Event information
Venue: JW Marriott Hotel Bogota, Calle 73 Nr 8-60, Bogota
Overview
The Colombian business sector demands greater participation of the industry in the international arena.
Local companies seek to prepare themselves to strengthen their internal legal departments and respond quickly to the business opportunities offered by many countries around the world.
Issues such as, effective compliance programs, international compliance strategies, such as following the recommendations of international entities such as the OFAC (Office of Foreign Assets Control) of the United States among others are part of the issues that will be addressed by legal experts in four discussion panels. Thee panels are specifically designed to allow the audience to learn how to face the challenges and opportunities presented by the corporate business sector with the best legal strategies designed by experts of the most successful companies in the country.
The Legal 500’s GC Summit Colombia invites the best in-house counsels and the GCs from Colombia’s most prominent companies to discuss their changing roles as in-house leaders and the challenges, issues and opportunities they are facing. Between comprehensive panel discussions and the opportunity to meet and engage with fellow in-house counsel, GC Summit Colombia promises to be a practical and forward-looking event, bringing together the country’s top legal minds.
Agenda
| GC Summit Colombia 2021 | |
|---|---|
| 8.30am | Registration and breakfast |
| 9.00am | Opening remarks |
| 9.10am | New challenges in dispute resolution in Colombia
This panel will consider the impact of the internationalization of arbitration and litigation upon Colombian companies. The business sector urgently requires the implementation of best practices that will allow companies to ensure they are protected when litigation (and/or arbitration) arises. What then, are the most important preventive strategies for dispute resolution matters today?
Panellists |
| 9.55am | International Compliance Programs: What factors should be considered by your legal department to have an effective compliance strategy and avoid penalties?
The United States remains one of Colombia’s most important business partners. As Colombian companies continue to seek investment, export their products, acquire or merge their companies and form alliances with their counterparts in North America, this panel will examine the growing role of the US Treasury’s the Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”). What are the most important factors that legal advisors and internal attorneys should consider in order for their compliance programs to be aligned with OFAC requirements and how does this legislation differ from domestic regulatory/compliance requirements?
Panellists |
| 10.40am | Coffee break |
| 11.00am | Antitrust and unfair competition: risks and opportunities for companies operating in Colombia
Since 2010, Colombian laws protecting the domestic markets against unfair competition have been applied across the board to all private and foreign companies operating in the country. These companies seek to prepare to face the risks that arise in terms of competitiveness. These experts in international markets will discuss the new legal frameworks that apply to unfair competition and the influence that these legal structures have on the digital era. Panellists will give their professional opinion on the response mechanisms created to safeguard the free market and explore how legal counsel, In-house lawyers and general counsel can adopt these new controls successfully and how they can blend disruptive technologies into their work more effectively to protect their company’s interests.
Panellists |
| 11.50am | Beyond IT experts: What is the role of the in-house counsel in the preparation and response to a cybersecurity incident?
Cyber-risk is now regarded as a “top-3” threat to business organizations and government institutions alike. As the uptake of technology grows exponentially, so does exposure to cyber risks, and recent years have seen the incidence of cyber-attacks. While enterprises are arguably becoming better prepared to face a cybersecurity incident from an IT perspective, can the same be said of the legal side? This panel will discuss the potential consequences (legal, reputational, etc.) that can arise from a cybersecurity incident and the role that in-house counsel should play in both preventative policy design and implementation as well as post-incident response, among others.
Panellists |
| 12.40pm | Closing remarks |
| 1.00pm | Networking lunch with drinks, canapes and live entertainment |
| 3.00pm | Event concludes |
Speakers
Enrique Alvarez Posada, Partner, Lioreda Camacho & Co
Enrique has been a partner at Lloreda Camacho and Co since 2001. He is the Director of the Competition Law, Consumer Protection, and Labor and Migration Affairs Law Departments. Enrique co-directs the Corporate Law Department. He has more than 20 years of experience in corporate law, competition, foreign investment, labour law, mergers and acquisitions, privatizations, joint ventures, y regulatory affairs. He has represented local and international companies in abuse of dominant position and complex dispute resolutions involving unfair and monopolistic competition before the Superintendence of Industry and Commerce. Enrique has a law degree from the Universidad de Los Andes and a graduate degree in Labor Law from the Universidad Bolivariana. He was awarded a scholarship in active labour policies from the International Labour Organization (ILO – United Nations) in Geneva, Switzerland.
