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

One of the most significant cases we have been involved in recently was the acquisition of the entire issued share capital of Amerisur Resources, for a total cash consideration of approximately £242m at an offer price of 19.21 pence per share, closed in January 2020. With this acquisition, GeoPark incorporated 13 production, development and exploration blocks in Colombia, including 12 operated blocks in the Putumayo basin and the non-operated CPO-5 block in the Llanos basin; the Oleoducto Binacional Amerisur – OBA (an export oil pipeline from Colombia to Ecuador), and strategic partnerships with Oxy and ONGC (the national oil company of India).

Another significant case was the issuance of US$150m of 5.5% senior notes due 2027, issued under Rule 144A RegS on April 23, 2021. The initial purchasers of the issuance were BofA Securities, Credit Suisse Securities and J.P. Morgan Securities. GeoPark Chile and GeoPark Colombia guaranteed the notes.

What do you predict will be the biggest change in the legal market over the next few years?

In my opinion, the legal market will experience strong demand for better quality service at a lower rate. Clients will demand better experience and services for a reasonable price, including immediate responses, engaging in the clients’ overall necessity and strategic insights as an added value.

As we enter the next decade, what skills will an in-house lawyer need to succeed in the modern in-house industry?

An in-house lawyer must act as a key player in the company’s decision-making process. Management and direction expect more from the in-house counsel than to advise on the risks involved in a decision. An overall knowledge, strategy and broader understanding of the business and company goals will be required to assess and deliver a more comprehensive recommendation.

It is crucial to embrace the ESG mandate as their own. Increasing demand from shareholders and investors on ESG implementation, new regulations and corporate strategies require a proactive response and active participation of the in-house team. Consequently, the in-house lawyer must understand various issues, including human rights, diversity and inclusion and sustainability.

The in-house lawyer must strive to increase their data privacy and cybersecurity skills, work with the IT, compliance, security and data privacy areas to keep an updated risk analysis and promote a security-first mandate in the company.