Team size: 48

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

As expectations for the legal department to act as a strategic business partner continue to rise, we have seen a significant increase in the complexity, volume, and criticality of demands arising from operational and commercial areas, particularly within an increasingly dynamic and challenging global environment.

In the current landscape, external factors such as geopolitical instability—including conflicts in the Middle East—shifts in international trade dynamics, and the adoption of protectionist measures across various jurisdictions (such as recent tariff increases in certain markets) have had a tangible impact on the company’s operations. This environment requires the legal function to adopt an increasingly proactive role, not only in mitigating risks but also in developing strategic legal solutions that ensure operational continuity and support business expansion.

In this context, there has been a notable strengthening of the integration between the legal function and front-line operational and commercial teams. The department now operates in a more collaborative and embedded manner, supporting strategic decision-making, structuring legally sound alternatives, and directly contributing to the execution of operations in new markets. This is particularly evident in the expansion of activities in regions such as Mexico and Asia, which require continuous adaptation to diverse regulatory, sanitary, and commercial frameworks.

From a financial perspective, the legal team plays a key role in ensuring regulatory compliance, safeguarding legal certainty in operations, and supporting efficient execution, thereby contributing directly to the company’s financial stability and credibility with investors and financial institutions.

Over the past year, the legal team has been involved in a range of highly relevant strategic transactions and projects, working closely with internal stakeholders and external advisers. These have included the negotiation and structuring of significant commercial contracts—both domestic and international—with particular focus on risk allocation, liability frameworks, and dispute resolution mechanisms, especially in agreements related to raw material procurement in a highly volatile pricing environment.

The team has also led strategic litigation and liability management matters, covering regulatory, tax, civil, and contractual issues, including defence strategies and negotiated settlements. In parallel, the department has provided continuous regulatory and operational support, strengthening compliance, corporate governance, and internal controls in line with leading market standards.

Additionally, the legal function has played a key role in international operations and foreign trade, addressing export-related issues, tariffs, and sanitary requirements in complex and evolving regulatory environments. Internally, efficiency initiatives have focused on process standardisation, improved workflows, and the adoption of technological tools to enhance predictability, agility, and decision-making reliability.

Due to confidentiality constraints, specific transactions cannot be disclosed. However, key matters handled by the Legal Department are reported in the company’s Reference Form.

What new pressures are you facing from the business as expectations for legal to act as a strategic partner continue to grow?

As expectations for the legal function to act as a strategic business partner continue to grow, one of the primary challenges is balancing speed and scale in responding to internal demands, without compromising technical quality or legal certainty.

In an organisation with complex operations and close interaction across multiple areas—such as engineering, logistics, procurement, and operations—the volume of legal requests is naturally high. This requires not only legal expertise but also a robust governance framework to ensure effective prioritisation, standardised processes, and greater predictability in delivery.

To address this, we have advanced the development of a structured legal service governance model, introducing clear workflows, defined procedures, and objective criteria for handling requests. This includes revising contract formalisation processes, developing standardised templates, and implementing mechanisms to ensure traceability and transparency in managing legal activities.

The adoption of management tools and systems has been central to this effort, enabling better control of deadlines, visibility of workloads, and the generation of data-driven indicators to support decision-making. This approach improves efficiency and allows for more strategic allocation of legal resources.

These challenges are further intensified by the company’s rapid growth and internationalisation. As Minerva expands globally, exposure to diverse regulatory environments increases, requiring greater adaptability and coordinated action across multiple jurisdictions. In today’s volatile geopolitical and regulatory landscape, marked by international conflicts and trade tensions, the legal function plays a critical role in interpreting sanctions, regulatory changes, sanitary requirements, and contractual risks, ensuring timely and effective responses to protect core operations.