How do you feel the pandemic has changed the world of work for in-house counsel and the function of the general counsel?
The pandemic has proven that refinement was required across different industries and professions. In-house counsels became the provider of creative legal solutions for the new challenges in place. General counsel are the ones called to support these initiatives as well as provide the necessary guidance regarding what can be done while calculating risks in each situation.
What are the most significant cases or transactions that your legal team has recently been involved in?
The whole process of adaptation to the pandemic has been one of the most important operations that saw us directly involved. In my industry, there are some operations that cannot be done over distance, however, we had to make addendums in order not to put our employees at risk. This allowed them to keep their work until they could finally go back to the office. We are trying our best to give people the opportunity, when possible, to choose whether to work from home or in a mixed mode, between face-to-face and telepresence.
In what ways do you see the in-house legal role evolving in your region over the next few years?
The in-house legal role has gained even more importance during the last couple of years and the pandemic was no exception. I believe companies realised the real and significant support that in-house counsels can provide. As per my experience, the legal work made in the region has received continuous support from legal advisers and in-house counsels. Thanks to this, over the next few years the in-house role will be even more trustworthy without having the need to seek external local supervision.
What is the most challenging feature of working within your company’s industry?
I believe the most challenging feature is to keep every business opportunity that different areas of the company propose, within the legal frame. This implies knowing and assessing the specifics of each legal area as well as providing legal advice on the most varied topics, such as compliance, consumer protection, labour, and data protection, amongst others. It requires a great ability to engage from different perspectives to support and expand the business while keeping the initiatives within the legal rules in order to reduce potential risks.
