Countries in Latam your role covers: Brazil and Mexico.

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

In Mexico, Iberdrola is involved in significant cases in order to support our business activities in the country, where we have been operating for more than 20 years. In 1999 we arrived in Mexico with the mission of making an impact on the energy business. Our objective soon became a long-term commitment to the energy and sustainable development of the country.

We are strongly committed to the development of the communities in which we operate and their environment. We promote initiatives aimed at counteracting the effect of global warming and conserving Mexico’s biodiversity. We also seek to generate a positive impact on the most vulnerable groups in society.

In Brazil, Iberdrola has stepped up its commitment to the country with the acquisition of the Brasilia distributor for €400m. Neoenergia, through its subsidiary Bahia Geração de Energia, has been declared the winner of the auction – in international competition – for the privatisation of the electricity distributor CEB Distribuição.

More recently, Neoenergia has won a tender to own and operate our largest power grid line in the word with 1,707 kilometers between the states of Minas Gerais and São Paulo and another one, located in Mato Grosso do Sul. The contract will involve an investment of € 1b and will create more than 11,000 jobs during construction. The legal support to the successful construction and operation of these new projects are part of our goals in Brazil.

The unusual business environment created by the pandemic has been swiftly followed by the Ukraine crisis, attendant supply chain costs rising and inflation. Are you now putting more emphasis on preparing for the unforeseen and, if so, what does this entail?

I believe the company’s sustained growth over the last 20 years is the result of the combination of Iberdrola’s corporate vision with its effective implementation under the highest ethical standards. During this time, the legal team have had to continuously adapt in a proactive manner. In the actual situation, we are confident that we can still meet our goal of exceeding customers’ expectations and helping them find the solutions they aim for.

What are your organisation’s plans in the LATAM region over the next 12 months and how will your legal expertise help to achieve these plans?

Over the next two months, the Iberdrola Group will continue to step up its commitment in Brazil and in Mexico and for the legal services, one of our priorities will be supporting our business activities in both jurisdictions, providing quality and excellence on our advice, going hand in hand with the business.