How do you manage legal matters during periods of instability or crisis, and how does your legal strategy align with the overall business strategy to ensure the organisation’s resilience? 

To manage legal matters during periods of instability or crisis, it is essential to have a contingency plan that aligns with the overall business strategy. This involves identifying potential risks, implementing rapid response protocols, and effectively communicating with all stakeholders. The legal strategy needs to be flexible enough to adapt to changing circumstances while maintaining the organisation’s integrity and compliance. With this aim, the general legal affairs department has undergone a significant transformation this year, integrating legal functions into the business through the Protea project. This project encompasses 14 workstreams, including training, process digitalisation, global project participation, and many other initiatives. Generative artificial intelligence, specifically the Harvey assistant in our case, has been a key tool, and in Bolivia, we are involved in projects in Venezuela, Chile, and Brazil thanks to this new model of working. 

Regarding the emerging technologies, generative AI and automation are having a significant impact on the legal profession. These technologies can enhance efficiency, reduce errors, and free up time for lawyers to focus on more strategic tasks. At Repsol, we have implemented the Harvey assistant for all lawyers in the corporation, which is a generative AI focused on legal assistance. This has contributed to faster standard processes, deeper comparisons of documents and regulations, and more timely and appropriate responses to internal clients. Additionally, the corporation has rolled out Microsoft Copilot for all employees, which integrates corporate information with external data, making it a powerful tool for research and document preparation. In Bolivia, we use the Vlex tool, a generative AI applied to jurisprudence searches and analysis of decision trees from the Constitutional Tribunal. 

How does your legal department prioritise diversity and inclusion, and what initiatives have you implemented to foster a more inclusive and equitable working environment? 

Diversity and inclusion are priorities within the legal department, promoted through initiatives such as inclusive hiring, unconscious bias training, and the creation of employee resource groups. These actions help to create a more equitable and respectful working environment where all team members can thrive and contribute to the company’s success. 

In Bolivia, current trends include the promotion of new regulations that enable short-term exploration, managing relationships with conflicting stakeholders due to the economic crisis, and the implementation of sustainable practices in operations. 

I must also highlight that Repsol’s digitalisation strategy, and the Protea project are particularly relevant to the legal department and its transformation. They aim to integrate sustainability into the core of the business and promote a more responsible and ethical approach across all company activities.