What are the most significant cases or transactions that your legal team has recently been involved in?

In general, providing timely advice to all areas of the company and the board of directors, our job is to manage and control legal and reputation risk and prevent contingencies. I work as secretary of the board of directors and of its various committees. My main functions include: advising on legal matters to the general management and other management of the company; ensuring compliance with the law and regulations issued by the Superintendence of Pensions and the CMF; report on benefits granted by the Private Pension System; analysing official letters and circulars that the Superintendence of Pensions sends on the matter; consulting on issues related to social security benefits, family allowance, recognition bonds, state guarantee, work accidents, disaffiliation, contributions, etc., formulated by the different areas of the company; representing the administration in legal actions brought against it, related to the granting of pension benefits, drafting and reviewing contracts with suppliers; ensuring the legality in the processing of return of funds to foreigners; and review and approve all company comms and advertising, among others.

How important is choosing to work with external lawyers who align with your company’s values? Are you likely to reconsider what firms you work with based on this?

The advice of external lawyers is essential in certain matters in which a special expert is required. In addition, they give a different vision to the subject in question, providing a different perspective from their experience and expertise on the specific matter.

Why are in-house lawyers well-placed to drive change in their organisations?

The in-house lawyer must know, from top to bottom, their company, thus allowing him to integrate the different teams and, from there, advise with a commercial vision and client focused. That is the advantage of the in-house lawyer, who participates from the beginning in the design and definitions of products and not only when they are required because a contingency has already been generated.