Can you please give us an idea of the work your team has done recently?

The work of the legal team in Mexico is diverse, but impactful in and outside the company. Being a disruptive business has generated diverse legal challenges, which range from unlocking operations in regions with hostile regulations , complex regulatory obligations, evolution of the legal framework as the business grows, supply challenges and competitive landscape.

In regard to the mobility business, the legal team has implemented a litigation strategy in the country to protect the rights of both Uber, drivers and couriers registered in the application. As a result of several injunctions filed and won in Mexico, the mobility business operates in Queretaro, Guanajuato, Puebla, Baja California and Yucatan. In addition, the legal team worked with a team to increase supply by negotiating complex agreements with key partners to grow the number of electric vehicles on the platform (Alliance in Mexico City with VEMO). This contributes to demand satisfaction, and also to the global goal of being a zero emissions company by 2040. Regarding the delivery business i.e. UberEATS, the legal team provided legal advice that supported its growth. Also, the legal team has actively claimed diverse breaches of contract of restaurants. We designed a litigation strategy that had very relevant results such as the settlement with a restaurant chain for $1.6m, among others.

Some members of the Mexican legal team, along with other Uber colleagues, also successfully led an active participation in pro-bono activities and in external speaking engagements related to diversity and inclusion matters. Also, as the company innovates new lines of business, the legal team has successfully provided legal and regulatory advice in product reviews, provided continuous guidance on Covid related regulations and vaccination efforts, built winning solutions for the business and kept the company’s goal to stand for safety. Some launched products were Uber ellas which is women drivers for trips requested by women, Uber planet where CO2 emissions will be compensated for and programs will be promoted to support drivers change their vehicles to hybrid or electric. In partnership with Anaconda Carbon, Uber will acquire carbon offsets to support preservation projects in states like Puebla, Estado de Mexico and Oaxaca, Uber taxi in Oaxaca and Monterrey and Uber Direct which enables merchants to request delivery partners through dashboard or in API with i.e. Sanborns, Home Depot, total play and Sears in Mexico City, among other products. Additionally, working with a team that led this initiative in Latin America, the Mexican legal team collaborated to improve tools and processes to manage large volumes of daily tasks in a scalable and efficient way, adopting DocuSign CLM.

Finally, in 2021 I was appointed as a member of the law school’s advisor committee at Universidad Anahuac, due to my career path, leadership and recognition in the law sector in Mexico.

Which recent political, economic, or regulatory changes have impacted the company and the team the most?

In countries like Mexico the political environment is extremely complex. In addition, due to the outsourcing ban law in Mexico, the legal team along with the labour legal team provided advice and executed several actions to mitigate risks, so that Uber’s legal entities in Mexico comply with this regulation.

On the other hand, new regulations adverse to ridesharing business models were issued by some authorities. Consequently, the legal team has challenged these new legal provisions, with these factors in mind: transportation access, free competition, law of supply and demand and rights of consumers to select the service that meets their needs. An example of is that we worked along with other cross functional teams at Uber, to face a crisis in Puebla the last week of 2021. The Ministry of Mobility published a decree to set ridesharing prices, after authorities in several states such as Mexico City announced that they were assessing to regulate our fares due to surge pricing. In response, we filed a lawsuit against that regulation and a Federal judge granted Uber an injunction declaring the regulation unconstitutional. It is a major precedent in defense of the free market, both sides of the market in the digital economy and the freedom to run a business.