Could you share an example of a time when you came up with an innovation that improved the way your legal team works and did not come at a huge cost?

The best innovation is the one that anticipates and meets the needs of a business. In our case, in a very dynamic company, the innovation has been simple but useful. Having learned what the most frequent document review needs are and having adjusted these documents to be form-like, so that some legal services can be self-managed by departments, is what was needed. As in-house lawyers, we know that part of our role is to be partners to the business and to keep up the pace to be supportive while still preventing and safeguarding the company’s legal interests.

What are some of the key developments that have affected your business over the past year?

In a business that seeks constant growth, operating locally, as well as part of regional and global initiatives, has been a challenge as we come up against certain regulatory walls that limit and restrict the range of movement that businesses can have, rather than protecting the interests of the population. In some areas we find that the laws have not been able to understand and keep pace with the new types of business activities that exist and their operations; and in other areas, there is strangling regulation that does not allow companies to prosper. From a legal point of view, it is an ongoing challenge to try to find a way to make all new ideas and proposals work within this kind of legal framework.

How do you think the internal legal role will evolve in the coming years?

Our role as in-house counsel is to inform and advise our teams on the laws under which business is to be conducted, to warn of risks and to provide solutions. The world and technology are advancing rapidly, and information previously exclusive to lawyers is and will be increasingly available to everyone, and as in-house counsel we must embrace this as part of our role, and to benefit from the advantages that technology brings to the table. Our work must evolve, and we must focus our efforts on not just knowing the law, but on providing a deeper analysis of what it means for the specific needs of the business. We must be able to provide tailored solutions based on the historical and day-to-day knowledge we have.

Do you use any legal technology products and, if so, for what areas of your work do you find them most useful?

The tools that help me manage, review, sign, monitor, and archive contracts are ONIT and IManage, systems we use to integrate the needs of our global team. Contracts are a daily task that generates a significant workload; these tools facilitate the task of reviewing, monitoring, alerting on maturities or relevant milestones of each contract. Similarly, integrated with payment or accounting systems, they give greater visibility of the amounts involved in all types of agreements and transactions, which helps to have greater and better coordination between the departments involved in or affected by the execution of certain contracts.