Team size: 20+

How do you approach managing legal aspects during periods of instability or crises, and how does your legal strategy align with the broader business strategy to ensure the organisation’s resilience?

As one of the largest fishing companies in the world, our priority is our people and the communities in which we operate. Therefore, our approach prioritises transparency, respect, and the impact our decisions may have on people and communities. For example, regarding communication during crises, we must consider collecting reliable and accurate information from the involved parties before presenting it to public opinion, media, or authorities.

Another important factor is teamwork, working together with the crisis team, which should have already been established and trained for crisis situations. During the crisis, and once it has been controlled, we need to think carefully about the legal impact of every decision made, considering the various scenarios and impacts a decision or strategy may have within different variables of the business, such as reputation, impact on shareholders, and economic factors, among others.

What measures has your company taken to embed sustainability practices into its core business operations, and how does the role of the general counsel contribute to driving and ensuring sustainable practices within the company?

Sustainability is an essential component of our overall company strategy. It is based on specific projects that target social and environmental challenges, as well as the development of governance structures that ensure the transparency and integrity of the decisions that are made. In the case of our company, the general counsel is also in charge of the sustainability team. Therefore, our department oversees the correct and timely execution of sustainability projects. Within such projects, we ensure that legal review is also part of the overall assessment, which may include licensing requirements, property, and contract review. With regards to governance, we ensure that project partners are reviewed with due diligence and compliance processes.

What emerging technologies do you see as having the most significant impact on the legal profession in the near future, and how do you stay updated on these developments?

We are constantly searching for AI tools that may help us improve our legal research, facilitating and improving our response time and accuracy in legal consultations. Another development we are assessing is our internal capabilities to capture valuable information swiftly and accurately from government web pages that produce public information. This will enable us to act promptly in case any legal issues arise.

How do you prioritise diversity and inclusion within your legal department, and what initiatives have you implemented to foster a more inclusive and equitable work environment?

Our company has a diversity and inclusion committee that oversees the implementation of procedures. Legal is a part of this committee and we ensure compliance with laws, regulations, or standards that the company must adhere to.