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

For BA Glass Group, 2023 was an outstanding year in terms of transactions. Throughout the year, the group completed three transactions, each with different scopes and structures. The legal team, together with external lawyers from various locations, was involved in all the transactions, as we take a very hands-on approach.

The first transaction to be closed was the acquisition of a majority stake in the Mexican glass packaging manufacturer Vidrio Formas (now renamed “BA Glass México”) at the beginning of November. This transaction placed BA Glass on North America’s map and represents a landmark milestone in the expansion of the group by embracing this important market.

Three weeks later, through an asset deal, BA Glass acquired the glass business of CP Glass (belonging to CanPack Group) in Orzesze, Poland. This represented an expansion of BA Glass’ footprint in Poland, increasing its capacity to the existing plants in Jedlice and Sierakow. The transaction, subject to anti-trust clearance, was completed in April 2024.

Then, in December 2023, BA Glass acquired 100% of the shares of the glass recycling company Recresco in the United Kingdom. This acquisition was an extremely valuable opportunity for BA Glass to access high-quality recycled glass, representing a significant step towards BA Glass’ goal to reduce 50% of CO2 emissions by 2035.

In a sector where growth is driven by M&A activities, these deals affirm our steady growth strategy and proximity to our customers.

What would you say are the unique qualities required to be successful as an in-house lawyer in your industry?

In-house lawyers need to understand the business and speak its language. Beyond any hard or soft skills or technical abilities, understanding the business, its structure, goals, and drivers is crucial. When you are passionate about the industry in which you are working, these qualities come naturally, and you start acting like an owner. The idea of an in-house lawyer who speaks only in “legalese” is completely outdated. In-house lawyers should navigate complexity and present issues in a simple, solution-oriented way. Ultimately, the legal department is a business partner, not a standalone entity!

How have you fostered a closer collaboration between the legal department and your business counterparts?

Providing effective solutions that are tailored to our business partners and helping them achieve their goals is paramount. The legal department is intended to be a solution-oriented platform, almost a co-lab, that solves the problems or needs of other departments. If we can give the impression that solving the needs of other departments is easy, all the better! People expect us to deliver effective solutions in a timely manner and to make their lives easier, rather than creating legal traps.

Do you have a cause, business-related or otherwise, that you are passionate about?

I am passionate about negotiations and strategy, as well as developing people, and I am fortunate enough that I can do both. M&A transactions are always challenging (and who does not like a good challenge?!), and our work is mostly negotiation and strategy. Developing people is something that comes with the role. I love to share knowledge with my team, not only in legal but also in HR, finance, sales, investments, among others. I explain the particulars of any situation, navigate through the technical part, and initiate brainstorming sessions, always learning and teaching something new. I love this part of my role more and more every day!