<strong>What are the most significant cases, projects and/or transactions that you and/or your legal team have recently been involved in?</strong>

Recently, my work has focused on two main areas, transactional work and regulatory compliance. On the transactional side, we have provided legal support for significant expansion of the company in terms of new hotels in our system, advising on complex agreements with owners and franchisees, and overseeing operational and legal matters across the constantly evolving Caribbean and Latin America region. In parallel, I’ve been closely involved in regulatory and compliance matters, including internal reviews and keeping up with new local regulations.

<strong>How do you approach managing legal aspects during periods of instability or crisis to ensure the organisation’s resilience?</strong>

In Latin America, circumstances are constantly changing, and uncertainty tends to form part of the operating environment. During periods of heightened instability, all disciplines need to work collaboratively to remain aligned, rapidly identify the legal and regulatory risks that could affect operations, and provide clear, practical guidance that enables the business to continue moving forward. The focus is on consistency and sound decision-making in fast-evolving conditions. Even when operating with partial information, the worst choice we can make is to stand still. Remaining dynamic allows us to mitigate risk, uncover additional insights, and ultimately make better decisions than stagnation ever would.

<strong>AI has been taken seriously as a potentially revolutionary technological change in the legal world for a number of years now. Has it had a meaningful impact in how your legal team works in this time?</strong>

Yes, AI is having a meaningful impact, primarily by improving efficiency rather than replacing judgement. It assists our team with preliminary reviews, summarisation, and issue spotting, allowing lawyers to focus more on strategy and business advice. The key for now is to use it deliberately, with clear guardrails, and always subject to human review. The greatest value to date has been in freeing up time for higher-impact legal work, while remaining thoughtful about risk and accountability.

<strong>Looking forward, what trends do you foresee in the legal landscape over the next 5–10 years that companies should prepare for?</strong>

Over the next five to ten years, I see three major trends shaping the legal landscape. First, increased regulatory complexity, particularly around data, AI, privacy, and ESG, will require legal teams to be more proactive and globally co-ordinated. Second, technology, including AI, will continue to reshape how legal work is delivered, pushing teams to focus less on process and more on judgement, strategy, and risk management. Finally, there will be growing expectations for legal teams to operate as true business partners: faster, more commercially minded, and more integrated into decision-making. Companies that invest early in people, systems, and adaptable ways of working will be best positioned to manage these changes.