First, can you please give us an idea of the sort of work your team has done recently? 

The main objective we have as a department is to ensure that the company operates ethically and legally, protecting its interests and minimising potential legal risks. In that sense, we have worked on projects that range from reviewing processes and policies, suggesting and accompanying the implementation of changes of great impact on the company’s operations; create and maintain internal policies and procedures to ensure regulatory and legal compliance in all areas of the companies; constant updating and collection of information that allows us to have agreements that adhere to the operation and that are not obsolete or different from these; preparation of contracts and labour documents, which have allowed us to adapt to the changes brought about by the pandemic, allowing us to operate based on the new labour regulations. 

Belonging to a company that is in constant movement and growth, as a legal department we believe in innovation, with the sole purpose of better serving our internal clients. Therefore, in that sense, we are working on the implementation of a digital tool that will allow us to improve efficiency and precision in legal tasks, such as the automation of contracts, the management of electronic documents and the analysis of legal data, this to add value to the service we provide. 

How do you stay up-to-date with changes in laws and regulations in the Dominican Republic relevant to your organisation’s industry? 

Lawyers acquire a lot of knowledge during the practical course of our profession; however, we know that laws, regulations and codes are dynamic, they do not remain unchanged over time, and that is why we must constantly update ourselves. 

Fortunately, today we have tools that allow us with just one click to access different resources such as bibliography, databases, jurisprudence, legal opinions, draft laws, among others. Digital tools make it easier for us to stay up to date. We must implement this facility in our work practice, and that is why I take it as a daily task, taking an hour a day to review the laws, regulations, codes, jurisprudence and other regulations applicable to the industry and sector that impacts the company, based on subscriptions to different legal platforms, both nationally and internationally. 

Another important point is to create relationships with other professionals who specialize in different areas and even in the same retail sector, to enrich the knowledge that I already have, and sometimes, have a different perspective on a relevant topic that we may have. in common. 

Finally, I am clear about the importance of ongoing training, of being in continuous learning and studying. This seems decisive to me, both for those colleagues who are just starting out and for those of us who have been in practice for years; I understand that it is a differentiating aspect. 

What is a cause, business related or otherwise, that you care about, and why? 

Large retail chains are using digital solutions to offer different shopping experiences that add value to their customers. E-commerce and online shopping platforms are the main areas of investment around the world, as digital commerce is the future. 

In the Dominican Republic, e-commerce is regulated by the Law on Electronic Commerce, documents and digital signature 126-02, with the Dominican Telecommunications Institute (INDOTEL) overseeing ensuring faithful compliance with this legislation. However, I understand that the legal regulations that govern eCommerce need to be updated and adapted to the reality of the Dominican market based on the transactions that are carried out today and the relevance that digital platforms have acquired. 

I believe in matters of digital commerce we are in its infancy, and this is worrying, since the digital world does not stop and in legislative matters, at the country level, we are going at a slow pace. The few legislative advances we have are limited with respect to security issues that this type of platforms should generate, which is why companies have seen the need to adopt practices that promote the preservation of information security and implement technical and safeguards. action plans in case of failures in information security, which help prevent fraud, fraudulent and unfair practices, which is one of the biggest challenges in electronic commerce. It is an important challenge in which the government must work together with the business sector.