About

A constituent of the Forbes 2000 global index of the most prominent companies in the world, in 2016 Davivienda posted the third largest total assets for any Colombian bank, boasting 13.5% of the sector-wide total. The bank has been particularly active recently, and has executed a number of exciting and high-profile financial endeavours; the Davivienda legal team supports and enables these at all levels. In April, for instance, the bank issued $150m in green bonds, financial products aimed at promoting project financing for sustainable initiatives. This deal, which was described as the largest ever issuance of this type of bond by a private bank in Latin America, highlights Davivienda’s commitment to both financial innovation and corporate responsibility. At the end of 2016, the bank also released a large amount of funds for investment in local real estate projects as part of Colombia’s recent real estate boom. The oversight and risk assessment functions of the legal team are particularly important with large and complex projects such as these, and the active profile of the company in pursuing these shows the legal team is keen to take a proactive approach towards enablement, rather than adopting an overly cautious approach that could hamper business objectives. Javier Mendoza Lozano, legal manager for corporate banking and 4G, is an example of the calibre of expertise present in the Davivienda legal team. Employed at the company since 1996, he has unparalleled insight into what is required to operate at the top level of the Colombian financial system.