Event Report

On 16 June, Legal 500 hosted its annual GC Summit: Chile at the Mandarin Oriental in Santiago, bringing together 100 leading in-house counsel and senior legal professionals for an afternoon of discussion on the evolving role of the general counsel in an increasingly dynamic regulatory and business environment.

Following guests’ arrival and an initial networking lunch, proceedings formally began with opening remarks delivered by Francisco Castro, research editor at Legal 500. In welcoming attendees, he underscored the importance of forums such as this in convening Chile’s in-house legal community, fostering knowledge-sharing and creating space for open discussion around shared challenges and opportunities.

The keynote address was delivered by Macarena Vargas Losada, vice president legal and general counsel at CODELCO, who explored the concept of “the illusion of legal certainty.” Drawing on Chile’s current political and regulatory landscape, she challenged the traditional assumption that legal frameworks inherently provide stability. Instead, she argued that legal certainty is continuously reshaped by institutional change, market pressures and evolving stakeholder expectations, highlighting the growing importance of adaptability, sound judgement and strong leadership within legal teams.

This theme carried into the first panel discussion, which examined the proposition that the legal function now carries a growth mandate. The panel brought together Juan Carlos Urquidi Herrera, general counsel Latin America at Teck Resources, Tatiana Munro Cabezas, general counsel EY Chile at EY, Macarena Vargas Losada of CODELCO, and Alejandro Arias Edwards, general counsel and head of corporate affairs at Siemens Chile. Speakers reflected on what it means to take responsibility for legal certainty at a time when that certainty is actively being renegotiated, emphasising the need for general counsel to act as strategic partners to the business, balancing risk with opportunity while responding to shifting regulatory priorities and evolving investment dynamics.

The following session focused on M&A disputes, in association with Cuatrecasas, and featured Cristián Conejero, managing partner at Cuatrecasas Chile, Michel Diban, partner, corporate and M&A at Cuatrecasas, Carolina Menichetti, partner, real estate M&A at Cuatrecasas, Juan Ignacio Langlois, partner at Tyndall Group, and Francisca Vásquez, legal director at Engie Chile. The panel examined both substantive and procedural lessons from recent cases, offering practical insights into how disputes are unfolding in the Chilean market. The discussion highlighted common areas of risk in transaction structuring, the importance of thorough due diligence, and the growing sophistication of dispute resolution strategies.

After a short coffee break, discussions resumed with a session on data protection and the forthcoming implementation of Chile’s Law 21,719. The panel included Jessica Matus, director of privacy and security at Magliona Abogados, Macarena López, head of legal for IT, privacy and cybersecurity at Falabella, Francisca González, head of legal and compliance at Porsche Volkswagen Servicios Financieros, José Jasinski, senior lawyer and data protection officer at Inchcape, and Alex Pessó Stoulman, legal and corporate affairs director at Microsoft Chile. With compliance now firmly on boardroom agendas, panellists shared how organisations are translating the new legal framework into practice, discussing governance structures, the appointment of data protection officers, vendor management and impact assessments, as well as the interaction with Chile’s cybersecurity obligations and the challenges that remain ahead of the December 2026 deadline.

The final panel of the afternoon, in association with vLex, part of Clio, focused on the general counsel as an efficiency architect. Speakers included Paola Barbosa, solutions engineer manager LATAM at vLex part of Clio, Andrés Jara, founder partner at Alster Legal, Ximena Santibáñez, general counsel at Walmart Chile, Pablo Vera, head of legal affairs for corporate affairs at Entel, and Luis Herrera, sales manager Chile at vLex part of Clio. The discussion explored the shift towards integrated digital ecosystems within legal departments and the role of technology, particularly AI, in driving efficiency and scalability. Panellists emphasised the risks associated with fragmented toolsets and the value of unified platforms that combine legal intelligence with operational workflows, highlighting how legal teams can expand their impact without increasing headcount.

Closing remarks brought together the key themes of the day, reinforcing the idea that the role of the general counsel in Chile is undergoing a significant transformation, shaped by regulatory change, technological advancement and heightened business expectations. The summit concluded with a drinks and canapés reception, providing attendees with a further opportunity to continue conversations and strengthen professional connections in a more informal setting.