An interview with Hector Salomon Galindo Alvorado, Group Legal Counsel – Region Americas at DNV in Mexico.
How would you describe the state of the GC Community in your region? How has it changed since you first moved in-house?
I believe that the Covid-19 pandemic fully revolutionised the legal in-house landscape. In Latam specifically, it was a definitive detonator for the use of digital solutions such as electronic signatures, videoconferences (even for trials), adopting corporate hybrid systems, etc, which brought the GC community closer in a more dynamic environment with some great gadgets and tools that helped us optimise time and bring a better work/life balance, but it’s also making us lose some of the old traditions and formalities, with basic examples such as wearing a tie to court. Not sure if it’s for the better or not, but surely different.
Why is expanding your network important to you? What kinds of connections or discussions would be most valuable to you?
I have been really lucky in being included in some forums and groups of in-house lawyers, which have become a great asset, not only to facilitate negotiations, discuss important developments, changes, foresee upcoming challenges or legal reforms, but also to facilitate a friendly environment where we can naturally align different solutions across specific sectors, where each one of us can not only learn the best practices, but ideally to be able to provide insights and share experiences for the benefit of the group. Any and all connections are valuable for this
What do you want to achieve by collaborating with other GCs and senior in-house lawyers? Are there specific topics, challenges, or experiences you’d like to share or learn more about?
We are definitely facing a very challenging international landscape. In a very interconnected global world, where any event has an impact on regional sectors, we find more and more factors, politics and restrictions in play, which are changing the “playbook” in an extremely nationalistic trend, which are bringing economies on the verge of recession. Because of this, it is very important to create a space where analysis and ideas can be shared across all industries not only to be updated on the legal implications, but also to align into the best solutions to adapt to these changes. Only by doing so, will we be able to provide the best possible legal advice to our internal clients.