Team size: Nine

DIego Valiente is a Senior Corporate Lawyer at GRUPO ALKAN+, a Paraguayan business group with operations in fuels and petroleum derivatives, real estate development, fluvial logistics and agro-industry. He also has previous professional experience across the telecommunications, logistics, retail and media sectors through both in-house and private practice roles.

He leads the group’s corporate and patrimonial legal matters, advising shareholders and senior management on corporate governance, corporate reorganisations, financing structures, share transfers, M&A transactions and asset protection matters across multiple companies within the group.

His practice focuses on the legal structuring and coordination of trust arrangements, including patrimonial, payment source, shareholding and blind trust structures. He is involved from the early stages of operations, overseeing their legal implementation and coordinating with fiduciary entities, financial institutions, notaries and external advisers.

Over the past years, he has coordinated multi-company corporate and patrimonial operations involving financing transactions and assets valued in the millions of dollars, contributing to the legal structuring and protection of the group’s corporate and patrimonial operations.

His experience also includes the development of internal governance policies and legal frameworks related to patrimonial organisation, asset protection and internal corporate processes.

In an increasingly complex global environment, how are you helping your organization navigate risk while still supporting growth? 

I focus on building strong alignment between the legal team and the different business units, so that legal is seen as a strategic partner rather than a barrier. In practice, this means getting involved early in key projects, understanding the commercial objectives, and working closely with management to structure solutions that adequately mitigate risk without affecting the feasibility or timing of the business. This approach is particularly relevant in complex operations involving financing structures, trust arrangements, and real estate-backed guarantees, where legal structuring plays a key role in balancing risk exposure and business continuity. At the same time, coordinating across multiple companies within the group requires a consistent governance approach to ensure alignment in decision-making, risk management, and execution. Ultimately, the objective is to provide clear, practical legal guidance that enables the business to move forward with confidence while maintaining appropriate safeguards.

How has the role of General Counsel evolved in recent years, and where do you see GCs creating the most value today? 

The role of the General Counsel has clearly evolved from a reactive legal support function into a strategic position within the organisation. Today, the GC is expected to actively participate in decision-making processes, combining legal judgement with a solid understanding of the business and its risks. In multi-entity corporate structures, this role also involves ensuring consistency in governance, alignment of legal criteria, and effective risk management at a group level. Direct interaction with the board of directors and shareholders has also become increasingly relevant, not only from a compliance perspective but as part of the broader strategic decision-making process, where legal input helps assess scenarios, structure alternatives, and support execution. The greatest value is created when legal is fully integrated into strategy, not only by identifying risks, but by structuring solutions that allow the business to move forward with clarity and confidence, particularly in environments where coordination across different companies and business units is key.

How has your relationship with the board changed, and where do you add the most value at board level? 

My relationship with the board of directors and shareholders has progressively strengthened over time, as I have become more involved in key decision-making processes and consistently delivered practical and efficient solutions to complex business challenges. Today, my role goes beyond providing legal support. I actively contribute to discussions at a strategic level, particularly in matters related to structuring transactions, managing risk exposure, and ensuring alignment across different companies within the group. The greatest value I bring at board level lies in translating legal and regulatory considerations into clear, actionable guidance, helping decision-makers evaluate scenarios, structure alternatives, and move forward with confidence while maintaining appropriate safeguards, not only in relation to the transaction itself, but also prioritising the most efficient and aligned outcome for the group as a whole.