Please note: Gloriana has now moved into a new role.

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

It has been a rollercoaster of acceptance, defeat, growth and learning. It was never my long-term goal, but as soon as I started to work in the biggest retailer in Mexico, I had an ‘aha moment’: lawyers working in a business and with the business?

I started to learn, to make mistakes, and to simply craft my own career path. There are so many opportunities for progression, that sky is the limit. I come from a little town in Mexico, studied in a very small and unknown university at the time, and let me tell you, that was not an impediment, I had the opportunity to work in construction industry, food industry and now pharma and medical devices. What inspired me the most, is the opportunity to work on multiple and complex issues, dealing and learning with several stakeholders and also trust in my gut, the legal part we can all learned it…but the soft skills is something that we do not learn at school, we need to excel to capitalise these strengths. I enjoy being a generalist in law, I have the opportunity every day to learn something new about a decree, a practice in x or y country.  

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

Generally speaking, look after the legal needs of the businesses, support functions and even authorities. So I can go from reviewing a contract to take a commercial standpoint and balance legality and ethics alongside this. Managing a constant flow of legal queries and of course a constant flow of questions to answer immediately. And also manage my team and not just on day-to-day things, but also their mental health, what they need and expect. Also training people that is not a lawyer, to help them negotiate, to understand what they are providing. Collaboration is also a main part of my day, making ‘translations’ of the legal impacts and bring ‘workable’ solutions.

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

The age and the gender, when people see me, they do not believe that I am lawyer, but I have paid my dues and I have a sit and a voice at the table. The main challenge is always to understand the business, their concerns, their priorities, numbers, competitors, the way it operates, the culture, the processes. As in house lawyers, we are expected to have the ability to prioritise, focusing where the opportunities are and help them capitalise. We need to be part of the team it is essential, earning the trust and not working in silos, as in house lawyers we are also part of the company.

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

I do believe that you need a differentiator, and to me it’s behavior.  If you have strong ‘no legalese’ communication skills, you will be highly appreciated. Be an ‘all-rounder’: read, investigate, surround yourself with experts in several areas and be flexible in your style. Do not shy away from challenges, I have been moving around in industries, with panic attacks, but once I breathe, and remember that I can learn whatever I want, and my personal and interpersonal skills will get me there. Identify your value, evaluate your own weaknesses and strengths.