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

I began my career as a lawyer at the Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, Campus Monterrey. Subsequently, I completed a master’s degree in Energy Law and Sustainability at the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, to later study a master’s degree in law with certification in Corporate Law at the University of California, Berkeley. Founded and chaired the first international chapter of Women’s Energy Network Mexico. In 2012, I began my professional career at Thompson & Knight, law firm where I specialised and quickly fell in love with international energy law. Since January 2020, I decided to become in-house counsel to be closer to the action, and since have been an attorney for Marathon Petroleum Corporation, a company with more than 130 years of experience in refining, marketing and logistics.   

Energy law is an area I am passionate about, it is challenging, ever evolving and requires not only understanding the legal framework but also understanding technical and operational components which make it very interesting. I love pursuing a career in this field because energy is a key component for the economic development of many countries, if not all. 

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

The work I do as a lawyer for a company like MPC is very interesting due to the great presence it has in Mexico and its interest to continue expanding its operations in other Latin American countries. The foregoing, because MPC participates, directly and indirectly, in the entire value chain of the petroleum products industry. This allows me to not only be in contact with legal issues but also technical and operational issues, knowledge of which I consider to be of great relevance to be able to better perform my job. Due to the above, my day-to-day work focuses mainly on legal advice to MPC on all issues surrounding its operations in LATAM. This can range from drafting and negotiating contracts for the purchase and supply of gasoline and diesel and for engaging logistics services, structuring different transactions, supporting regulatory and permitting issues relevant for our operations, as well as advising on import, marketing and logistics matters.   

I must also mention that the inclusion, promotion and positioning of women in leadership positions in the energy sector has been one of my personal goals throughout my career, and that is why I am proud to chair and have founded the first international chapter of the organisation Women’s Energy Network – Mexico Chapter (WEN”)), because I am convinced that there is a great opportunity for women to develop professionally in the energy sector with the support of a robust and international platform such as WEN.   

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

Through my legal practice, especially as in-house counsel, I have continuously been part of an energy sector that has been evolving in Latin American countries with the opening to private investment. I currently contribute to the growth and consolidation of MPC in the LATAM energy industry. It has been a challenge and a responsibility to contribute good MPC practices to the LATAM hydrocarbon industry and navigate relatively new regulatory and evolving frameworks with few precedents that consolidate it. Thanks to this experience, I have had the opportunity to forge a deep knowledge of Mexico oil & gas law and continue to expand this knowledge to other Latin American countries.   

As an in-house counsel, among the main challenges I have faced are finding a balance between legal and commercial perspectives and conciliating such perspectives to obtain the best result for the company.  I have learned to listen to the different points of view from the diverse stakeholders within and outside the company, and tried to understand where those points of views are coming from to achieve a win-win result for the company in compliance with the regulatory framework.    

Another challenge I have faced is knowing how to communicate with different internal areas to get my point across in an understandable non-legal way.  I have learned to portray my advice in a clear, concise, and understandable manner, for non-lawyers to better understand the message. I have learned to be assertive in times when the company requires my legal opinion and help guide the company to achieve its goals. I have learned the importance of staying calm and collected in times of emergency, to help different areas in their decision processes.   

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

I’m always focused on trying to develop my potential to the fullest. As a result, I try to always continue preparing myself and keeping myself up to date with the latest on the energy industry and constantly improving my leadership skills. To enhance my professional development and expand my legal skill set, I have completed master’s degree programs, I have completed and participate in leadership programs, I constantly participate in different courses and attend different conferences related to the energy industry and soft skills, try to read as much as possible, and participate in different industry groups and networks.