about being the legal manager of Nissan in Peru is seeing that the legal team’s work produces tangible results in the organisation’s day-to-day life. We get involved in the definition of new projects or businesses; we accompany the different areas of the company from the analysis of commercial growth opportunities as well as in the closing of transcendental transactions for the operation.

The achievement of each of these objectives is experienced closely by the professionals who accompany you along the way. This daily feedback from the commercial, financial, regulatory and technical teams makes Nissan Peru’s legal advisor go from being a lawyer to being a business partner, which I consider a strategic element for decision-making and achieving objectives. Along with this and no less critical, the company makes us feel included and valued at all levels. I instil this in the team so that they feel free to express their opinions, feel comfortable and be committed to ‘thinking outside of the box’ since each recommendation is always welcome.

Looking ahead, what technological advancements do you think will have the biggest impact on the role of in-house legal teams going forward?

The development of tools such as Artificial Intelligence and the digitisation of documents have become the technological protagonists, and the legal sector has been revolutionised for a couple of years. Today, being up to date and knowing how to use them is no longer an option but a necessity for process optimisation, document automation, practical improvements for the region, and value generation.

All this means that today’s lawyer adapts much faster to changes and is much more flexible and versatile, with a technological and commercial vision of law.

What is one cause, business-related or otherwise, that concerns you and why?

I am concerned about the ‘excessive’ growth in using tools such as AI and document digitisation. Although, as I mentioned previously, these tools boost business, the legal loopholes due to their little or no regulation are already generating serious consequences in public and private companies, such as the loss and violation of data security, as well as the increase in cybercrime. For this reason, we must be one step ahead in our organisations to keep our information and that of our internal and external customers safe.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, today, without a doubt, after having survived a pandemic, I think we can say that the profile of the current in-house lawyer is prepared for any change or challenge at any level that arises, being quite resilient and quick to take action and strategic decisions.