First, can you please give us an idea of the sort of work your team has done recently?

Mainly, our legal department manages contractual, judicial, corporate matters and credit lines for the company. Additionally, we coordinate with the legal departments of Abengoa in Latin America and Spain.

As an in-house lawyer, I participated in the coordination with external law firms in five arbitrations under the rules of the International Chamber of Commerce, including the Republic of Peru. Also, I participated in the financial restructuring of Abengoa Teyma Group, that involved a long-term financing for $45m with the investment fund Newfoundland Capital Management. Additionally, took part in the first-ever public-private partnership project in Uruguay. The project consisted of the development of an infrastructure of 50,000 m2, in the city of Montevideo, involving a $100m financing throughout local issuance of negotiable obligations and subordinated debt. Lastly, I was part of the team behind the wind farms Talas del Maciel II and the Palmatir project, which implied a total financing of approximately $300m.

What is a cause, business related or otherwise, that you care about, and why?

I am concerned about the context of global uncertainty that can make slow down investment in infrastructures, which is the area where the company operates. However, those contexts could be viewed by the company as a real opportunity in some cases.

What can law firms do to improve their service to the legal department?

The main virtue that external services should have, is knowing the company’s business, and its most urgent requirements. Please bear in mind that like any department within a company, the internal legal department is required to be efficient, so flexible rates should be handled in order guarantee a long-term relationship.