Team size: Four

What are the most significant cases and/or transactions that your legal team has recently been involved in?

The most significant case I have been working on with my Argentinian team involves assisting the company in exploring strategies for receiving payments in US dollars within the country, as well as ways to repatriate funds held in Argentina in response to government measures related to the nation’s political and economic circumstances. For these cases, our team had to adopt a highly creative approach and identify all potential risks and obstacles that the country’s initiatives might pose to our company. This continues to be a good challenge for the team as we learn about new situations and explore methods of conducting business in a country marked by numerous regulatory constraints.

In Ecuador, over the past few years, we have faced the challenge of negotiating contracts that align with the established standards of the oil industry. Historically, we had standard contracts in place, but as time went on, our clients increasingly deteriorated these agreements, constantly attempting to shift more risk onto the service providers.

This situation impeded us from participating I many tenders, however, through dedicated effort and collaborative teamwork with our business partners, we successfully influenced our clients and negotiated modifications to certain critical clauses, enabling us to participate in the quoted tenders once again.

How important is choosing to work with external lawyers who align with your company’s values? Are you likely to reconsider what firms you work with based on this?

It is imperative for in-house legal teams to have dependable external counsel, as they are relied upon for subjects in which we have limited expertise, and they also play a role in assisting with both judicial and administrative processes. Given our company’s commitment to high ethical standards and regulatory compliance, it is vital that the external lawyers we choose to work with are fully aligned with our internal policies and corporate values – the fundamental pillar of our organisation.

Our external counsel must pass through exhaustive due diligence to make sure that they will comply with all requirements, policies, and values that the company requires from its vendors. It would be an impediment to hiring them if a vendor did not align with our values and we would consider changing existing vendors under the same circumstances.

As we live in a fast-paced world today, what skills will a corporate legal team need to succeed in the modern in-house industry?

I believe that, as for all positions, the principal skills that a corporate legal team must possess are resilience as well as the ability to adapt to constant changes. The pandemic exemplified this point – a significant change to the way we worked. We had to adapt to remote working, and once we had done, we were made to come back to the office – at least for a few days a week. Both changes were difficult, but the latter was necessary to recover the social relationships we have with our co-workers.

Another important skill is the ability to learn and comprehensively understand your industry. This can pose a challenge as you must learn technical concepts and skills that you are likely not accustomed to as a lawyer, but it is necessary to be successful in the modern industry.

Furthermore, it is vital that you develop strong relationships with your internal clients. Only through communication and teamwork can you advise the business or clients in the best way possible. Finally, it is also important for legal teams to recognise when it is necessary to bring in external counsel for advice and assistance.

How do you suggest in-house lawyers build strong relationships with business partners?

Maintaining personal contact is very important to build strong relationships with business partners which is why we try to go to the office at least once a week. Reaching out to internal customers via phone or arranging in-person meetings is far more effective in gaining a deeper understanding of their needs. Emails are not ideal, and they do not help build those strong relationships.

I think a particularly important trait is to be honest with your response times and to deliver on all your commitments. If you are unable to deliver within the agreed time, let your partners know, and agree a new deadline. This is especially important and helps build trust in your character as an in-house counsel.

Finally, provide training to your partners so that they can better understand your role in the company. It is crucial they understand that the purpose of the legal department is to protect the company’s interests and not act as an obstacle. Let everyone know that your role is not to say “no” to everything but instead to support how plans can be executed.