What are the most significant projects your team has recently been involved in?

We are a company dedicated to providing water solutions. We have products and services to storage, piping, purification, and treatment of water, with the purpose of making an efficient use of this resource.
The legal area of the business was previously outsourced but now we are a small team of lawyers with a focus on processes and establishing a compliance system for the company. We are assisted by a couple of law firms who specialize in compliance. Our aim is to create all contracts using special software for contract management, so our team is focused on building templates which are easier to comprehend by non-lawyers and simple for execution. We intend to use new software for transactional areas to be able to customize contracts and are also in the process of testing software to facilitate electronic signatures that link to your email or phone number. Our main aim is to automate and digitalize as much of our process to also aid us working remotely.

What do you think are the biggest risks facing your industry now? And how are you preparing the company and your team to face these risks?

Our main risk in the industry, is the effects of climate change, focused on the availability and quality of water.
These risks motivate us to develop technologies that help industries, sectors, and individuals to make a conscious and efficient use of water. From the legal area, we seek the solutions that are developed under the rules and regulations of each locality.
Moreover, we work hand by hand with the brand and innovation areas to protect the company’s brand and intellectual property.
With a focus on the employee, we implement internal regulations to protect employees from operational risks.
Finally, as a company that works with water, we developed a sustainability strategy, in which the legal area created a corporate governance system that includes processes, procedures and policies, seeking best practices in all of the company’s activities.

In what ways do you see the in-house legal role evolving in Mexico in the next few years?

In-house counsel must evolve to be close counsel to the business. We may need to stop talking as lawyers and draw close to the business to understand its needs. We need to act as psychologists for our clients to create an open space where they can speak freely about issues. Lawyers must then design effective solutions for their issues. This is an extremely fast paced time for companies, so there is no time to make memos and create three-to-ten-page solutions to problems. Lawyers must be fully immersed in the moment, and give speedy thoughtful answers based on legal common sense. For younger lawyers who may not have much experience, drawing close to clients and establishing great relationships will help you to understand their issues and solve them. It is important to speak with them and be remarkably close.