by Jan Dolalas and Bianca Gempesaw
Sparked by the broader Great Transformation (GT) journey, AEV Legal found its own rhythm for change. Often seen as the final checkpoint; they were able to redefine their purpose, from a guardian to a strategic enabler. The shift took more than tools, it required intentional leadership and a mindset reset.
“Legal is not just a gatekeeper of rules,” shared AEV Chief Legal & Compliance Officer Connie Chu. “We aim to be strategic partners to the business teams, finding solutions and guiding them through complex decisions with clarity and accountability.”
The journey began with an intentional mindset shift. With Federalization allowing Legal to step back from administrative, high-volume tasks and step forward into more strategic roles, the team started coming in to align contractual commitments with AEV’s portfolio manager role, advise on risk, and design governance fit for a future-ready federalized organization.
Simplifying without Sacrifice
Legal took a hard look at long-standing processes and asked: what’s essential, and what’s just tradition?
“We challenged ourselves to ask: what truly adds value in our forms, and what simply creates unnecessary friction? This reflection allowed us to simplify without compromising the quality and soundness of our legal review.” said Ria Alazas AVP for Special Projects and Data Privacy.
The results were specific and impactful: fewer signatories, less notarization, and streamlined Forms. Governance became faster, lighter, and more purposeful.
But simplification also came with trade-offs. Letting go of legacy processes meant learning to trust leaner frameworks and investing in upskilling the team to hold space for agility without losing rigor.
The Legal Team all smiles during their yearly Strategic Planning and Team Building.
Empowering every Voice
Culture was a big part of this shift; an excellent example is the rise of junior voices. Paralegals no longer wait quietly at the edges of meetings—they now help shape the conversations.
“In the past, the work often spoke for itself—but today, leadership requires us to speak up and shape the conversation,” said Mailene dela Torre, VP for Governance and Compliance. “GT gave our team permission to be more visible, more engaged, and more strategic in how we contribute.”
The Legal Team during AEV’s Tech Wanderland Christmas Party.
Thinking Ahead: Agility in Action
The team has become more agile – from anticipating issues to proactively shaping solutions, Legal has built a system that thrives on foresight. Tools like AI and Diligent helped accelerate work, but equally important were mindset shifts and stronger leadership alignment. “We’re not just solving problems as they come up anymore,” Connie added. “We try to anticipate problems—and design smarter ways to avoid them altogether.”
AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini now help summarize documents and compare legal frameworks across jurisdictions. They don’t replace legal expertise, but they offer a good head start.
One use case is Mrs. Clause, a custom GPT tool developed by Atty. Ria to review contracts for compliance with Aboitiz Standard Clauses. “AI dramatically accelerated my contract review process by instantly identifying relevant clauses, freeing up time for us to focus on higher-value activities. Beyond speed, it also enhanced accuracy — cross-validating my analysis with AI’s output allowed me to catch details that might have been overlooked. But we use AI with caution — the output is only as good as the prompts, questions, or instructions you give it.”, Atty. Ria shared.
Shaping the Future, One Decision at a Time
Atty. Connie Chu and Atty. Mailene Dela Torre of AEV Legal Team, along with Suiee Suarez of Aboitiz Power, and Bert Manabat of UnionBank receiving awards from the Golden Arrow Awards.
Legal’s transformation is far from done. Thematic planning now anchors each year, giving the team foresight, flexibility, and focus. As more SBUs step into federalized operations, Legal’s presence as a foresight-driven collaborative partner becomes essential.
“This is an exciting transformation journey,” said Connie. “We’re building a Legal Team that is proactive, responsive, and future-ready.”
And though the GT movement helped spark the shift, the momentum now belongs to Legal. They have made the leap from guardians to possibility makers, AEV Legal is moving forward. Just like the AEV Legal team, what old habits will you challenge? What new role will you step into?
