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

The global mining sector, including Ecuador, faces numerous challenges when trying to advance mining initiatives, this highlights the need for high-level counsel for investors in this field. We have faced some important legal cases, the success of which has allowed our company to continue its normal operation and become the largest mining company in Ecuador, to which we are proud to have contributed.

We have been responsible for negotiating, with the Ecuadorian state, the first mining contract in the country, as well as the investment contract. This involved obtaining permits and authorisations from different ministries, defending legal actions, defending constitutional legal actions by anti-mining actors, negotiating collective bargaining agreements with the workers’ union, and maintaining a permanent and effective relationship with public authorities. In essence, we have been responsible for delivering adequate, accurate and timely legal counsel to ensure legal compliance, prevent, mitigate, and control any risks to the company.

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?

Choosing external lawyers who align with our company’s and personal values is key. While we prefer to handle all legal matters in-house legal, it is certainly valuable to work with the support of major law firms for selected cases. We only choose the most reputable law firms that are able to align with our values, which consist of ‘responsibility, respect, commitment, and teamwork.’

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?

To begin with, the legal team must be up to date with the general law, of course, even more so with the legislation relating to the company. Secondly, corporate legal teams must have a clear understanding of the company’s operation and administration; and must keep abreast of local and international news that may be related to the company.

To succeed in the modern industry legal teams must have the ability to anticipate problems, identify risks and resolve them effectively and efficiently. It is important to be able to adaptable, work under pressure, and consistently deliver results – in short, the corporate legal team needs to add value and solve problems.