About

Swiss multinational SGS is the world’s leading inspection, verification, testing and certification company with more than 90,000 employees and over 2,000 offices and laboratories worldwide. The SGS legal team in Spain, comprised of nine people and led by general counsel Diego Llavero Rivera, was nominated by a number of sources. Nominators highlighted the team’s refreshing approach to business alignment, along with exceptional adaptability and unrivalled skill as individual lawyers. As one nominator said: ‘Coping with a fast growing business in a field of increasing public relevance has been rather complex but SGS has gathered an internal legal team with multidisciplinary profiles, professional expertise and strong character that has successfully managed the challenge’. To overcome these challenges the legal team has recently ‘implemented a culture of regulatory compliance and ethical standards to meet the demands of the market’, says Llavero. With an enviable drive to be seen as more than just a cost centre, the legal team has been at the epicentre of a number of matters that directly add to the revenue of SGS. For example, the team ‘obtained an extraordinary economic result’ by recovering €10m across two lawsuits, as well as actively participating in an acquisition worth €180m. The collaboration between the business and the legal team is strong, and Llavero is himself part of the board of directors in Spain. This allows the interaction between teams to be ‘direct and fluid and in line with our business strategy’, he says. Considering the services that SGS offers to its clients, it is essential that the legal team is just as precise and accurate in all its activities.