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? 

Being strategic during the crisis is key to provide accurate and assertive legal advice, this can be achieve by: understanding the situation and providing legal advice on different scenarios that may arise through systematical analysis and sharing vital information while managing, identifying potential risks for the business and also applying mitigation strategies; working along with business members of the team, effective communication within the team, knowing the operations and business but also the competitors and provide your contributions to the goals of the company, objectively but also flexible enough to adapt and support business decisions. If you are not being involved in business decision making, you have to review how you are doing it, legal must be a strategic business partner in any negotiation. 

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

We have successfully obtained the extension of our concession with the Dominican Government for 30 plus years and being involved in the refinancing of almost one billion dollars to issue and place bonds internationally for 10 years. 

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?  

AERODOM is part of VINCI Concessions, which is a global leader in mobility infrastructure that uses its integrated model to design, finance, build, operate, and maintain more than 100 airports, highways, and railway projects in 24 countries through the VINCI Airports, VINCI Highways and VINCI Railways subsidiaries. We are part of 70 airports worldwide managed by Vinci and the first private airport operator globally. We are committed to sharing growth with regional communities, and are compromised to make mobility more sustainable, efficient, and innovative. Airports, highways, and railways are assets that benefit the public.  

Vinci focuses on infrastructure projects with a minimal environmental impact that meets the needs of as many people as possible while sustainably unlocking regional potential and has developed a comprehensive environmental policy across its entire network, which main purpose is to promote the reduction of greenhouse gas emission, the use of renewable energy, the reduction of waste and the protection of biodiversity. AERODOM is also certified as a level 3 ACA (Airport Carbon Accreditation), the only internationally endorsed standard that independently evaluates and recognises airports’ efforts to manage and reduce their CO2 emissions. 

As legal counsel I am currently involved in a major project of renewable energy which will supply solar energy to our airports, and in my role is possible to effectively allow me to incorporate sustainability clauses, assessing the environmental practices of business partners. Also, as part of the environmental policies and clauses which are currently under review,  we are ensuring the organisation provides solutions to sensible sustainability issues, through the following measures: ensure that all sustainability claims made are transparent, accurate, and backed by credible data; seek independent organisations certifications and audits to validate your sustainability declarations; educate and provide training to our employees about the importance of accurate and honest sustainability messaging; ensure legal expert opinions who specialise in the sustainability and environmental laws locally, and follow up through continuously monitoring changes in regulations and sustainability standards, among other measures. 

In your opinion, what are the main trends that are salient in your country currently (these can be legal, political, economy or business-based)?  

One of the most important trends to take in consideration in our country is the data protection and privacy issues and reporting, unfortunately, Dominican Republic lacks comprehensive regulation frame concerned to the collecting and sharing of sensible data. As an operation management company in a highly regulated sector as the aeronautical industry, data and privacy protection of users and clients means to promote actions that ensure the individuals on how their data is being use and the security measures taken against leaks or wrongful use of their collected data. In a world more connected every day, personal data is view and use as an economic asset generated by the identities and behaviors of individuals that can be trade, transferred or exchange for services and product, the store data has increasingly economic worth which usually are not actually value by the individuals until actually something happens, and can easily compromise the liability of the holder.