Juan Carlos Valencia, Partner, Holland & Knight
Juan Carlos Valencia Marquez is a partner in the Bogotá office of Holland & Knight. Juan Carlos has practised for more than 20 years with an emphasis in tax law, tax controversies, litigation, corporate structuring issues, compliance and global contracts. He has successfully defended clients against several assessments by DIAN and various Colombian municipalities in the $10-100 million range. Juan Carlos has successfully challenged cases before the Consejo de Estado for some decrees relative to tax matters as well as some official tax opinions. He is an active participant in the legislative and rule-making process in Colombia concerning tax issues. Juan Carlos served as general counsel for Arcos Dorados (McDonald’s master franchisee for Latin America), corporate tax director for Coca-Cola Femsa S.A. de C.V. and Panamerican Beverages, Inc. (Coca-Cola Company anchor bottler for Latin America). Among his other responsibilities in these positions was a focus on structuring investments in Colombia and other Latin American jurisdictions, including issues related to transfer pricing.
Juan Pablo Restrepo Echavarría, Chief Counsel, Andean, Pacific and Central American Markets, Modelez International
Marcela Blanco, Partner, Diaz Reus
Marcela Blanco is an international attorney, licensed to practice in both the U.S. and Colombia, Marcela Cristina Blanco is knowledgeable and experienced in international business transactions and cross-border disputes. Ms Blanco counsels corporate clients in governance, entity formation, and relevant local and international jurisdictional regulations and heads the Diaz Reus Bogotá office. She is also a skilled adviser and negotiator in international contract disputes and represents Diaz Reus clients in foreign and domestic litigation and arbitration in Colombia and the U.S.
For the past three years, she has co-authored the chapter on Business Crime in Colombia for The International Comparative Legal Guide to Business Crime; published by Global Legal Group Ltd, London.
Sergio Michelsen Jaramillo, Partner, Brigard Urrutia
Member of Brigard Urrutia since 1992 and partner since 1994. With more than 30 years of experience. Sergio Michelsen advises leading local and foreign companies and private equity funds in complex corporate transactions as well as telecommunications, media and technology matters. He also advises prominent families in connection with their private wealth. He has been recognized internationally as one of Colombia’s leading M&A and TMT practitioners. Among his most prominent transactions is the advice for SABMiller in the acquisition through a merger of Bavaria SA, the second largest brewer in South America for US$7.8 billion, advising Millicom International in its merger with UNE-EPM (valued at US$4,348 billion) and acting for the French retailer Casino in the sale of a controlling stake in GPA in Brazil and Libertad in Argentina (US$ 1.8 billion).
Mr. Michelsen received his JD from the Andes University and holds a Master’s degree in Commercial Law from University of Paris II, France. He also did an intensive course in Project Finance at the Euromoney Institute in New York and several negotiation and management courses at Harvard University. He has also been a professor and frequent lecturer in the national and international realm.
Alberto Zuleta, Partner, Holland & Knight
Alberto Zuleta is a partner is the Bogotá office of Holland & Knight and leader of the local dispute resolution practice. He focuses on domestic and international arbitration and litigation, as well as competition and antitrust matters. Mr. Zuleta has more than two decades of dispute resolution experience, including proceedings before Colombian courts at all levels. His extensive record of accomplishment in arbitration includes domestic and cross-border proceedings under the rules of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), International Centre for Dispute Resolution (ICDR) and the different arbitration centres in Colombia. In addition, Mr. Zuleta handles antitrust investigations and litigation proceedings before the Superintendence of Industry and Commerce (SIC), matters regarding unfair trade practices and premerger reviews. Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Mr. Zuleta served as the head of a major Colombian firm’s litigation and arbitration department. Mr. Zuleta received his law degree from Universidad de los Andes and has a Master in Laws from Harvard Law School.
Catalina Robledo, General Counsel, Distribuidora Nissan – Grupo Vardí
Catalina Robledo is a corporate Lawyer (LLM – Master of Laws) with knowledge of the private and public sector. Extensive experience as General Counsel of economic groups, handling Corporate Governance, Compliance and Habeas Data; negotiation, preparation and revision of national and international agreements, and M&A operations. Catalina has in-depth knowledge of consumer regulation, anti-trust, intellectual property and corporations and high skills in planning, negotiation and execution of interdisciplinary projects. Speaker in the Chamber of Commerce and CESA University on Corporate Governance issues and she is a member of the Women Corporate Directors association. Catalina has been recognized by The Legal 500, as one of the most influential and innovative General Counsels and in-house legal teams in the country. Also, she has acted as a General Secretary in several boards for over ten years.
Elizabeth Hincapié, LL.M. Senior Legal Counsel, LEICA
Elizabeth Hincapié is a lawyer admitted to the bar in three jurisdictions, namely: Germany, Spain and Colombia. Currently, she is the senior legal counsel for the Leica Camera Group. The group is an internationally operating, premium-segment manufacturer of high-end cameras and lenses as well as of sport optics products. Elizabeth looks after all distribution, competition and anti-trust matters within the Leica Group. She represents the group for the settlement of disputes, in particular, related to the selective distribution system and associated with Leica TM. Elizabeth has vast experience in brand and intellectual property protection, in particular about their enforcement in front of European courts. Elizabeth tasks also include the legal assessment of commercial risks associated with export control regulations and the impact of sanctions on existing business relations. Elizabeth is also a thriving legal tech within legal departments by implementing document management systems, service desks, etc. while ensuring compliance with data protection regulations, in particular during arbitration proceedings. Her truly international background and work experiences, as well as her language skills, allows her to give comprehensive legal support and led to her inclusion in the GC Powerlist Germany in 2019.
