About

Norwegian Hydropower company Statkraft has a significant presence in Peru, and it is served by a highly skilled legal team that is part of the global corporate legal department of more than 40 lawyers located across ten countries. The Peruvian legal team is made up of three main lawyers, and legal affairs manager Veronica Arbulu is also a part of the local management team. The team handles all matters that have an important impact on the core business of the company as well as the corporate strategic decisions. Manuel Reyes is the senior legal counsel with 22 years in the company and is responsible for the legal matters related to the operations and commercial aspects of the organisation. Diana Lay Siu serves as the legal counsel, with four years experience at the company and predominantly assists the areas of procurement, human resources, accounting, financing and environmental affairs. ‘Even though the areas of the company have been assigned to different members of the team, collaboration is key on a day-to-day basis. Legal is part of all strategic and day-to-day decisions of the company and gives added value to its working, using law as a tool for innovative and creative solutions. We are willing to think outside the box, and work closely as a strategic partner to the CEO’, says Arbulu. Working within a constantly evolving and changing company has required the legal team to embrace changes and remain prepared for unforeseen industry changes. In the last two years, not only has the team had to deal with the changes in the structure of the team, but with the company passing through a consolidation phase that included a reduction in the members of the team. Regarding this, Arbulu concedes, ‘meant doing more with less resources. This also means being always willing to reinvent ourselves and learn new skills and identify our strengths’. During the last two years the team has focused on developing a culture in Peru where compliance is always a priority. The team has also put a large deal of importance on creating powerful relationships and collaborations, focusing on developing strong relationships with stakeholders, internal clients and external lawyers.