LLM Alumnus Manuel Fumagalli of Gold Mining Firm Barrick South America Talks About His Position as Regional Counsel

Assistant Director Lucy Daberkow recently had the opportunity to meet with Manuel Fumagalli, one of the Environmental and Naturals Resources Law & Policy Graduate Program's most distinguished alumni, while he was attending a Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation conference in Boulder, Colorado.

Mr. Fumagalli, who is originally from Peru, is the Regional Counsel for Barrick South America. He was named "Outstanding LLM Student of the Year" at the Sturm College of Law in 2002.

He shared his thoughts with Ms. Daberkow about his role at Barrick:

"I started working for Barrick in 2003 developing the Alto Chicama Lagunas Norte project in Peru, and later after the South America regional business unit was created, I was appointed as Regional Counsel back in 2007. The South America region (SARBU) consists today of the Pierina and Lagunas Norte gold mines in Peru; the Veladero gold mine in Argentina; the Zaldívar copper mine in Chile; the Cerro Casale project in Chile; and the Pascua-Lama project straddling the Argentina-Chile border.

"My role as SARBU Regional Counsel requires me to provide legal advice and support to the senior management for the accomplishment of our regional business goals, participating in the definition of strategic regional priorities and corresponding action plans aligned with Corporate mandates and applicable regulations. Thus, I keep a close contact with the Office of the General Counsel, as well as with the operations and projects, travelling to the sites periodically and working along with the country legal managers and counsels as a team.

"‘Responsible Mining’ defines how we do business; we have a responsibility to protect the environment, to conduct our business in a safe way and based on the highest ethical standards, and to contribute to the welfare of the communities and countries in which we operate. Thus, I really enjoy my work.”

Ms. Daberkow said, "It was truly a pleasure to have the opportunity to visit with Manuel. His professional accomplishments as an LLM in Environmental and Natural Resources Law graduate are truly remarkable. Enhorabuena, Manuel!"

(Pictured above are from left to right, Emma Daberkow, Lucy Daberkow, Amelie Daberkow, Viviana Rodriguez, Manuel Fumagalli.)

Katia Castillo Paredes, 2008 LLM Graduate and Senior Attorney for Barrick Gold in Peru, Speaks About Peruvian Environmental and Mining Law

Peruvian environmental and mining law was recently the topic in the "Comparative Environmental Law" course when students heard from Katia Castillo Paredes, una abogada senior (a senior lawyer) from Barrick Gold Corporation's Lima, Peru office.

Ms. Castillo, who spoke to the class (meeting in Denver) from her office in Lima via a speakerphone connection, described for the students her work as an in-house attorney for one of the world's most prominent gold mining companies.

It was a particular pleasure to "host" Ms. Castillo, a 2008 LLM graduate from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law, since she plays a key role in Barrick's legal department and consequently has a "front row seat" in terms of how Barrick operates in Peru as well as the challenges and opportunities the company faces.

As background, Barrick's headquarters is in Toronto, Canada. It has 26 mines and exploration and development projects across the globe. In 2009 the company's production was 38 percent in North America and 25 percent in South America. Its reserves were 40 percent in North America and 35 percent in South America.

At the outset of her remarks Ms. Castillo said, "Barrick is committed to sustainable economic development, environmental stewardship, and a culture of safety." She added that the company is committed internally to pursuing a theme of corporate social responsibility.

In Peru Barrick operates two mines, Lagunas Norte and Pierina, both of which are located north of Lima.

Ms. Castillo explained the life cycle of developing, building, and closing a mine and the important parts of each step in the process. She also described the Peruvian environmental regulatory scheme and the various governmental organizations that deal with mining regulation. Finally, she talked about the changes in mining that have come about in more recent years.

Of particular interest to the students were Ms. Castillo's comments about the need for mining companies to obtain "the social license to operate" in the communities where they work. "This refers to the acceptance of a project by the population that lives around the area," she said. "You can have all the permits required by the government, but if the local people do not want you there Barrick will not develop a project there." Therefore, to undertake a successful mining project, a company must meet all legal requirements as well as obtain the social license to operate.

Because of the wide diversity of backgrounds of students in the course -- Argentina, Japan, Nigeria, Peru, and the U.S. -- Ms. Castillo's remarks about her experience and expertise are likely to inform future projects across many parts of the world. I was especially happy about this since Ms. Castillo was one of the best students to ever have studied at the Sturm College of Law (as a matter of fact, she won a prestigious Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation Scholarship Award while she was studying in Denver), and it is a very great pleasure to see her contributing in such a major way to her company and indeed her home country.

And so from Denver I say felicitaciones a Katia y muchas gracias por tu ayuda (congratulations and many thanks for your help)! Ms. Castillo is an impressive role model for our students and inspires all of us to think about how the mining sector can be made more sustainable.

--Don Smith