Team size: two

Major legal advisers: Ulises Cabrera (República Dominicana), Dentons (Guatemala), Sucre, Arias y Reyes (Panamá) and HBN Law & Tax (Curacao)

Which recent political, economic, or regulatory changes have impacted the company and the team the most?

Covid-19 has impacted both the company and the legal team. It took a direct toll on our economy — everything has increased in price; therefore, we had to adapt our sales strategies to the new market. The way of working has evolved, and remote and hybrid work has improved the quality of our internal legal services, allowing us to provide more instantaneous and highly sophisticated advice tailored to the new commercial scenario. We have also been taking care of logistics concerning international transactions — in the Caribbean, South America, and Europe — giving particular attention to compliance and legal requirements.

In what ways do you see the in-house legal role evolving in your region over the next few years?

Given the radical changes brought by the pandemic that have impacted all the sectors and occupations, there is the need to coordinate legal practice globally — to develop and master soft skills, paired with the use of technological tools (such as Legal Tech); it will become necessary to monitor legal trends and acquire knowledge on new business models. The accumulation of knowledge and the strengthening of skills can allow the in-house counsel to be considered for managerial positions and transversal areas such as compliance, data custody, and privacy officers. Additionally, a new trend sees general counsel becoming CEOs or even executive directors, appreciated by shareholders in several companies.

How has the increasing consciousness of climate change and sustainability affected the company and the team’s priorities?

The company has recently set a roadmap for sustainability — creating added value from the ecological and social perspectives. We are deeply concerned with our patients and do our best to provide outstanding renal therapy to improve their quality of life. Additionally, our entire team has gone paperless, taking advantage of the Legal Tech, and adopting a flexible approach to work. Our legal department has developed that balance not only for productivity and efficiency but also for improving our conditions as human beings and our well-being.