Team size: Eleven

How has your role as in-house counsel evolved over the past few years, particularly in response to shifting global or regional dynamics?

My role as in-house counsel has evolved significantly, moving from a reactive, risk-based function to a proactive, business-integrated leadership role. In a country like Peru, where regulatory and political volatility can directly impact business, this shift has been not just beneficial, but necessary. At Real Plaza, we’ve embraced this evolution by embedding legal counsel into the early stages of business planning and decision-making.

Today, I act less as a legal gatekeeper and more as a strategic enabler. We are continuously monitoring the legal, regulatory, and socio-political environment, enabling early identification of risks and opportunities. Changes in municipal regulations, tax laws, or urban planning regulation are not just legal issues, they affect investment decisions, development timelines, and stakeholder relations. Our legal team is expected to translate these shifts into actionable business strategies. This transformation has required developing not only legal expertise but strong business strategy, cross-functional collaboration, and an anticipatory mindset across the team.

How do you build and maintain strong relationships with key internal stakeholders, especially in high-pressure or fast-moving scenarios?

Trust and alignment are at the core of effective stakeholder relationships, especially during high-pressure or fast-paced initiatives, such as major contract negotiations, regulatory inspections, or the rollout of new infrastructure projects, the legal team cannot afford to operate in isolation.

Our legal team prioritises proximity to the business, embedding ourselves in cross-functional teams, participating in strategic discussions, and ensuring that legal is seen not just as a control mechanism, but as a facilitator of viable, timely decisions. Communication is of great importance. We ensure that legal advice is delivered in accessible, easy to understand actionable terms. In the midst of a crisis, clarity and responsiveness become critical assets. Our approach is to combine legal rigor with operational empathy, understanding what’s at stake for each stakeholder and aligning legal support with their priorities.

What do you consider the biggest challenge for in-house legal teams today, and how are you addressing it within your own team?

The biggest challenge facing in-house legal teams today is the dual pressure of managing growing regulatory complexity while delivering faster, more integrated business support. Companies expect their legal departments to be lean, agile, and technologically competent without sacrificing the depth or quality of legal oversight. Meeting those expectations requires transformation on multiple fronts.

At Real Plaza, we’re addressing this by redefining how legal operates. We’ve adopted internal KPIs to measure impact and responsiveness, initiated automation for contract processes, and encouraged the adoption of legal tech tools where they create real value. But just as importantly, we’re investing in people. I focus on developing lawyers who understand the business and can operate with a service mindset. Continuous training, cross-functional exposure, and open feedback loops are essential to building a legal team that is not only compliant, but forward-looking and business-savvy.