Team size: Five

Could you share an example of a time when you came up with an innovation that improved how your legal team works and did not come at a large expense?

Our main innovation in last year was something very analogic but it helped our Legal Department to become 250% more productive. Based on the many repetitive questions and requests we received from our internal clients, we decided to tackle the matter the following way:

First, we drafted several predetermined answers for our internal clients concerning simple requests, general advice, delivery of documents, etc. We uploaded more than 100 responses to a SharePoint where every document is categorised and searchable through keywords. Now everyone in our department can answer quickly and in a consistent manner.

We conducted a few trainings to our internal clients, from labour-related issues for the HR department to open-source software licensing for delivery consultants and export control and data privacy for our sales department. This not only served to educate our internal clients on general legal matter pertaining to their function, but we also gave them template to fill and checklists for different matters such as “things to be aware in a bidding process.” The tools and knowledge they acquired helped to reduce our workload significantly and dedicate ourselves to more complex tasks.

We are conducting follow up meetings with every department to ensure correct usage of the tools and knowledge that we transmitted.

We are now assessing different legal tools in the market to be able to enhance the service that we provide, expedite due diligence of our clients, and automate the creation of contracts with the minimum intervention of lawyers from our team. Part of our work will be aimed at feeding the tool with the knowledge that we acquire from negotiations and new regulation.

Can you foresee any key developments to the way general counsel work over the next five years?

Yes, artificial intelligence – automation and machine learning. This is a topic that everybody will address, but I believe that we cannot still grasp the enormity of the changes that AI is already bringing to the legal profession. From document and case analysis to the development of legal applications and consultations on the broadest array of topics, AI is reshaping the way we work. In our legal department we are cautiously but increasingly working with AI to assist us in everyday tasks and complex activities, research, and internal discussions.

What measures has your company taken to embed sustainability practices into its core business operations, and how does the role of the general counsel contribute to driving and ensuring sustainable practices within the company?

Sustainability is at the core of Capgemini – we have embarked on a journey to neutralise our carbon footprint by 2050, so everything we do in the Legal Department and in every other area of the company has to consider ESG by design. Regulatory analysis and application of relevant ESG regulations is only the start in our legal work. Contract negotiations with our clients are ESG conscious for the benefit of both parties to make Capgemini’s services delivery more sustainable and also help our customers in achieving sustainability.

We participate in every initiative aimed at the company becoming more sustainable safeguarding compliance with all applicable law. For example, we are monitoring the carbon footprint of the company vehicles while at the same time protecting the privacy and safety of our employees. This initiative required us to negotiate complex privacy, cybersecurity, and safety-related contracts with several local and foreign suppliers, considering different data protection and cybersecurity laws locally and abroad. The result is an exceptionally reliable program where every employee can feel safe and proud of being able to monitor how much one is contributing to the planet’s well-being.

How would you assess the impact of new technologies on the legal landscape in Mexico, and what measures would you propose to leverage these technologies while ensuring compliance with relevant laws and regulations?

In my view, the legal landscape in Mexico (as in many other parts of the world) needs to be urgently updated. It is well known that technology outpaces the law, but with the impact that Ai is having everywhere, Mexico’s legislators need to focus rapidly on developing new laws to regulate artificial intelligence, particularly in the sense of introducing ethical principles and accountability in the development of AI applications and tools.

How do you prioritise diversity and inclusion within your legal department, and what initiatives have you implemented to foster a more inclusive and equitable work environment?

This is a tricky topic everywhere we look these days. For example, should we aim at hiring people from different minorities and walks of life, or should we focus on acquiring the best talent. It is a difficult balance that to be honest we are all struggling to achieve. In a country as unequal as Mexico and as non-prepared for people with certain disabilities, it is crucial to strive to achieve a balance. Regulation should go further in pushing companies and the government itself to protect minorities while at the same time not facilitating steps for people who do not have the necessary qualifications for a given job.

In Capgemini’s legal department we involve every member of our team in the hiring of new recruits, we listen to all opinions and try to reach a joint decision. Overseeing the ethics and compliance matters, we pursue that balance also daily as we participate in the many cases that arise concerning discrimination and inequality all around the country.