First, can you please give us an idea of the sort of work your team has done recently? 

I am part of a company that has been founded for almost 80 years, a leader in the production and sale of Dominican coffee nationally and internationally. With a great expansion in recent years, we have been part of the process of establishing contracts with exclusive distributors for two large territories: the United States and Canada, also with the Amazon platform. Our international presence is also accompanied by the protection of our brands, for which we have strengthened and expanded the protection of our intellectual property worldwide. 

In recent years, our company has obtained important certifications for the industrial processes of coffee production, for which we have accompanied the departments involved in their achievement, guaranteeing on our side, the company’s compliance with applicable laws and regulations, being up to date with the latest regulations, licenses and permits. 

Recently, one of the Group companies has made an important acquisition, a process in which we are part, accompanied by an important legal firm that gives us external support, culminating successfully for all involved, which has allowed us to develop new sales and distribution channels for an important segment of our products. 

Our legal team remains aware of the company’s needs regarding legal and compliance issues, responding to them in a timely manner, providing solutions, for which at the same time we continuously apply a “preventive law”, identifying the risks to avoid legal disputes or disputes. This saves time, economic resources, contributes to the good reputation of the company and maintains harmonious relationships with related parties. We have integrated technological advances into the management processes of our department, improving communication capacity, control and monitoring of regulatory compliance, document management and protection of company data. 

How do you stay up-to-date with changes in laws and regulations in the Dominican Republic relevant to your organisation’s industry? 

Laws and regulations do not remain unchanged, so as legal professionals we must keep constantly updated on changes, reforms or news, especially those that impact the activities of the company to which we belong. Failure to do so can result in non-compliance that translates into breaches, fines and other consequences that are unfavourable to the development of the company and even its reputation. To stay up to date, we continuously train ourselves, as well as our team, through diplomas, courses, conferences, seminars, among others, that cover topics related to the areas of law that concern us and that may be useful in team management in the company. Also, as has always been our custom, we review daily the press and other publications where we could become aware of legal developments that impact the sector, including jurisprudence and updated doctrine, both national and international. 

We regularly attend on behalf of the company, meetings of associations and groups made up of the main national industries and companies, which in turn keep us up to date with the indicators, standards, facilities, agreements, among others, that affect the development of our productive processes and social responsibility, which we assume with great satisfaction. Through these entities, we participate in consultations on draft laws or regulations that could affect the sector, which represents an interesting experience that allows us to enrich our legal work, being able to leave a contribution that transcends. 

What is a cause, business related or otherwise, that you care about, and why? 

The concern that many of us share is the impact that the great advance of artificial intelligence would have on the future of organizations and especially at work. It is a technological transformation that has been causing a stir due to the global repercussions it entails, both for the improvements and for what it could negatively affect. For now, it is necessary to review the applicable legislation as soon as possible and create legal retaining walls to establish limits and reduce as much as possible the violation of the rights of the human beings involved or who may suffer the consequences. 

Technology has always advanced faster than the ability to understand and assimilate the repercussions it would have. Many say that the loss of jobs and the relaxation of educational and training processes are already looming, but the truth is that artificial intelligence is present in most human activities in a positive and efficient way. In terms of economics, AI generates business benefits, although with the danger of generating a monopolistic scenario, accentuating global inequality. Medium and long-term scenarios must be considered, perhaps with the creation of new business models, as in fact they have already been emerging. We must go through this transition taking advantage of competitive advantages with the least amount of collateral damage possible. 

Regarding work, although we may imagine unfavourable prospects, if we anticipate, we could transform and reinvent human resources so that they are not disposable or expendable, and that they are complemented with the use of AI as an essential tool. Seen from that point of view, if we compare with technological revolutions in other times, it should generate many jobs. The educational system also needs to transform, with everyone having to learn to have a new relationship with machines, where AI is used as an excellent tool for obtaining ultra-sophisticated data, within the framework of respect for data protection laws, privacy, among other rights inherent to the human person. The jobs that need creativity and empathy will be irreplaceable by machines, I hope. I prefer to remain optimistic.