About

Owned by the Canadian metals and mining company First Quantum Minerals, Cobre las Cruces is a major hydrometallurgical Spanish mining complex that produces over 72,000 tons of copper, equivalent to 25% of domestic demand. Set apart by its non-hierarchical management structure, the mine’s compact legal function of four is led by Lorena García de Izarra, a skilled negotiator with vast expertise in the industry. Created four years ago by García, the legal department replaced the previous legal function and has become known for its ability to provide more commercial advice that is responsive to the needs of the business. The recent implementation of a new compliance programme now requires the team to work directly with Cobre’s technical department on a daily basis, providing a proactive legal service and evaluating risks before they occur. The dynamic nature of the metals and mining industry keeps the team busy practically every day throughout the year: ‘We work 24 hours per day 365 days a year and have to complete all work quickly’, says García. ‘We simply can’t afford to spend two weeks doing a particular report because management requires work to be done on the spot’. Apart from providing support to the business on an ongoing basis, the team also has to react to unforeseen circumstances that could have potentially negative implications on the reputation and public image of the mine. In 2016, for instance, the team was successful in striking an arrangement with a public prosecutor in Spain that resulted in the close of a major criminal process. When asked on the specifics of working as an in-house lawyer in mining, García shares: ‘We have to have a scientific mind and understand the technical side of things well. For me as the leader of the team it is essential to spread this culture among legal staff, so that we can support the business more effectively. In a sense, that is the difference between working in-house and in an external legal team. It is very difficult to find a law firm that understands a sector so well from a technical perspective’.