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

In July 2020, LATAM Airlines Brasil was the first Brazilian company to request voluntary reorganization under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Civil Code, and the first Brazilian company to exit the Chapter 11 procedures in November 2022 successfully. My team has proudly supported our procurement and commercial departments in renegotiating contracts with large and small suppliers.

Moreover, my team advised our fleet planning teams and worked on the required paperwork to end those lease agreements rejected under the Chapter 11 process, as well as the needed paperwork to reshape our aircraft fleet by reason of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing Chapter 11 process. For example, LATAM Airlines Brasil replaced its former Airbus A350 aircraft with the more efficient Boeing 787-9 (Dreamliner) aircraft.

In September 2021, LATAM was the first Brazilian airline that has ever obtained a license to operate a Dreamliner. My team has led the processes of importing our first B787-9 to Brazil and obtaining the aircraft registration with ANAC.

Further to fleet matters, my team has also played a significant role in implementing ESG initiatives. In June 2021, we assisted our marketing department in closing a partnership with Marta Silva, the greatest female soccer player in the world. Since then, Marta has been LATAM Airlines’ ambassador for Diversity & Inclusion, as largely announced by Brazilian media. In 2022, my team actively supported LATAM Airlines Group with commercial contracts aiming at carbon-neutral operations and carbon offsetting.

More recently, my team has actively supported our headquarters in Chile to implement the joint business agreement between LATAM Airlines and Delta Airlines in Brazil.

Did the pandemic lead to a lasting increase in the interaction your legal team has with the strategic plans of the company?

Absolutely. Filing for reorganisation under the US Chapter 11 just three months after the pandemic outbreak was a bold move LATAM Airlines made. It was all about applying legal rules under the U.S. Code to make the company financially sound and allow us to keep operating despite the pandemic. If it went wrong, the consequences would be tragic. We exited the reorganisation process in such a successful manner that other Brazilian companies (not only airlines) now look at the Chapter 11 process as a feasible remedy. LATAM Airlines Brasil’s legal department has proven its ability to handle extremely complex transactions.

In general, what would you like to see change about the external law firms you use? Examples could be greater flexibility in billing, a more expansive suite of services offered, more transparency in reporting ESG statistics etc.

We are generally satisfied with the law firms we use. However, more transparency in reporting ESG statistics is something that we want to see and have actually asked for. ESG matters are at the top of our senior management agenda. As a legal manager, I must ensure that D&I guidelines and policies are respected by my team internally and by our external lawyers.