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 a legal professional within Urufor S.A., my approach to managing legal aspects during periods of instability or crises is fundamentally rooted in proactive compliance and strategic foresight, ensuring our operations remain robust and resilient.

My core function is to embody “the Law” and ensure its compliance within the company, especially among family members, which is critical in any challenging period. This means meticulously adhering to all legal, safety, and governmental regulations relevant to our operations. In times of instability, this foundational compliance becomes even more crucial, serving as a stable anchor.

I approach challenges by leveraging my intelligence and capacity for analysis and comprehension of problems to determine solutions. I am recognised for quickly identifying problems and their solutions, which is essential when quick, informed legal responses are needed. My attitude is always proactive in problem-solving.

A key strength I bring, particularly in high-pressure situations, is my ability to maintain composure under pressure. I manage stress and pressure effectively, allowing me to exercise a tranquilising influence in difficult situations, which is vital for maintaining clear judgment and guiding decisions.

Furthermore, I ensure that our legal strategies are continuously updated with general reality and industry trends. I am committed to being very attentive to changes in external and internal contexts and scenarios to make appropriate and timely decisions. This adaptability is key for navigating crises effectively, allowing us to pivot our legal approach as circumstances evolve. My integrity, a highly valued attribute, ensures that our responses are always ethically grounded, fostering trust and stability even in turbulent times.

Our legal strategy is not merely about compliance; it’s deeply integrated into our broader business strategy to ensure organisational resilience, particularly through our unwavering commitment to sustainability. My high level of “systemic awareness” means I continuously pay attention to the long-term impact of strategic decisions on society.

I emphasise balancing community well-being with short-term profitability and focusing on the organisation’s role as a socially responsible company. This directly aligns with Urufor S.A.’s core business model, which revolves around renewable and environmentally sustainable materials sourced from certified sustainable forests. We strategically pursue international quality certifications across our value chain, a process where legal diligence ensures compliance with high standards. These certifications serve as a “differentiating value” for clients and enhance our market position and resilience.

Our strategic choice to leverage government incentives, such as tax benefits for sustainable forestry in Uruguay, is a clear example of legal and business alignment that fosters long-term stability and competitiveness within our industry.

Furthermore, our business strategy for resilience is built on vertical integration and diversification of resource utilisation. We control 100% of our raw material supply from within Uruguay or a linked company, ensuring stability and controlled pricing. I oversee the legal aspects of this, including compliance with transfer pricing regulations. The utilisation of 30% of our raw material for pulp companies or for generating renewable energy from sawmill waste demonstrates not just efficiency, but also a legal strategy that supports innovative waste-to-energy projects and strengthens our competitive advantage by reducing costs and leveraging long-term contracts with the state.

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

The main transactions that I have been involved in during the last year are ongoing new investment legal and financial aspects in a new line of sawmill of the company. Also, we achieved a milestone on the shareholders’ legal structure for new generations.

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?

We operate in an industry that is experiencing growth, partly due to a global demand for materials that are both renewable and environmentally sustainable. Our main product, solid wood from Eucalyptus Grandis, directly caters to this demand.

The market for our products specifically requires wood originating from forests that “meet environmental sustainability requirements”. We ensure that our raw material, 100% Eucalyptus Grandis wood, is sourced from our own country and a linked company, giving us full control over its origin and management.

We invest in and pursue international quality certifications across our entire value chain. These certifications, although they generate additional costs, are valued by our clients as a “differentiating value”. This commitment implies our adherence to high environmental and quality standards.

Uruguay has a foundational law that designates certain lands for “forest priority” and provides tax benefits (exemptions) to entities engaged in forestry activities on these lands, provided their projects are approved by the government. This legal framework supports and incentivises sustainable forest management within the country, aligning our operations with national sustainability goals.

What role does the legal department play in promoting and ensuring corporate social responsibility in your organisation?

My role, as part of the legal function, is multifaceted. A primary responsibility is to ensure that all our operations adhere to environmental, safety, and governmental regulations, as well as labour laws. This involves navigating complex legal frameworks that generate specific costs associated with compliance. For instance, Uruguay has a law that promotes forestry activities by categorising land for “forestry priority” and offering fiscal benefits, including tax exemptions, for forests produced under government-approved projects and for the income generated from the commercialisation of such wood. My department ensures we meet the parameters set by the Forest Directorate of the Ministry of Environment to qualify for these benefits and operate legally. We also ensure compliance with transfer pricing regulations related to our raw material sourcing.

We are responsible for the legal aspects of obtaining and maintaining international quality certifications on our value chain, which are crucial for our products and are seen as a differentiating value by our clients. This commitment to certified quality aligns with responsible business practices.

Beyond mere compliance, my role involves contributing to the company’s broader strategic direction, particularly regarding sustainability. I strive to apply systemic awareness. This includes interest in the community: paying attention to the long-term impact of strategic decisions on society, balancing community well-being with short-term profitability, and emphasising the organisation’s role as a socially responsible company. This means our department contributes to creating a vision that positively impacts the stakeholders, extending beyond the organisation itself: balancing economic results with other organisational objectives, ensuring the long-term well-being and health of the organisation, and appropriately contributing to the near community of employees and their families. This helps to integrate sustainability into our core business model.