Team size:  Seven

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? 

Although there are many ways to approach periods of instability or crisis, our main function as a legal team is to accompany and be closer than ever to the organisation and the business, transmitting stability and tranquillity. To achieve this, in my opinion there are three essential aspects on which we must focus our efforts: deeply understand the regulations and their changes, trying to anticipate them to ensure that the business strategy can adapt as best and as quickly as possible to the new scenarios without losing its focus; be coherent, maintaining the medium-long term vision and the established route to achieve the final objectives already established; and be flexible in our approaches, to adopt the necessary decisions quickly, but also with the greatest possible legal certainty.

What are the main cases or transactions that you have been involved in recently? 

In the last two years, we have resumed intense activity in M&A, both in terms of acquisitions of large business portfolios, and in the purchase and sale and integration of companies and business groups, in some cases exceeding one hundred million euros, always with the focus on solid and sustainable growth in key services and segments for the company. Likewise, we have participated in large tenders for both private and public contracts, with awards that exceed, in some cases, twenty million euros.

How can general counsel foster a corporate culture that supports ESG principles and compliance across all levels of the organisation? 

The General Counsel and any legal team within an organisation have a leading role in promoting and developing a strong and stable ESG culture. The part of the ESG strategy with which we are usually most identified, the “G” of Governance (or Good Government, in Spanish), is undoubtedly the most transversal of the three, as it underlies any decision that every company makes in any of its areas, including social and environmental.

Formal or procedural aspects, policy development or other more purely theoretical issues are part of our competencies in this matter, but we must focus our efforts on ensuring that the ESG culture (and, therefore, good governance) is part of the DNA of the organisation at all levels, that is, that all the people who are part of the company “live and act” in accordance with said culture. For this, adequate and sustained training, awareness and communication strategies are essential, which promote a way of doing things that is aligned with good business governance. All of this always, in coordination with other areas of the organisation.

How have you integrated technology into your legal processes, and what impact has this had on efficiency and compliance? 

ISS has always been committed to technology and innovation, both externally towards the client and in its internal processes. Also in our legal processes, where we have integrated technology not only at the most basic or administrative level of file filing, task control or work levels, but also as an essential help in our day-to-day life, especially in the contractual-commercial areas, protection of personal data and compliance. The use of technology tools and AI platforms has allowed us to gain efficiency and increase work capacity, guaranteeing and even increasing the level of quality of our work. In addition, it also allows us to guarantee a better level of compliance in relation to regulatory requirements and deadlines established, as well as a better and more complete report of all activities carried out.