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

I lead a team of lawyers who support the Commerce division of Mercado Libre in 18 countries across Latin America. We serve different businesses: Marketplace, Mercado Envíos (Logistics), Mercado Ads, Mercado Shops, Corporate Matters, M&A. What makes working at Mercado Libre so fun and energizing is the variety of issues we face and the speed of the business. Challenges vary from market to market, but the spirit is the same across the almost 200 people who are part of the whole Legal team: we are business enablers. During the past months we have worked in issues as diverse as M&As like the acquisition of Kangu, the launching of a SPAC, the development of a long-term rentals business, the launching of crowd-sourcing solutions for part of our logistics network, the expansion of logistics facilities, the consolidation of our cross-border trade business; and the list could go on. We are very lucky to work in a company with such a vast variety of legal matters.

What will be the main focus for the company in the next 12 months and how do you intend to assist with this?

Our focus is to support the daily business, being real business partners and enablers. Our business is a fast-growing, ever-changing and demanding business. We have no option but to be brutally efficient. A big part of our challenge as a legal team is finding ways of working that allow us to do more, in a profitable manner. Technology is our big ally, as we are constantly looking for ways to standardise, automatize.

What do you feel is the best way to get more women into in-house legal leadership positions?

Even though diversity and inclusion have gained visibility over the past years, the gender gap is still there. Many companies include diversity and inclusion as part of their strategy and culture, but unfortunately it has proven not to be enough. We need to keep working on these matters. From tools that allow a better work-life balance, to giving visibility to healthy female role models around us. Supporting others is crucial, especially when women reach positions in which they can have influence.