LATAM countries your role covers: Chile, Perú, Colombia, and Mexico

Could you please share the most significant cases or transactions in the LATAM region that you or your legal team have recently been involved in?

This year, we have had the opportunity to increase our content production activity in LATAM, notably through several international co-productions in Peru and Colombia. In the latter case (Colombia), we completed the filming of ‘Los 39’, one of the most significant Spanish-language fiction series based on the discovery of America. The series narrates the experiences of the 39 crew members of Columbus who were left at the so-called ‘Fuerte de Navidad,’ constructed from the wreckage of the Nao Santa Maria in what is now Haiti.

We also continued to provide outsourcing services, with the most notable example being our involvement in the Chilean market (total outsourcing of services, facilities, and workers at Canal 13 in Chile), which required a highly complex legal structuring with labour, corporate, and real estate implications. Additionally, we launched an ambitious project in Mexico called ‘Guadalajara Content City’, aiming to construct one of Mexico’s foremost production hubs following the model of ‘Madrid Content City’. This fully developed project has attracted platforms such as Netflix, which has produced titles like ‘La Casa de Papel’, ‘Élite’, and ‘La Sociedad de la Nieve’ in Europe.

In terms of financial structuring to optimise the Group’s shareholding and finance these and other projects, we have been involved in a complex financing operation, including the issuance of bonds in non-EU territories with a US-based venture capital fund. This type of operation is pioneering within the audiovisual sector, positioning us at the forefront of financial and corporate structuring within our industry.

Finally, I had the opportunity, in collaboration with the Secuoya Studios team and the Secuoya Foundation, to lead the Group’s efforts in advancing the ecological transition through the implementation of our Protocol for Sustainable Shooting (PSS). This initiative, documented in our ‘Green Book’, is available to the entire industry and aims to reduce the carbon footprint of audiovisual production. The ‘Green Book’ serves as a guide for producers and technical teams, enabling the integration of sustainable practices and green budgeting. Based on international frameworks such as the Green Production Guide, Greenfilm, and Albert, the protocol includes a scoring system to evaluate compliance on each production, issuing a label that certifies environmental commitment. These practices have reduced the carbon footprint of our productions by 30% and have positively impacted local economies, establishing us as a reference point in the industry’s transition to a more sustainable and environmentally responsible future.

What strategies do you employ to ensure your legal advice is effectively aligned with the unique regulatory environments and cultural nuances of different LATAM countries?

I believe the first step is the digitalisation of processes. Once this is achieved, we must implement a system that facilitates information exchange and collaboration on international projects. Finally, it is essential to engage local professionals and law firms to ensure transactions comply with regulations in each country.

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?

Our goals, in addition to continuing with those from last year – which include the consolidation of real estate projects related to the construction of audiovisual studios and the extension of the business process outsourcing (BPO) model to other Latin American countries – will also address, and are already addressing, audiovisual content production in Latam. This will be achieved through international co-productions with local partners or via our production affiliates in the various Latam countries where we operate, always collaborating with local industries and their professionals.

To this end, we will continue training local professionals and focus on engaging local external experts in more specialised areas, while replacing general functions with our internal legal teams.