About

Before Rafael Le-Bert joined the Chilean fishery and seafood company Camanchaca, it did not have a legal department, with all of its legal work done by external firms. Le-Bert immediately started to have a transformative impact on its work: ‘The introduction of a legal department represented a major change on the domestic culture of Camanchaca, consolidating the direction of its legal affairs, making the company more efficient’, he explains. ‘We added a permanent legal strategic advice to all of its business areas, which has made the company more aware of the relevant legal aspects and gave transparency and order. We also created policies that allowed us to do work quicker. The legal department contributes to the creation of value. A continuous legal guidance is very important for the correct assessment of risks and the avoidance of potential legal problems’. Arriving at the company from a private practice background, Le-Bert managed to develop a strong legal department with specialisation of individual lawyers and standardised contracts in place. In addition, Le-Bert altered the approach that the company uses to select law firms, while reducing outsourcing expenses in the process. On the commercial side, Le-Bert impressed with his work on Camanchaca’s US$234m debt restructuring, contributing with his involvement in complex negotiations, contract review and enabling more convenient new ways of signing new contracts. With approximately 90% of Camanchaca’s sales derived from exports to a diverse range of countries such as China, the US, Russia and Brazil, Le-Bert and his team have to keep an eye on changing fish market regulations in various markets, and closely follow Chilean drafts legislation. ‘As such regulations could have implications on the completion of potential projects, we have to be aware of even the tiniest changes’, he says. Prior to moving in-house, Le-Bert worked for various law firms, namely Morales & Besa; Russi & Eguiguren Ltda; Uribe, Hübner & Canales Abogados; and Jorquiera & Rozas.