Legal Management Forum highlights the new role of legal management in business sustainability

Peru hosted the first edition of the “Foro Gerencias Legales LATAM 2023“, a pioneering event in the region that analysed the transformation process of the legal areas in the business sector in recent years, especially in times of political and economic challenges. The event was organised on 23 February by Gericó Associates, the leading Legal Marketing, Communication and Business Development consultancy for the legal sector in Europe and Latin America.

The meeting brought together managers, heads and members of legal departments of companies in Latin America to exchange initiatives, knowledge, experiences and best practices.

“The Foro Gerencias Legales LATAM 2023 was born with the purpose of being an annual space to integrate legal departments in the region, as we believe that a change needs the unity of its actors, and helping to create this community can be a first step on this great road to transform our profession and the legal sector, this time starting from the legal departments”, said Wilfredo Murillo, partner at Gericó Associates.

During the event, Murillo also announced that next year’s Forum has already been confirmed and will be held on 7 March, in Bogotá, Colombia. He also announced the creation of the Latin American Association of Legal Managers, in order to be a reference for the exchange of knowledge and the most outstanding experiences in the legal area in the region.

Panelists and keynote speeches

The meeting was attended by prominent national and international panelists, who shared their experiences from the sectors they lead. One of the themes that were developed was “In the race: the paths of the legal manager“, where Gonzalo Quijandria, Corporate Affairs & Sustainability director of Minsur S.A., expressed that every company must conduct itself every day as if it were carrying out risk management. “It is necessary to analyse, evaluate and provide solutions, therefore, if you want to make the step from legal manager to director, you must first understand the decisions of the organisation and its purpose”.

The panellists also highlighted the role that lawyers are taking on today within companies, the scaling of organisations and what the profile and competencies of a legal manager should be when he takes on the role of CEO. The experiences and casuistry of those attending the forum were presented. Jairo Malaver, former deputy superintendent of the Colombian Superintendence of Industry and Commerce; Jeronimo Roveda, legal director of Biofix Consultoría; and Daniel Linares Avilez, founding partner of Linares Abogados, also participated in this segment.

Another of the topics developed was “Social Responsibility and Leadership: The Role of the Legal Manager“. During the presentation, the moderator Yuri Vega, partner of Muñiz, Olaya, Meléndez, Castro, Ono y Herrera Abogados, argued that it is not enough to have a strictly economic view of the business, but to recognise the profitability of the company and the value of human talent. “It is necessary to establish lasting relationships with those who have influence beyond philanthropy,” he remarked.

Angela Ruiz de Somocurcio, Legal and Compliance Manager at Marcobre, indicated that legal managers must be aligned with the purpose of the organisation as they are managers, strategists and active players in the Social Responsibility process. The panel also included Álvaro Loredo, general counsel Andean Region of 3M and Ana Ferrucci, legal counsel manager of COSAPI.

The panel “Legal operations and technological projects within legal management” was attended by Christiann A. Hudtwalcker, Vice President Legal, Regulatory and Public Affairs at Telefónica, who said that to achieve transformation in companies it is essential to have the commitment of people, and not just rely on processes. “It is essential to know the business, to be close, to be part of the decision-making process, and to provide the team with tools to build value”.

Patricia Kosa, Legal and Compliance manager at Gold Fields, said it is important to exercise leadership for innovation: “Time spent on transformation is not an expense, but an investment, so it is important to show results. We must take advantage of generational diversity in the teams to tackle transformation and innovation, through the digital skills of the youngest and the experience of those with more years in the company”.

This space also included Marco Herrera, lead partner for digital transformation at Abogado Digital, and Ezequiel Braun, founder and CEO of Brevity, as moderator.