Team size: 14

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

Obtained regulatory approvals to incorporate a banking affiliate of Banco BTG Pactual Chile, in Colombia; Banco BTG Pactual Colombia S.A.

Responsible for providing support to all legal and regulatory work in relation to a new business line of BTG Pactual in Chile; Energy Trading.

Conducting all legal work in relation to loan recoveries and reorganisation processes, leading the credit committee discussion on these matters and negotiating with creditors and borrowers in stress or default.

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

In-house lawyers have become key to the success of a company. In the financial industry – particularly the banking industry – the legal team works across the entire bank, either with the back or the front teams. It also has direct contact with external players, counterparties, and regulators. Consequently, the legal team is very well positioned and knows how the business and internal processes work, and how external factors (legal, regulatory and industry trends) may impact the business of the bank.

The above knowledge and relationships permit the legal team to become an especially important source of consideration in most, if not all the decision-making processes that occur in an internal committee of the bank (either business related or operational and risk control related), and through the general counsel, in the board of the bank.

As we live in a fast-paced world today, what skills will a corporate legal team need to succeed in the modern in-house industry?

Although legal technical knowledge is critical, proactivity and fast delivery are also fundamental to the success of the team. The ability to better communicate and analyse legal matters in a commercially friendly way is also critical to the appreciation of the team by senior management, and all the teams of the company. Traditional legal teams that use very technical language or provide ambiguous answers are clearly outdated.

Finally, a business-oriented team that is, at the same time, able to promptly raise and clearly explain the legal, regulatory, and reputational risks of a certain business, should be successful.