What are the most significant cases or transactions that your legal team has recently been involved in?

Our legal team plays a pivotal role in supporting the organisation, both at the corporate and business levels. On the corporate front, we have dedicated considerable effort to developing robust governance structures and policies, as well as implementing comprehensive compliance and risk management frameworks. These initiatives have been crucial in ensuring that our company operates with integrity and adheres to regulatory standards. On the business side, our involvement has been particularly significant with the technical teams working on hydrogen and biomethane projects.

For hydrogen, we successfully secured all necessary permits for the plant, a milestone that paved the way for the execution of a long-term gas purchase agreement. This achievement not only reflects our team’s expertise but also contributes to the strategic growth of the business. Regarding biomethane, we continue to collaborate closely with the teams on a wide range of matters, including licensing, contractual negotiations, land rights, feedstock sourcing, and offtake sales procedures. Our legal guidance ensures that every step, from securing land to finalising sales agreements, is managed efficiently and in compliance with applicable regulations. Additionally, we have provided ongoing support for several M&A projects in Portugal and Spain. Although these transactions are still in progress, our involvement demonstrates the legal team’s commitment to facilitating strategic business expansion and navigating complex cross-border legal requirements.

Overall, our legal team’s multifaceted support underscores our dedication to advancing the organisation’s objectives through proactive legal structuring, thorough compliance measures, and strategic partnership with business units.

What do you value most in external advisers working alongside your team: sector knowledge, responsiveness, innovation, or something else? 

While sector knowledge, responsiveness, and innovation are essential qualities we naturally expect from top-tier law firms, I place particular value on something that goes beyond these fundamentals. What truly distinguishes an outstanding external adviser, in my view, is their ability to become a genuine partner to the client. This means not only demonstrating deep expertise and delivering swift, creative solutions to complex issues, but also immersing themselves in the business, understanding its unique needs and perspective. When advisers approach challenges from within the organisation and deliver clear, practical guidance tailored to the whole team, their support becomes especially meaningful and impactful.

How has the role of the legal function evolved within your organisation over recent years, and where do you see it adding the most strategic value today? 

Over the last three years, I have seen the legal function at REGA evolve from a largely reactive support role into a strategic partner embedded in the business. While traditional responsibilities, such as contract management and compliance – remain core, the growing complexity of our activities, particularly in multi-jurisdictional projects and financing structures, has required legal to be involved much earlier in the decision-making process. Today, I contribute from the outset, helping to shape transactions and project structures rather than simply reviewing them. In parallel, I have focused on strengthening governance and compliance frameworks, as well as centralising legal processes and improving the management of external counsel.  I see the greatest strategic value in three areas: enabling business growth through robust deal structuring, anticipating and mitigating risks early, and reinforcing governance to support long-term sustainability and investor confidence. Overall, my role is to act as a trusted, commercially minded advisor, aligned with the company’s strategic objectives.

In what ways has technology or process innovation changed how your legal team operates? 

Technology and process innovation have had a meaningful impact on how I manage the legal function. A key focus has been the centralisation and structuring of legal processes, ensuring clearer workflows, better control of legal spend, and more efficient management of external counsel.  More recently, the adoption of AI tools has contributed to enhance productivity by supporting document drafting, summarisation, and knowledge management. This allows me to dedicate more time to higher-value, strategic work. Overall, these changes have enabled the legal function to operate more efficiently, with greater consistency and responsiveness to the needs of the business.