General counsel | Niubiz
Walter Álvarez Meza
General counsel | Niubiz
How do you build and maintain strong relationships with key internal stakeholders, especially in high-pressure or fast-moving scenarios?
Building and maintaining strong relationships with internal stakeholders starts with truly understanding the business, including its strategy, operations and risk appetite. Today, the role of in-house legal counsel is not only about managing risk but also about enabling business decisions in a complex and evolving environment. This requires aligning legal priorities with commercial objectives and delivering timely, pragmatic advice that supports growth.
In high-pressure situations such as regulatory oversight processes, critical transactions or operational incidents, the ability to remain calm, credible and solution-oriented becomes essential. Our legal team focuses on providing clarity and speed, translating legal complexity into actionable insights that leadership can rely on. Setting transparent expectations about legal boundaries and strategic options is key to building trust.
Trust, however, is not built only in moments of crisis. It comes from consistent engagement and being part of cross-functional teams early, not just when issues arise. At Niubiz, we have embedded the legal team in core business initiatives, ensuring early involvement in innovation projects and regulatory adaptation efforts. This approach has been instrumental in supporting the company’s digital transformation strategy and strengthening risk management frameworks.
Leadership, especially under pressure, also means empowering others. I encourage my team to take ownership, foster accountability and engage with empathy and transparency, even when navigating difficult conversations. When internal stakeholders see Legal as a collaborative partner capable of managing complexity and enabling solutions, relationships naturally strengthen.
Ultimately, the credibility of the legal function is measured by its reliability, strategic insight and integrity. That foundation is what sustains strong partnerships even in the most demanding environments.
How has your role as in-house counsel evolved over the past few years, particularly in response to shifting global or regional dynamics?
In recent years, the role of in-house counsel has evolved from legal gatekeeper to strategic business partner, especially in fast-paced and highly regulated sectors such as payments and fintech. As regional markets undergo rapid digitalisation, regulatory shifts and rising expectations around corporate governance and ESG, legal teams are expected to anticipate change rather than simply react to it.
At Niubiz, I have led a legal function that is deeply embedded in the company’s innovation and growth strategy. This involves engaging early in the design of digital products, collaborating closely with compliance, cybersecurity and technology teams, and aligning our legal advice with business velocity. The role today requires not only legal expertise but also fluency in business enablement, risk management and stakeholder engagement.
Moreover, the role of counsel now extends beyond managing legal risk; it is about enabling sustainable decision-making in an increasingly complex environment. Whether navigating new regulatory frameworks for digital payments or responding to geopolitical uncertainties affecting supply chains and financial flows, in-house counsel must be both legally sound and business savvy.
Ultimately, my role has shifted towards legal leadership, where I influence corporate direction, cultivate resilience across teams and ensure the legal function drives value rather than merely protection.
How do you cultivate legal talent internally, and what skills do you see as most essential for the next generation of in-house lawyers?
Cultivating legal talent internally begins with creating a culture where lawyers are not only legal experts but also strategic contributors to the business. This involves building more than legal expertise; it is about shaping professionals who think strategically, understand the business, and contribute to sustainable growth. At Niubiz, we have worked to embed this mindset across our legal team, positioning them not just as legal advisors but as proactive business partners.
Over the past year, I have invested time mentoring my team and reinforcing a culture of continuous learning. I encourage them to stay curious, challenge assumptions and engage early in cross-functional initiatives. In fact, by involving legal professionals in projects with areas such as product, finance and technology, we have enhanced their commercial awareness and improved collaboration across the company.
We have also redefined roles internally, empowering team members to take ownership of legal support in key operations, manage external counsel relationships and communicate effectively with senior leadership. This shift has helped strengthen accountability and the visibility of the legal function.
In a context of regulatory volatility and rapid technological evolution, the skills required of in-house lawyers are changing. Beyond legal knowledge, strong communication, adaptability and influence are essential. Lawyers must simplify complex issues, guide decision-making in uncertain environments and advocate effectively for sound, risk-informed outcomes.
Digital literacy is now a core requirement. At Niubiz, where technology is central to our strategy, we have prioritised training in areas such as data governance, automation and GenAI, ensuring the legal team can understand, anticipate and support innovation.
Integrity and sound judgement, however, remain non-negotiable. The legal function must lead with ethics, especially in moments of reputational or regulatory risk.
Ultimately, my goal is to develop a legal team that is resilient, agile and deeply aligned with the business – a team ready to shape the future, not just respond to it.
General counsel | Niubiz
General counsel | Niubiz