Germán Bacca Medina, General Counsel – Middle Americas, Unilever
Germán is a law graduate from Externado de Colombia University; he has a postgraduate degree in Financial and Capital Markets law from the same University. He holds an LLM in Communications and Competition Law from Queen Mary & Westfield College, London and a postgraduate degree in Economic Analysis on Antitrust from King´s College, London. He worked as a senior associate for Antitrust and Consumer Protection at Phillipi Prietocarrizosa Ferrero DU & Uría in Bogotá. In the public sector he served as an advisor to the Superintendent of Industry and Commerce; Deputy Superintendent for Competition; Deputy Superintendent for Data Privacy and Commissioner of the Communications Regulation Commission. Currently, he works as General Counsel of Middle Americas at Unilever.
As academic he is a lecturer of Competition Law, Communications Law and Data Privacy at Externado, Javeriana, Andes and Sabana Universities.
Hector A. Garcia Corredor, Head of Legal & Compliance Country Group Andean, Bayer S.A.
Hector Garcia Corredor is a lawyer graduated from Universidad Catolica Andres Bello in Caracas, Venezuela with a Master in International Business from Universidad Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona, Spain. Hector worked in the Venezuelan law firm Lega (formerly Hoet Pelaez Castillo & Duque) for almost seven years and had the opportunity to work in the Florida-based law firm Greenberg Traurig as a foreign associate in 2008. In 2009 he joined the Venezuelan pharma company Laboratorios Vargas to set up its legal department as Legal Manager. In 2011, Hector joined Bayer in Venezuela to also set up its legal and compliance department as Head of Legal & Compliance. In 2015, Hector moved to Bogota, Colombia to be the Head of Legal and Compliance for the Andean Region (Colombia, Venezuela, Peru and Ecuador), a position held by Hector until January 2020. Currently, he is the “Project Lead of the Legal Express LATAM”, from which most of the Compliance issues will get handled, and all the compliance investigations will be performing for LATAM.
Leandro Alarcon, Compliance Director, Grupo Sura
Leandro Alarcon is a graduate lawyer at the University of Antioquia. He is a specialist in Financial and Stock Market Law of the Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana, currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Law at the same University. In his ten years of professional career, Leandro has worked in the Legal, Risk and Compliance areas of Bancolombia and Proteccion S.A. and currently hold the position of Director of Compliance at Grupo Sura.
Paola Ximena Molina, In-house Legal Director/Corporate Compliance, Almacenes Flamingo S.A.
Paola Ximena is a lawyer from EAFIT University (Medellín, Colombia 2008), with Master`s Degree in International Law from Instituto Superior de Derecho y Economía – ISDE (Madrid, Spain 2009), and Master`s Degree in Corporate Compliance from EIS-Economist & Jurist Innovative School (Madrid, Spain 2019). With over ten years of experience acting as Legal Counsel in companies from the real sector, Paola has extensive knowledge in commercial, corporate, and consumer law. She has advised such industries in the implementation of financing schemes, as well as risk management systems related to money laundry, protection personal data, code of ethics, among others.
Sebastián Ocampo Valencia, Head of Legal and Compliance Innovation and Digital Transformation, Grupo Bancolombia
Sebastián Ocampo Valencia is a lawyer and political scientist with experience in public bidding processes, private negotiation and the financing of infrastructure projects in the road, urban transportation, port, airport and energy sectors. He has interdisciplinary understanding of the relevant economic and financial contexts of corporate transactions. Recent experience includes: investment banking, debt and equity capital markets, derivatives, financial regulation, fintech and legal innovation. He leads Grupo Bancolombia’s legal and compliance department, transformation and counsels the bank’s innovation initiatives.
In association with...
Diaz Reus International Law Firm & Alliance operates on five continents, across offices in key business centers, offering a global practice centered around national and transnational parallel proceedings and transactions in the following broad areas, with Board Certified lawyers in International Litigation and Arbitration, International Law, and Immigration & Nationality Law: sovereign immunity, trade, commerce, finance; fraud, civil litigation, and arbitration; asset identification, location, tracing and recovery; crypto currency; white collar crime, regulatory and criminal investigations, and defense in matters of corruption, bribery, anti-money laundering, OFAC, CAATSA, Specially Designated Nationals, the Magnitsky Act, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, the Bank Secrecy Act, and politically sensitive investigations including the recovery of US immigration status and visas. The firm is headquartered in Miami, Florida.
