Team size: 21 lawyers

How do you approach managing legal aspects during periods of instability or crises, and how does your legal strategy align with the broader business strategy to ensure the organisation’s resilience?

To ensure organisational resilience during periods of instability or crisis, it is essential to maintain a comprehensive understanding of the company’s capacity to sustain both performance and purpose. This involves broadening the scope beyond the company’s ability to navigate challenging conditions, to also include the identification of the needs of clients and third parties interacting with the organisation. The evaluation must encompass, among others, regulators (both local and foreign, as applicable), end-to-end vendors, market conditions, and other relevant stakeholders.

As in-house Legal Counsel, working closely with senior management is critical to assess legal implications and to design agile, flexible alternatives and solutions. When necessary, developing legal strategies for effective lobbying with authorities helps maintain a clear perspective on legal risk.

A key competency for in-house legal counsel is the ability to foster strategic planning. The initial step involves prioritising the critical elements of disruption or vulnerability, allowing for a focused legal analysis of impacts and the development of appropriate solutions.

Innovation is essential for agile remediation, enabling informed decision-making that mitigates or limits legal risks. From this perspective, teams employing Scrum methodologies should include direct participation from legal professionals to accelerate solution development. Legal team members embedded in Scrum teams must be empowered to conduct legal assessments and determine the most suitable legal approach for each circumstance.

Effective team building within the legal function enhances the delivery of timely and efficient legal advice. Achieving this requires the development of a rapid escalation methodology supported by direct and transparent communication. This approach entails a cultural shift within the organisation, aimed at eliminating siloed work practices that risk obscuring the full scope and magnitude of a crisis.

As leader of the Legal team, adopting an empathetic approach to team-building sessions is vital. It enables the recognition of burnout or unmet needs, fostering emotional connection with each team member and strengthening the organisation’s resilient transformation.

What are the major cases or transactions you have been involved in recently?

Private issuance of subordinated notes in the amount of MXP$8,908MM, which consolidated subordinated obligations previously amortised in advance and additionally strengthened Scotiabank’s capital.

How do you prioritise diversity and inclusion within your legal department, and what initiatives have you implemented to foster a more inclusive and equitable work environment?

I have fostered open communication to share experiences enriched by diverse cultures, traditions, preferences, and perspectives, with the aim of driving creative solutions, exchanging knowledge, and promoting best practices that support the achievement of our goals.

I continuously work to eliminate unconscious bias in end-to-end legal advice and in the professional development of team members, thereby enabling seamless cross-functional communication and collaboration.