Can you tell us about your journey to becoming an in-house counsel? What inspired you to pursue a career in this field? 

My experience before becoming an in-house counsel began in a tax litigation firm, where I had the opportunity to learn about court proceedings, legal documents, and the lawsuit process, among other things. Later, I participated in a government office, which allowed me to live and analyse what it means to be a lawyer in the public sector.  

After that, I completed my social service at the National System for Integral Family Development (DIF), where I interviewed families seeking divorce, requesting child and spousal support, and participated in oral trials in family matters for low-income individuals. Finally, I continued my journey at a Notary Public’s office, where I had my first exposure to companies from different industries and law firms. My responsibilities included reviewing meetings minutes, powers of attorney, incorporation of deed, real estate transactions, trusts, and more. While collecting signatures from the parties, I interacted with entrepreneurs and witnessed the business environment from a legal perspective.  

Understanding the impact of companies on the national economy and their cultural diversity is crucial for the country’s growth. Interacting with individuals with diverse viewpoints regarding business is what motivated me to seek opportunities to work as an in-house counsel.  

In your role as an in-house counsel, what are the main responsibilities and tasks you handle on a day-to-day basis? 

 My main responsibilities include negotiating new contracts and agreements for the products and services that Element offers to its clients, working closely with the sales team. In addition to this, I collaborate closely with the risk, sales, and legal team in the due diligence process for clients, aiming to safeguard Element’s interests by preventing and mitigating risks. Lastly, my favourite topic in recent years has been the interaction with tools, software, and electronic platforms that enable Element’s legal team and other operational areas to streamline processes, save resources, protect information, and increase efficiency.  

The goal is to provide customers with an improved service experience, helping to make processes more organic for the client and contributing to environmental care by replacing paper usage with electronic signatures for transactions, thus reducing CO2 emissions.  

What are some of the key challenges you have faced as a rising star in-house counsel, and how have you overcome them? 

The main challenge as an in-house counsel is ensuring that individuals from different departments understand the significance of the legal team’s involvement in the company’s daily operations. Another challenge has been encountered when implementing technological tools for process enhancement; overcoming employee resistance to change demands a lot of patience, resilience, and belief that the difficult phase will pass.  

However, once people adapt to the new processes, they witness the improvements and advantages that digital platforms bring in terms of quality and time. Every effort becomes worthwhile. As an in-house counsel, you need to take on the role of a ‘business enabler,’ acting as a facilitator for new ventures and implementing tools that contribute to the company’s growth.  

What steps have you taken to enhance your professional development and expand your legal skill set? 

Continuous study and analysis of the issues that arise in society day by day. It is important to stay updated on the legal topics and trends brought by Covid-19 and the potential consequences it can generate.  

A crucial step in my career was developing a disruptive mindset to better attend to our client’s needs. Another step, which in my point of view sets me apart from law firm lawyers, is the opportunity to understand business operations from different perspectives to adapt legal matters. Lastly, correctly managing correctly internal and client information. We need to continue developing legal services to make them accessible to others, creating, collaborating, and connecting with other individuals.