Team size: Four

Major legal advisers: Suma Legal, Godoy & Hoyos, GALA (Panama), Fodere (Uruguay)

Could you share an example of a time when you came up with an innovation that improved how your legal team works and did not come at a large expense?

Recently, as our legal team grew, we had new challenges not only in legal, but other new areas such as new products and churn. We were struggling with workload and tracking the progress of various tasks, which led to missed deadlines and inefficiencies. The team members were using different methods to track their tasks, making collaboration difficult. To address this issue, the team sat down and using a simple project management tool, we decided to implement this tool across the team, centralising task management and improving team collaboration.

By implementing this project management tool, the team gained a clear overview of their workload and could easily track the progress of various tasks, as well as understand other members tasks and struggles, being able to jump in and provide guidance based on their own experience. This improved collaboration, allowed for better allocation of resources, and helped to prevent missed deadlines. The team also benefited from streamlined discussions and facilitated knowledge sharing.

Can you foresee any key developments to the way general counsel work over the next five years?

Over the next five years, several key developments are likely to impact the way general counsel work. These developments will arise from technological advancements, changes in the legal landscape, and evolving business environments.

General counsel must adopt and integrate new technologies into their workflows, such as contract analysis tools, e-discovery platforms, and legal research software. AI tools such as ChatGPT will be a tool all legal areas must embrace if they want to stay ahead of the curve. That being said, all of these technologies will come with new regulations which will change the legal landscape significantly. We will face challenges in the ways in which we apply said technologies, and new questions will be raised regarding IP rights on AI generated contents, data privacy, avatars, and liability.

What is a cause, business-related or otherwise, you are passionate about, and why?

At Grupo EMI Falck, we pride ourselves on being that, at our core, we save lives and improve the health of our customers. So, we feel we are making an impact in the world. Furthermore, our unique shareholder structure and how it contributes to our mission of saving lives, as Grupo EMI Flack final beneficiaries are non-profit organisations dedicated to advancing medical knowledge and developing treatments for various neurological disorders. By reinvesting all profits from our company into research, we can accelerate scientific discoveries, improve the quality of life for millions of people affected by brain diseases, and contribute to a healthier, more understanding world.

This unique shareholder structure sets us apart from other not-for-profit companies and serves as a powerful reminder of the impact our work can have beyond financial gain. As we continue to grow and succeed in our business endeavours, our contributions to our shareholders will amplify the progress in brain disease research and bring us closer to finding better treatments and, ultimately, a cure.