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

The CCN legal team, led by me, performs the following activities:   

We advise and provide legal guidance to the presidency and executive vice presidency, as well as to the board of directors of the company, on legal issues related to the operation of all business and company formats directly related to the group.   

We draft and review all contracts, agreements, and any important legal documents, such as contracts for the acquisition of real estate and personal property, leases, and commercial agreements, among others. The team has worked in all the real estate acquisitions where the group’s stores are installed, as well as participated in large purchase operations of other retail businesses directly related to the group; where we oversaw the execution of all the legal aspects until the final process that allows the group to operate such businesses as its own.  

We handle all the regulatory area, incentives, and any type of license or special authorisation needed for the operation of the group’s business.  

We evaluate and mitigate the company’s legal and compliance risks, making sure to prevent future contingencies.  

We establish and maintain internal legal policies and procedures, ensuring that ethical and legal standards are met in all group operations. 

We keep up to date on the laws and regulations relevant to the retail industry and the businesses operated by the group.  

We collaborate with other departments to ensure adequate protection of the group’s rights.  

Our team works together to achieve the department’s objectives and ensure that the company operates within the relevant legal framework and complies with its legal obligations.  

How do you keep up to date with changes in laws and regulations relevant to your organisation’s industry? 

We stay informed about the regulation of the retail industry by: Remaining attentive to the information published by the institutions that regulate the retail area; Attending events relevant to the retail industry; Being a part of several important industry associations where we even participate in the legal committees, which allows us to be constantly updated on changes in the industry; Following certain specialised industry media; Working alongside technical and specialist consultants in various fields such as environmental and tax consultants, among others.  

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

I think that being a retail company, a cause that concerns me is the high rate of fraud in both physical stores and digital platforms. Legal prevention is not necessarily tied to traditional policies, and we must constantly evolve, as offenders continue to be creative in trying to outsmart prevention and security measures. Consequently, we have to constantly review procedures to properly attack this situation.