What are the most significant cases or transactions that your legal team has recently been involved in?

Our organisation has had an average of two M&A transactions per year in the last twenty years. We are very active in the regional markets which include Puerto Rico, Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia, Uruguay, Argentina, Peru, and most recently Chile. We have also been working on infrastructure projects and financing transactions in order to support the group’s growth. In the last two years, we have also developed anti-corruption policies, as well as trained teams in adequate competition policies and sustainability through environmental, social, and corporate practices.

How do you feel the pandemic has changed the world of work for in-house counsel and the function of the general counsel?

The pandemic has definitely increased the speed of the virtual ecosystem. We have developed digital processes across all our areas of practice so that our teams are now capable of home working. We now benefit from a fully hybrid work environment. However, that has also represented a challenge in terms of keeping team members motivated and focused.

What are some of the key developments – legal, geopolitical or otherwise – that have affected your business over the past year?

Technology is developing at such a speed that trying to keep up with the major changes has been an issue. Additionally, we are now required to keep an adequate focus on all the elements that guarantee the sustainability of our operations encompassing environmental social and corporate matters. Another factor is being able to maintain the competitiveness of our products and services in a demanding market.

Looking forward, what technological advancements do you feel will impact the role of in-house legal teams in the future the most?

I think that digital technological formation is going to be a must in the future, together with soft skills such as negotiation, communication, and empathy within teams and departments.