Keeping it Legal

What are the main activities of Rio Tinto's headquarters Legal Department?

What we do is chiefly transactional, which means assisting Rio Tinto to buy and sell assets, to draw up agreements and contracts, often for exploration activities such as access to land and joint ventures, and to ensure the Group's interests are protected and enhanced.

What has changed in the recent past?

The Legal Department has taken on the additional responsibilities in areas such as corporate governance, compliance with regulation, and corporate social responsibility. The new emphasis on this aspect of our business has sprung from public concern in the aftermath of the corporate failures of such companies as Enron and WorldCom. Even though these occurred in America, regulation has tightened in our main jurisdictions. Now we must comply with a raft of new requirements as well as making sure we are being seen to comply with them.

What are the jurisdictions Rio Tinto has to comply with - is there duplication?

By virtue of our stock market listings, Australia, the UK and the US are our principal jurisdictions in which we need to ensure compliance. The fact that regulations in one jurisdiction overlap with those of another doesn't generally cause any problem, as we strive to comply with the most stringent rules wherever we operate. In relation to individual operations outside Australia, the UK and the US, we have to comply with the laws of a multitude of jurisdictions and that can pose challenges, but we work with local lawyers to ensure we comply with their local regulations.