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

I have been working in in-house legal areas since I was an intern. Having worked in a legal environment, I knew that this was my calling, and I decided to pursue a career in the corporate legal world. I had a brief period in the publicity sector, after which I worked for more than seven years in the insurance sector. Since a little over a year ago, I have been working as an in-house lawyer in the industrial sector.

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

I currently have three main responsibilities, the first of which is to lead a team of five excellent professionals who are in charge of the day-to-day running of the legal area, greatly simplifying my work.

My second function involves handling the most relevant projects in corporate legal matters, such as negotiating contracts with strategic suppliers, measuring the impact of legal decisions, as well as managing the company’s most important legal disputes.

The third role involves regulatory compliance activities, which include communicating regulatory updates to the organisation regarding laws, bills, and legal news, as well as implementing and supervising their observance. This role also entails presenting opportunities for improvement to prevent any legal or internal policy non-compliance to the principal executives and the Ethics Committee.

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

The situation, which has been a constant throughout my professional career and remains challenging, is my young age in comparison to the level of responsibility I handle. Usually, the prestige of lawyers is associated with their experience, with the understanding that years of experience make professionals wiser. However, this is not 100% true, as there are other factors at play, such as the type of experience one can have, regardless of time.

My strong performance has allowed me to sit at the table with the “great ones,” however, on many occasions, they have ignored my input mainly due to my age. Nevertheless, through my perseverance and the accuracy of my legal opinions, I have been able to bridge these gaps.

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

Each person has their own learning methodology, and for me, observing more senior professionals and openly asking questions without fear of judgment has proven to be highly effective. I believe in clearing up any doubts, no matter how trivial they may seem at first. In addition, I am open to receiving and asking for feedback from my mentors. Understanding how I am perceived by professionals whom I respect and admire has acted as significant motivation for me to improve.