About

Praxair is the largest industrial gasses company in North and South America, and does business in 50 countries around the world. The legal team supporting Praxair’s Mexican operations is made up of four lawyers and one legal assistant. The team has made a real impact on the company through its excellent support of contract negotiations in a highly regulated environment. It is to this end that the team has prioritised compliance issues and maintained an optimum level of compliance culture – developed through the launch of the FCPA, additional compliance training, the use of technology and constant renewal of material. One of the most significant projects the legal team has been involved in includes a successful acquisition in Panama that significantly increased Praxair’s capabilities and footprint in Central America. The team is led by Alejandro Fraga Land, legal director for Mexico and Central America, who has been recognised as a driving force behind the team’s development since he joined Praxair in 2007. Market conditions have not been favourable at times, and the department has had to understand the business sensitivities and the importance of maintaining a good relationship with clients through trying times. Fraga Land discusses these challenges: ‘Downturns aren’t forever and you want to be in a good position when things turn around, if clients can remember that Praxair’s legal department was an ally or at least not an additional burden during tough times, then that is very powerful going forward’. The legal team stay abreast of regulatory changes and political challenges in order to support the company through those difficult periods. ‘Whenever [regulatory changes] occur, we have communicated and prepared the organisation for the change or we have already taken the steps necessary to quickly adapt to the changes and be in compliance’. Fraga Land takes great pride in his legal team, considering them a major contributor to the success of the company in the region. One individual that stands out is senior attorney Alejandro Mendez Moya, ‘he is certainly a person that is sought out by the organisation. Focused on results, with a positive and proactive attitude, always on the lookout for solutions and alternatives while firm and decisive with his advice and implementation’, says Fraga Land.