Team size: 27

Other key legal team members: Joanna Weinstein Engel, corporate governance, corporate banking and private banking legal director; Luis Molina Aiquel, retail bank legal director; Alejandra Anguita Avaria, risk legal director; Soledad Huerta Casas, commercial and real estate banking legal director

How do you approach managing legal aspects during periods of instability or crises, and how does your legal strategy align with the broader business strategy to ensure the organisation’s resilience?

In periods of instability or crisis, the way in which the team must be approached to maintain motivation, together with the management of expenses, without affecting the efficiency of the service, becomes particularly relevant. We, as part of an institution that is carrying out a strategy that places the client at the centre, efficiently using resources and winning as one team, in this period, try to echo that strategy with a long-term view, remaining resilient in the face of instabilities and crises maintaining the enthusiasm and a strong spirit to ensure the alignment with the organisation.

What measures has your company taken to embed sustainability practices into its core business operations, and how does the role of the general counsel contribute to driving and ensuring sustainable practices within the company?

Scotiabank Chile established an ESG committee to carry out the implementation of a sustainability strategy that meets the social, economic and stakeholder expectations on this matter, all aligned to the standards of Scotiabank in Canada and the local regulations. We are also working to establish goals and indicators to allow us to strengthen our ESG strategy. At the end of this year, a new regulation with a higher standard will come in force in Chile and we have been developing an internal plan to fulfil it. The general counsel is part of that committee to ensure that from a regulatory point of view the standard is achieved.

What emerging technologies do you see as having the most significant impact on the legal profession in the near future, and how do you stay updated on these developments?

Artificial intelligence and the robotisation of activities. 80% of legal queries that are usually made within a company can be answered using artificial intelligence. We receive monthly more than 2,000 questions and to answer them we are implementing Copilot. Similarly, of the 4,000 legal reports of companies and their powers of attorney that we carry out in approximately one month, 70% are issued by a robot. Finally, 50% of the 2,000 judicial requirements that we attend monthly are managed through a robot or with digital tools.

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

Inclusion and gender equality are part of our strategy as a Bank. More than 50% of my direct reports are women and our team is diverse in gender and skills without major gaps by position levels, all of this to promote an inclusive and equitable environment.

In your opinion, what are the main trends that are salient in your country currently (these can be legal, political, economy or business-based)?

In terms of the banking industry, the trend is towards greater regulation that makes the business and the legal advice that we must provide more challenging. I highlight the introduction of open finance laws, rules on over-indebtedness, regulation of commissions on credit obligations, the consolidated debt registry, the modification of the fraud law, new rules on personal data and the obligation to verify the absence of obligations of pending alimony payments before granting financing.