Team size: 13

What are the key projects you have been involved in over the past twelve months?

A key project was the divestment of the exploration and production assets of Frontera Energy Corp. in Colombia for a total of $470m to Parex Resources via a plan of arrangement, governed by the laws of the Province of British Columbia, Canada.

I was also involved in the structuring of an LNG project in Colombia for the importation of LNG in Puerto Bahia. The LNG project is supported by Colombia’s growing natural gas supply deficit, the weather-related supply pressures associated with El Niño conditions and the resulting need for reliable alternative sources of supply. The project is expected to strengthen Puerto Bahía’s role in the country’s energy infrastructure while supporting energy security and long-term growth in the asset’s service offering.

Can you describe an instance where your legal advice directly influenced business strategy or commercial objectives?

In one of the complex negotiations which took place months ago, advice provided in my capacity of general counsel was key to determining strategy to implement the most attractive terms for Frontera’s stakeholders. The strategy derived in increasing distributions made to stakeholders significantly.

In which areas does compliance most commonly break down, and how do you address these risks?

Knowledgeable but immature compliance teams can be counterproductive and ineffective. Understanding the business, jurisdictions in which it operates and harmonising local culture with compliance standards is the foundation of an effective compliance culture.

How do you manage situations where legal advice and commercial objectives conflict?

I turn to common sense and good business judgement. The latter has never failed, in my experience, to shed light on what is reasonable, which also happens to coincide with what applicable law provides for.