Team size: Five

Countries in Latam your company operates in: Latin American and Caribbean countries (Argentina, Brasil, México, Colombia, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Republica Dominicana)

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

We have recently been involved in a series of cases and transactions, which encompass trade and commercial agreements, litigation related to intellectual property and brand defence, import and export activities, transportation and tax cases, transfer pricing issues, raw material procurement operations, and compliance matters.

What are your organisations plans in the LATAM region over the next 12 months and how will your legal expertise help to achieve these plans?

J. García Carrión’s (JGC) plans include commercial growth in LATAM through sale and purchase transactions, M&A transactions, implementation of commercial agreements with local partners and the defence of our IP expertise and Know How, developing new markets in relation to our clients and providers.

Our lawyers are working together to build solutions to safeguard JGC as a company, successfully scaling the business, and presenting the legal area as an added value by solving critical issues in our daily commercial activity, developing a dynamic in-house legal team, becoming effective business partners, and ensuring that the in-house function is driving the business forward.

By adding value to the company through our support, we are achieving legal alignment within the business strategy. The legal team also plays a crucial role in the company’s risk management model. They act as the lead for customer operations concerning all compliance matters, assisting in the implementation and enforcement of compliance policies within the group, clients, and providers. Furthermore, they provide guidance and training to teams, assess reports of concerns, support investigations, and conduct risk assessments throughout the organisation.

Our legal team is reinforcing a highly creative and commercial approach to empower in-house lawyers to thrive in a sales-oriented environment. This effort aims to reinforce their ability to assume ownership of their own professional growth, attending training courses, and staying informed about legal developments through collaborative work with other departments.

How do you adapt your legal counselling to align with the diverse business practices and customs of various LATAM countries?

Diversifying in markets, territories, and clients is a key strategy for our company’s future growth in this unique business environment. We have focused on reinforcing our company culture and reinforcing the core principles of García Carrion’s business policy. First, understanding the market and its opportunities globally, while remaining flexible to meet new client needs. Second, proactively addressing raw material scarcity by collaborating closely with farmers and cooperative organisations. Thirdly, cultivating agility, flexibility, creativity, and innovation within our company to proactively address unforeseen challenges. Finally, reinforce long-term relationships with clients, consumers, and the environment.

Key factors include developing a dynamic in-house legal team, the implementation of technology to transform both the legal department and the image of lawyers within the company and establishing their role as effective business partners.

We provide mission-focused legal services that protect JGC as it grows worldwide and design solutions to JGC’s unique family culture. Our lawyers are recognised throughout JGC for their expertise in both legal and business matters. JGC’s culture demands skilled, collaborative lawyers who secure the company’s interests, drive business growth, and present legal as a value-added function.

Corporate social responsibility has emerged as a key value for consumers as well as companies operating in critical, heavily regulated sectors that are fortunate to hold leadership positions within their respective categories. These companies must improve their awareness of the role they play within their environment, forcing them to have a heightened sense of excellence due to the significant impact they have on the economy of a country or region.

We live in a society that no longer accepts behaviour that is short of exemplary. The ethical behaviour of companies has become one more psychological factor in consumption, and a key element in the relationship with consumers, suppliers, and customers. Ethics and responsibility in business is not only a matter of respect for regulations, but also of coherence with business models that want to be sustainable over time.