About

The largest brewery in Peru, Unión de Cervecerías Peruanas Backus y Johnston (Backus) is part of the international SABMiller group and presides over a number of Peruvian beer and soft drink brands including Cusqueña, Pilsen Trujillo and Viva. In 2017, the company’s legal team had to assume several new roles due to important changes in the structure of the business. As a result, the team was reduced to three lawyers based in Peru, but nevertheless achieved very substantial savings in external legal services, spending US$5.7m in comparison to US$8.3m the year before. Legal manager Luis Carlos Adrianzén Rodríguez has worked on improving levels of engagement between the legal department and the company’s commercial and marketing teams, as well as in other departments where legal activities are unfamiliar. The legal team now has enhanced levels of direct communication with these teams, initiating involvement in their projects from the beginning. One of the most noteworthy transactions the team has worked on include the split out of Backus, which implied the creation of a management company and a trademarks and patents management company.