Head of legal | MPA
Mónica Ardila Villarreal
Head of legal | MPA
What are the most significant cases or transactions that your legal team has recently been involved in?
In 2023, the legal team participated in the negotiation and closing of 1,253,163 square feet of new leases and 5,152,803 square feet of lease renewals in the markets of Monterrey, Ciudad Juarez, Tijuana, Puebla, Reynosa, Chihuahua, Mexicali, Hermosillo, Saltillo, Nuevo Laredo, Guadalajara, San Luis Potosí, Mexico City, Matamoros, Nogales, and Los Mochis. In addition, we successfully completed and delivered the construction of industrial buildings totalling 225,000 square feet in Mexico City, 211,000 square feet in Monterrey, 144,000 square feet in Reynosa, and 267,000 square feet in Ciudad Juarez.
During the first half of 2024, the legal team participated in the negotiation and closing of 489,275 square feet of new leases and 2,510,388 square feet of lease renewals in the markets of Monterrey, Ciudad Juarez, Tijuana, Puebla, Reynosa, Mexicali, Hermosillo, Saltillo, Nuevo Laredo, San Luis Potosí, and Mexico City. This included the negotiation for the lease of the first centre of a major retailer from China in Mexico. Additionally, we successfully completed the construction of an industrial building totalling 200,000 square feet in Monterrey.
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?
I believe the most cost-efficient way to implement innovation within the team is to leverage existing resources and find ways to improve how we manage information.
A simple and effective way to reduce response times is by creating standardised templates. These templates streamline the drafting process and significantly reduce errors, enabling other members of the organisation to operate independently without having to wait for legal to deliver drafts.
To ensure consistency across different transactions and negotiations, and to address common issues efficiently, we have created a comprehensive repository of information to optimise our approach to recurring negotiation scenarios. This repository serves as a centralised database for our team, where we can access records of specific deals, including drafting and the rationale behind various clauses.
Access to information is a priority for the organisation’s efficiency and effectiveness. To facilitate this, we have reviewed, reorganised, and catalogued essential documents and data, making them readily accessible to members of the organisation. This allows employees to quickly and independently retrieve information without having to go through legal for each request. To ensure the continued management of documents and data, we created guidelines for naming and classification, establishing clear criteria that can be understood and followed by all members of the organisation. By adhering to these guidelines, we are ensuring the accessibility of newly generated information.
What is a cause, business related or otherwise, that you care about, and why?
I am passionate about the individuality of each of my team members. I prioritise recognising their uniqueness, which builds a strong, well-rounded team. By embracing diverse perspectives and encouraging each individual to bring their own strengths and insights to the table, we cultivate a dynamic environment that fosters collaboration, where everyone feels valued and empowered to contribute their best.
Head of legal | MPA - FIBRA Macquarie Group