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

We are experiencing an unprecedented boom in Colombia in renewable energies. Because of this, the transactions move at a frenetic pace and the M&A operations to consolidate the positions of the leading player in the market are done at breakneck speed. In recent months, we have carried out an enormous number of DDs. We have entered into exclusive SPA negotiation stages in many of them, where we are currently closing the most significant ones.

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

Of course, the greater awareness of climate change has generated this immense boom in renewable energies worldwide. Some governments, such as the Colombian one, have sent positive signals to the market, and the companies traditionally participating in the energy industry have responded favourably. However, there are many new players interested in participating, and I believe governments must make a greater effort to keep up with the pace of investors pushing growth in the sector much more aggressively.

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

One of the main functions of the general counsel and the in-house legal team is to enable and guide the company to make the best possible business decisions. In this context, having a precise understanding of the rules of the game in the relevant market and country is essential, on the one hand, to provide a clear map of risks together with their mitigation alternatives, and on the other hand, and mainly, to detect the opportunities of the legal framework that allow to generate value for the company and occupy a more favourable position in the market. For this reason, it is imperative that the general counsel and the in-house legal team are always involved in all stages and all the business interests of the company and that they are alert to what is happening, not only in terms of regulatory developments but also to how competitors and other stakeholders are moving.