How do you feel the pandemic has changed the world of work for in-house counsel and the function of the general counsel?
The Covid-19 pandemic, an unprecedented world crisis, caused enormous scale of anxieties, uncertainty, and fear across the globe. However, by combating against the crisis, we also learnt the way to handle tricky situations with creative ways of approaching problems. Without constant physical contact with colleagues and business partners, it was extremely challenging for us as a legal department to manage our work at the beginning of the pandemic. However, with the help of modern technologies, we made more effort to have frequent video meetings and sessions, and because of this, we overcame the difficulties. The relationships between our colleagues and with other functions have become stronger throughout the pandemic.
In what ways do you see the in-house legal role evolving in your region over the next few years?
In-house legal positions are evolving in Latin America, and it is expected to have more significant impacts on the legal market in the region. A range of regulatory and legal frameworks in Ecuador have been established referencing to the ones in North America and Europe. The examples are as follows: (i) sanctioning measure of personal privacy and data protection for the companies not adapting their sales force system towards online commercialisation and its risks; (ii) consumer defence in antitrust and fair market practices. In-house lawyers will take more essential roles in their organisations as strategic business partners while promoting a safer, transparent, and ethical business environment.
How important have ‘soft skills’ or personal attributes outside of technical legal skill been to the team’s success, and which ‘soft skills’ do you feel are most important for an in-house lawyer to possess?
The new generation, raised with plenty of information and misinformation, lacks soft skills, and it is our role as the older generation to teach them the skills. The new era focuses on technology but what we must not forget is that we do business with people. People skills are a must; and they are old but valuable ones to remember.
What are the most significant cases or transactions that your legal team has recently been involved in?
Over the past year, our team in Ecuador, liaising with other legal departments at our corporate headquarters, faced a significant challenge of dealing with cross-border disputes with a difficult business partner. This dispute could potentially ruin our reputation and credibility on a global level whilst reducing out local budget drastically. With our reliable and confident decision-makers at the headquarters, we produced the best possible strategy and managed the disputes without causing any considerable damage to our organisation.
