Team size: 12

LATAM countries your role covers: Colombia, Mexico, Peru

What are the most significant cases and transactions in the LATAM region that you or your legal team have recently been involved in?

Aqualia has grown exponentially in Colombia in recent times due to both: M&A processes, and having been awarded by public tenders in several municipalities. Therefore, from the compliance department, we have actively participated in the due diligence of the compliance management systems of companies that were going to be acquired. After the acquisitions or the public tenders’ awards, from the compliance function, we have had to work on the implementation of the PTEE and SAGRILAFT programs in the new corporations in Colombia.

What are your organisations plans in the LATAM region over the next 12 months and how will your legal expertise help to achieve these plans?

The challenges are continuous in the compliance activity from the analysis of risks to the establishment and reinforcement of controls to mitigate these risks. This is a constant increase when you are in continuous growth. In both Colombia and Mexico, next year will be the year of the establishment of multiple internal processes in new projects.

How do you adapt your legal counselling to align with the diverse business practices and customs of various LATAM countries?

You must know first-hand the way of working in each country. It is very important to visit the countries and know their culture and our activity in each of them through our colleagues who provide their daily activity in the place. But without a doubt, these challenges would not be possible without having qualified professionals in the compliance function in the different jurisdictions that can transmit our principles and values and cooperate to help us to understand the way of doing.