Team size: 3

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

In the last twelve months, the most significant initiatives included the defense of the company’s position in the debt restructuring process of a key client in Colombia where the team was able to defend a privileged debt qualification as a result of existing securities. Sanofi was the only secured creditor privileged in the process, along with another company that used to be part of Sanofi’s group and benefited from the existing securities at the time of spin off. Other initiatives include the structuring of a successful contractual and defense structure for an innovative value-added sales model that has allowed Sanofi to mitigate risks related to misinterpretation of its nature in the national health system, something that is usually litigated with the pharma sector by patients and other actors of the health system. Of course, litigation management is also and always a key part of our role; the last twelve months have revealed relevant successes, particularly in a major case in Colombia related to product safety (vaccines).

Finally, beyond Colombia, our team’s work has centred on leading a significant transformation across the COPAC region — encompassing Central America, the Caribbean Islands, and the Andean Countries — a territory defined by its regulatory diversity, jurisdictional complexity and markedly distinct market dynamics. This process involved reviewing and designing a strategy and execution of simplification projects involving local operations. As legal head, my role focused on strategic decisions related to the particular challenges that each jurisdiction involved, accompanied in execution by legal business partners Natalia and Maria Alejandra, with whom we coordinated execution with local teams, regulatory authorities and external advisors in each country. In parallel, we led the transition of commercial operation models, migrating from locally operated structures to distribution-based relationships. This shift presented a multidimensional legal challenge: it required the renegotiation and structuring of distribution agreements, the management of regulatory implications and the handling of corporate risks inherent to the transition.

The outcomes of these initiatives have been concrete and measurable: a privileged position and efficient and agile solution to bad debt issues resulting in securing collections in the context of a very difficult debt restructure, the enablement of an innovative sales model securing adequate management of legal risks and improvements in the region’s footprint for more agile and efficient operations.

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

One of the clearest examples of how the legal function can serve as a genuine value driver for the business has been our direct contribution to viable, innovative and value-added sales models that are paramount for clients. At times of very serious financial and operational constrains for the health system in Colombia, innovation not only in technology, but also in adequate legal models to facilitate and articulate business initiatives becomes pivotal for sustainability and resilience.

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

The role of in-house counsel is to be an enabler, not an obstacle. When tensions arise between commercial objectives and legal boundaries, my first instinct is to seek creative solutions that allow the business to achieve its goals within an acceptable risk framework, rather than simply identifying what cannot be done. Being realistic, in some cases legal risks are unacceptable. Advice should be clear in that kind of situation, so as to trigger the business to be creative and resilient in finding new ways of working. Early involvement of in-house counsel in building and planning commercial objectives is also pivotal to proactively managing this kind of conflict.

This requires a deep understanding of commercial pressures and business context, as well as transparent communication with stakeholders about real — not theoretical — risks. In the pharmaceutical sector, where regulation is particularly demanding and varies significantly across jurisdictions, the ability to navigate complexity with pragmatism is essential. The trust that the business places in the legal team is built precisely when we are involved in business planning as essential part of the team, demonstrate that we understand their objectives and work actively to achieve them responsibly.

What key trends should in-house counsel be monitoring over the coming months?

Several trends merit close attention. I highlight (i) digital transformation and the adoption of artificial intelligence in legal operations — representing both an opportunity for lean teams like ours and a new risk frontier in data privacy and cybersecurity, and (ii) geopolitical and economic volatility across Latin American markets will continue to exert pressure on supply chains and cross-border commercial models, demanding ever-greater capacity for anticipation and adaptation from in-house counsel.