LATAM countries your role covers: Argentina, Belize, Colombia, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Panama, Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands

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?

Our legal team has recently engaged in multiple high-profile negotiations for mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, and other complex transactions, which have significantly strengthened business partnerships while mitigating legal risks. Noteworthy projects include the negotiation and implementation of asset and business acquisitions, corporate reorganisations, tenders, and a major trademark licence agreement to license a leading industry brand within our network of service stations, in addition to our own brand. We have also successfully managed the resolution of over 20 complex litigation cases, providing strategic, commercially-focused legal advice that aligned with our company’s business objectives. One key transaction involved restructuring contracts in regulated markets, optimising our processes and resulting in substantial cost savings on external legal services.

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?

To ensure our legal advice aligns with the diverse regulatory environments and distinct cultural contexts of LATAM countries, our approach is centred on close collaboration with various departments, including compliance, human ressources, trading, tax, procurement, commercial, marketing, finance, and insurance. We have also implemented a comprehensive plan to digitalise and standardise contracts, which has streamlined processes, enhanced consistency, and reduced the administrative burden on our legal team, facilitating smoother business operations across multiple markets. Our legal team remains proactive, continuously updating and anticipating regulatory changes or market practices to provide the most relevant advice.

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?

Over the next year, Puma Energy will continue to explore business opportunities and optimise supply chain efficiencies. Our legal team will be instrumental in supporting these initiatives by ensuring strong legal frameworks are in place, managing risks effectively, and providing insightful legal guidance on cross-border transactions.

What specific challenges have you encountered when managing legal issues related to Latin American markets from a European perspective, and how has your team addressed these challenges?

Managing LATAM legal issues from Europe involves navigating varying regulatory standards and cultural expectations. Our team addresses these challenges by maintaining strong communication with local legal advisors and continuously learning to adapt our legal strategies to the local context, ensuring our advice is both legally sound and commercially viable. This hands-on approach includes conducting preliminary reviews internally and interacting with various company departments to gather information and seek specialised external advice when necessary – ensuring we go beyond the role of intermediaries or external invoice approvers.