Editors Note: María del Pilar Orozco Fernández provided this interview on the basis of her employment with Carr Capital at the time. 

First, can you please give us an idea of the sort of work your team has done recently?

Be Grand is expanding its operations to Europe. Over the last few months we have been involved in the creation of a private equity fund for a European real estate development, primarily located in Madrid; the fund has not closed yet, but is expected to close in six months at the latest. We are also near the closing of the acquisitions of two projects in Madrid for upscale residential developments. We are partnering with a local top residential developer in Madrid for these projects.

We recently acquired two new real estate properties for upcoming Be Grand developments. One is in Colonia Roma in Mexico City, for a new ten story development, the other one is in Guadalajara, Jalisco, for a mixed commercial and housing complex in one of the most soubht-after properties in the area. We are very excited for these upcoming projects.

What would you say are the unique qualities required to be successful as an in-house lawyer in your industry?

Know your limits and be a team player. Even though in-house lawyers are expected to have a general knowledge in all legal areas involving the operation of a company it is important to know when you need to reach out to outside counsel for any specialised matters. Work as a team; the goal here is for the company to do better so we can all thrive.

How do you suggest in-house lawyers build strong relationships with business partners?

You can do this by listening to their needs and not being afraid to get involved in the business conversation. It is crucial to learn the business in order to provide the best legal advice possible. We should stop seeing ourselves as just lawyers. Tags are not helpful, as long as you know your limits.