Team size: Seven

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

The role of general counsel is evolving in the global environment. General counsel not only see the legal issue, but must also manage the company’s objectives and be measured through indicators. We have moved beyond our role as internal advisors to become generators of economic resources for the company in which we work. Thus, the image of lawyers who only provide advice is a thing of the past; today, GCs are part of multidisciplinary teams with cross objectives with other management departments, to achieve the financial results that the company has planned within its annual results plans.

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

Mainly building bonds of trust. You cannot be an in-house legal advisor if the internal stakeholders do not have confidence in the legal team, and this is only possible building it over time. As long as key internal stakeholders such as shareholders, board of directors, general management, supply, finance, operations, human resources consider that the advice provided by your legal department is appropriate and exceeds their expectations, any complex problem can be resolved jointly, always seeking the best for the company.

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

I believe there are two challenges: the increased use of digital tools that have appeared, such as e-signatures in documents, the frequent and even habitual use of artificial intelligence by legal teams; as well as generational changes, where, for example, a recently graduated lawyer has the use of digital tools as part of his DNA, while an older lawyer has only the experience that years of practicing law provide to him. Thus, the GC must find a way to balance between the lawyers in their charge, both knowledge and put them into practice for the benefit of the legal team itself and the company in which we work.

How do you cultivate legal talent internally, and what skills do you see as most essential for the next generation of in-house lawyers?

Through constant training and motivation. Law is an extremely changing profession, where legal regulations are periodically issued that change what we have learned in universities. For example, Delosi encourages constructive dialogue, the legal team, periodically, has working tables where each lawyer gives his opinion from his professional profile on complex cases that need to be treated and resolved.