Focus on… My career

My name is Javier Rioja Jaimes, I graduated and got my master´s from Universidad Panamericana. I’m a senior legal counsel at Alsea (the master franchisee of Starbucks, Domino´s, P.F. Chang´s, The Cheesecake Factory, Burger King, among others). It was in this role where, last year, I was honoured of being part of the The Legal 500 GC Powerlist: Mexico Rising Stars. 

For nearly eight years now, I have been a law professor at the Universidad Panamericana. During my previous roles, I led several projects with international impact in large companies such as Grupo Salinas (Grupo Elektra) and with the recognised law firm Mijares, Angoitia, Cortes y Fuentes. My role as senior legal counsel has been very relevant because I have been involved in complex negotiations and executions of master franchise agreement for the development of our brands in Latin America; as well being involved with investment and acquisition transactions whose aim is to significantly reduce cost of Alsea inputs. 

Finally, I have been involved in the global corporate restructuring of Alsea brands and, advising and negotiating the agreements required for new projects to Alsea. Naturally, because of the global implications and Alsea´s objectives for growth, the role requires comprehensive knowledge of the business inside out to provide the optimal legal solutions, for issues which may arise from the challenges of different regulations in the different locations where Alsea operates. Hence, the importance of developing strong communication with the teams abroad becomes paramount. To strength this communication, you need to involve your team with the project to enable them to focus on three essential things: first, the right follow-up; second, promote critical thinking; and third, creative solution development.