Team size: 98 

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? 

Our approach to managing legal matters is to focus on anticipation and strategic planning. The oil and gas industry are constantly changing, and political and economic context rapidly evolves in the countries where we operate in Latin America. Anticipation becomes even more relevant in periods of instability or crises since scenarios in the energy industry change drastically and the business need to adapt and with this comes sound legal advice. 

Our legal strategy aligns with GeoPark´s broader business strategy given that we have a legal risk management framework that constantly identifies, monitors, mitigates, and reports on legal risks related to our core business and ongoing issues. It includes contingency plans and crisis response protocols for different scenarios that may materialise, assuring we have addressed various legal solutions. 

Our approach demands a strong legal team that can also adapt and be creative to effectively approach and solve not only legal matters involving everyday business, but also legal challenges that arise from an industry that operates in remote areas and faces new demands from various stakeholders. 

In the energy sector, especially oil and gas, our significant advantage lies on our preparedness for inevitable crises. This anticipation has cultivated our flexibility and vigilance within our legal team. This means we rapidly assess our options to fulfill commitments, uphold stakeholder trust, and safeguard the business. Our proactive approach ensures we navigate challenges strategically and maintain a resilient position in the market. 

What are the main cases or transactions you have been involved in recently?   

New Business/inorganic growth strategy. Acquisition of Unconventional 122,315 gross acres in Neuquen Basin of Argentina. In May of this year, we signed an Asset Purchase Agreement with Phoenix Global Resources, a subsidiary of Mercuria Energy Trading, for the acquisition of a non-operated working interest in four unconventional blocks in Vaca Muerta (Neuquen Basin of Argentina), for a to-be-paid up front consideration of US$190mn and funding of up to US$113mn in exploratory commitments, plus the acquisition of pipeline capacity of US$11mn and a US$10mn bonus contingent to results in the exploratory campaign.  

This transaction is subject to a soon to end closing pending regulatory approvals and would increase GeoPark’s 2024 production by an estimated 5,500-6,500 net. This acquisition may be followed by other transactions within the next calendar year that are currently under analysis and confidential, which will boost GeoPark’s inorganic growth strategy complementing existing portfolio assets in Colombia, Ecuador, and Brazil.  

Strategic Litigation – Successful settlement of judicial proceedings before United Kingdom High Court. During 2023, we reached satisfactory settlement of a claim brought against Amerisur Resources Ltd (a subsidiary of GeoPark) by a number of campesinos living in the Putumayo region, before a High Court in England arising from an incident occurred in 2015 (prior to GeoPark acquisition of Amerisur in 2020) when members of an illegal armed group forced tanker drivers, employed by a third party, transporting oil partially owned by Amerisur to discharge the tanker contents onto a local canagüchal (i.e. local term referring to an undrained flood zone in flat areas).    

Following a successful strategy that addressed negotiations, legal management, effective external PR and communications, and community management, a settlement agreement was reached with no admission of liability for the company under strict confidentiality, and the matter is now concluded. 

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?   

Transforming companies and driving sustainable growth is my passion. When I joined GeoPark in 2022, I integrated the Strategy, Sustainability/SPEED (which embraces safety, prosperity, employees, environmental care, and community development), and legal affairs teams in one same area focused on delivering comprehensive value to our stakeholders, emphasising the critical importance of this triad for the company. Since then, this has made a difference. The legal team is not seen as the one-off service provider for sustainability matters, but in turn, perceived as the trusted advisor for ongoing projects in the sustainability area.  

Throughout this journey, the strategic insight of a General Counsel and a robust legal team has been key. The deep understanding of the business, evolving regulations, and the political landscape surrounding sustainability supports and often anticipates key business decisions. This ensures that challenges are transformed into unique competitive advantages for the company, aligning with our comprehensive approach to delivering stakeholder value. 

With this solid foundation, we embarked on a forward-thinking journey in 2023 by leading embedding sustainability into GeoPark´s business strategy from its onset by committing to our SPEED Value Systemin our actions and decision making. In addition, from a corporate governance standpoint, our board of directors has a sustainability advisory committee devoted to assessing sustainability impacts into our business decisions, which demonstrates these matters are discussed at the highest level of our company.