Team size: 15

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

Our legal team has been involved in a number of key transactions recently, for example, the sale of mortgage loans portfolio to Banchile (public fund) for approximately US$57m. We also established a lease agreement with Territorio Apoquindo for the relocation of MetLife Chile’s corporate offices to the “Mercado Urbano Tobalaba” real estate project. Recently, we have launched a public bidding process for life insurance products to secure mortgage loans granted by MetLife. Finally, we implemented a new digital services platform that will allow end-to-end management of the sale and management of insurance products.

How important is choosing to work with external lawyers who align with your company’s values? Are you likely to reconsider what firms you work with based on this?

For us, working with external lawyers who align with our company values is critical, as we view external lawyers as an extension of our in-house legal team and representing our company’s interests. When external lawyers align with the company’s values, they are more likely to understand and support our organisation’s mission, culture, and ethical standards. This alignment ensures consistency in decision-making, legal strategies, and overall approach. Lawyers who share our values are more likely to have a deep understanding of our business priorities and objectives. They can better grasp the context in which legal issues arise and provide advice that is not only legally sound, but also considers the broader impact on your company’s reputation, stakeholders, and long-term goals.

Working with lawyers who share our values builds trust and facilitates effective collaboration. When we share principles and ethical standards, it is easier to establish open and transparent lines of communication. We work with several external lawyers, but our main objective is a long-term partnership with them, for the reasons I just stated. Establishing a long-term partnership with external lawyers can lead to a more efficient and effective working relationship. Over time, they will become familiar with your company’s needs, preferences, and challenges, enabling them to provide personalised and value-adding legal support. In this regard, we have been working with our external lawyers for a long time and they understand our industry and our needs, so we have no plans to change them soon.

How do you suggest in-house lawyers build strong relationships with business partners?

It is essential for in-house lawyers to build strong relationships with business partners to support their organisations. In my case, I have followed several key principles to fulfil this objective and contribute to my organisation. In-house lawyers must work on open communication lines between themselves and their business partners. Second, it is very important to have a thorough understanding of the organisation’s business operations, objectives, and sector. Third, it is essential to adopt a collaborative mindset and to position ourselves as a partner and problem solver, rather than an obstacle. Relationships are key in our industry and therefore I try to invest time in building personal relationships with our partners at formal and informal events. We also regularly provide relevant legal training sessions or workshops to educate our business partners on legal and emerging issues. It is incredibly important that in house lawyers have a mindset of flexibility, adaptability, and continuous improvement. Seeking regular feedback from your business partners on your performance will not only improve you as an in-house lawyer but it will also strengthen your relationships.