Founded in 1934 and with over 85 years of experience, Brigard Urrutia is recognised as a leading law firm in Colombia and one of the most prestigious in Latin America.The firm’s size gives it the ability to offer an unparalleled range of first-class legal services and bespoke solutions to its global client base which includes leading domestic and foreign financial institutions, multinational corporations, private equity/venture capital funds, state-owned enterprises, governments and multilateral agencies. The firm frequently advises on complex cross-border matters, and its attorneys have been involved in many of Colombia’s groundbreaking landmark transactions. The firm is committed to its clients and seeks to provide them with comprehensive and expert advice.
The firm provides clients with a privileged access to top tier law firms in most countries through global networks. These networks allow Brigard Urrutia to be at the forefront of best practices and global trends in the field of legal service provision, taking advantage of the experience of colleagues in other jurisdictions
Holland & Knight is a global law firm with more than 1,300 lawyers and other professionals in 28 offices in the US, England, Colombia and Mexico. In Colombia, HK has a team of lawyers specialized in corporate law, commercial law, mergers and acquisitions, energy, oil and gas, mining, environmental law, public-private partnerships, regulatory, financing, financial services, taxation, customs, labor law, litigation and arbitration. Our Bogota partners have more than 35 years of experience in their respective fields and have handled different types of transactions. Currently, we are considered as one of the leading and most rapidly expanding firms in the Colombian market with some of our best practices in financial, banking, project finance, taxes, M&A, commercial, corporate, energy, regulatory, natural resources, environmental and infrastructure.
Lloreda Camacho & Co, with an experience of over 75 years, is widely recognised as a Colombian leading full-service law firm that provides integral legal services especially to multinational companies doing business in Colombia. Our firm places an emphasis on the preventative practice of law, helping our clients to achieve their goals by assessing their legal risks and building together innovative, effective and winning strategies. Lloreda Camacho & Co, is comprised of a strong team of 60+ lawyers, who are recognized for their specialized expertise, business-oriented and value-added advice, full commitment geared towards our clients’ needs and highest ethical standards. Our areas of practice include, among others, corporate law, commercial law, M&A, contracts, public procurement, tax law, competition law, labor and immigration law, fintech, foreign investment and exchange control law, banking and finance, mining law, telecommunications, customs and foreign trade, transportation law, environmental law, insurance law, civil law, real estate, health and sanitary law, litigation and arbitration, intellectual property, data protection and consumer law.
QIL+4 Abogados, one of the largest law firms in Guatemala, is a top-tier full-service professional team, coordinating legal services and providing tailored made solutions across Central America. Our firm’s capabilities go above and beyond providing the best in class legal service. We believe in leaving a sustainable positive impact with the work we do, in our people, our customers and the communities around us. Our multi-disciplinary, diverse and experienced team assists clients across a wide range of practice areas, applying the highest standards. The firm’s clients, range from multinational companies, banks, financial institutions, state owned entities, local and international companies, who value our legal expertise and our customer centric approach. We are committed to providing high legal quality services and being the top choice for complex and comprehensive legal service in all our practice areas.
We are a multidisciplinary firm recognised for doing business in Central America and our purpose is to improve our clients’ lives and accelerate their success. We are the only firm in the region with the goal of helping clients sleep better at night. We make a difference by being experts in our clients’ business. Such focus is enabled by a team of internationally-trained professionals with sophisticated technical expertise, deep understanding of the region and a solid reputation in industry sectors. We deliver exceptional experiences based on a strong understanding of our clients’ business, dreams and challenges. At Batalla, the key to meeting client expectations is a commitment to seamless client service across disciplines and jurisdictions. The cornerstones of our work are passion, innovation and team impact. This allows us to serve our clients with excellence and in a personal, engaging and intimate way — guiding, counseling and being helpful. If you want peace of mind, Batalla is the firm best able to help you to achieve your goals in Central America.
Founded in 1991, Paz Horowitz Abogados delivers practical and cost-effective legal services. Whether a Multinational enterprise, an investment fund, a local start-up, or international NGO, the firm delivers the legal power and understanding needed to fulfill clients’ goals. For Paz Horowitz and its clients, this means, ‘doing well by doing it right’. The law firm focuses on quality rather than size to build its team, and when it comes to accepting new clients, it focuses on their business ethics and corporate responsibility. Paz Horowitz was the first law firm in Ecuador to sign the UN Women’s Empowerment Principles and to join the UN Global Compact. Also, was recommended in Ecuador for The Latin America Corporate Counsel Association in Compliance and Anti-Corruption. The firm and its lawyers are constantly recognised from the most important international legal guides.