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Bayer is one of the leading life science companies with core competences in the areas of health care and agriculture. The Bayer legal team in the Iberia region has been described as being ‘highly experienced in the sector’ by nominators, providing support in Bayer’s areas of business that largely involve pharmaceuticals, consumer health, animal health, crop science and radiology. To appropriately deal with these topics the legal team is made up of six lawyers, including a head of legal department in Spain and one support staff member. In Portugal there is one lawyer, one data privacy manager and one member of support staff. ‘We had the chance to collaborate with them very often and are really impressed with the quality of the team. [This] legal and compliance team is one of the most respected among the legal players in the pharmaceutical industry, since it is a strong and consistent team, with deep knowledge of Bayer’s business’, says a nominator. The team manages a broad and varied scope of work and is sensitive to what the consumers, patients and investors demand and for this reason, the team additionally has an active part in instilling an ethical culture across the organisation based on Bayer’s values and ethics. ‘One of the most important changes was reinforcing the business partnering culture’, says head of law for patents and compliance in Iberia, Julieta Acuña Alvarez-Uría. She has been described by nominators as a ‘deep-thinker, very quick in analysing the pros and cons of an action without losing both the commercial and legal perspective’, and ‘perfect balance between a technical and smart lawyer combined with a commercial and compliance side’. To reinforce this partnership the team works closely with the business and participates in each of its management teams, pushing the department to be an enabler of the business strategy, building together on new opportunities and warranting a sustainable business long-term. Recently the team has been involved in the ongoing merger with Monsanto, forming a leading role in the process, managing and coordinating the operation to ensure its success. ‘The strong leadership of the Iberian team, led by Julieta Acuña, has been key from the beginning of the process. It is a challenging phase in which the team has proven not only to be business-oriented, but a cohesive and committed team’, says a nominator.