Senior director legal and regulatory | Cable & Wireless Panamá
Legal and government affairs manager Central America and Dominican Republic | Avon
Legal, compliance and government relations manager NCA (Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras) | Samsung Electronics
Legal Manager | LATAM privacy and tech compliance champion | Kimberly-Clark
Senior legal manager, Head of legal and compliance officer RSS Americas Roche | Liberty Networks
Legal and risk manager | Securitas Costa Rica
Senior legal counsel LADMAR - Panama | Procter & Gamble
Corporate legal counsel | Holcim El Salvador
 Of Salvadoran Nationality, Bernice is a Lawyer with more than 22 years of working experience, her practices were initially focused on Administrative Law, Human Rights, Banking, Litigation, and Labor law....
Chief legal counsel and regulatory compliance affairs | DELSUR
She is a lawyer and public notary, bilingual and multicultural manager with extensive expertise in corporate, constitutional, and administrative law, energy regulation in national and regional markets, social responsibility, compliance,...
General counsel | Citi Costa Rica
Cristina joined Citi back in July 2001, currently she is the General Counsel in Costa Rica with oversight for legal affairs and corporate governance matters for the financial group as...
Regional general counsel Mexico and Central America | Enel Green Power
Legal, corporate affairs and wholesale business director | Movistar El Salvador
Chief of legal consultancy unit | Centro Financiero Davivienda
Head of legal affairs and compliance | Grupo EDECSA
Legal services manager | Grupo Cayalá
Legal director, legal-regulatory control and corporate secretary | Grupo Financiero Davivienda Costa Rica
Legal manager and compliance officer | Nicaragua Energy Services
Legal Director for Central America & The Caribbean | Asofarma (Adium Group)
Director of legal affairs Central America, Caribbean, Argentina and Uruguay | JCDecaux
Head of legal commercial operations Latam | Fresenius Medical Care Panamá
Senior director of legal advisory | Copa Airlines
Executive vice president, chief legal officer and corporate secretary | BLADEX (Banco Latinoamericano De Comercio Exterior)
Regional legal director TT and compliance officer, LATAM. | FOUNDEVER
General counsel and corporate governance officer | Banco Promerica GUATEMALA
Senior director, international and legal affairs | SBA Communications Corporation
Director legal, corporate governance and regulatory compliance | Banco Davivienda Salvadoreño
Vice president legal and compliance | Banco Agromercantil de Guatemala (Bam)
Legal and compliance director | Roche Pharma Caribbean, Central America & Venezuela (CCAV)
Senior legal and contracts manager | MRO Holdings El Salvador
Regional director of legal services and corporate secretary | Scotiabank
Legal and external affairs manager Guatemala and El Salvador | British Tabacco Company
Legal manager Centroamérica | Vitali Alimentos
Legal counsel | Premium Restaurants of America
Head of legal, corporate security, ethics and compliance | Walmart Centro America (Costa Rica, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras)
Executive vice president, general counsel and chief compliance officer | Integra Capital Group
Legal director and general counsel | LifeMiles & Avianca Loyalties
Manager, legal affairs and regional data protection officer LATAM | Foundever
Legal director, regulation and corporate affairs | Telecable
Legal Lead for North Latin America and BOPE | Hewlett Packard Enterprise
General counsel | Corporacion Multi-Inversiones (CMI)
Global legal counsel north america and Latam | Unilever Central America
Vice president regional, compliance and data protection officer, AMERICAS | DHL Global Forwarding, Americas
President and executive director | CASEM -Cámara de Sedes de Empresas Multinacionales
Legal director ACAC (Central America, Andean Region and The Caribbean) | Uber
It is a privilege to introduce this edition of the GC Powerlist: Central America 2025, recognising the region’s most forward-thinking and influential in-house legal professionals. These individuals have redefined what it means to be a corporate lawyer, proving that legal expertise alone is no longer sufficient in an environment shaped by technological disruption, shifting regulatory landscapes, and increasing business complexity. Their ability to balance legal risk with commercial strategy, foster innovation while ensuring compliance, and act as trusted advisors at the highest levels of decision-making makes them indispensable to their organisations.
One of the most pressing challenges facing corporate legal teams today is digital transformation. As businesses across Central America accelerate their adoption of technology, legal departments are at the forefront of navigating new risks associated with data privacy, cybersecurity, and automation. Striking the right balance between innovation and regulatory compliance has never been more critical, especially as governments across the region introduce stricter data protection laws and cross-border regulatory requirements continue to evolve​.
Another defining theme of this year’s research is the growing expectation for legal teams to spearhead environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives. As sustainability commitments and ethical business practices come under increased scrutiny from regulators, investors, and consumers, legal professionals are playing a central role in shaping corporate ESG strategies. This goes beyond regulatory compliance—many legal departments are actively influencing company policies to align with global sustainability goals and stakeholder expectations. Whether addressing environmental regulations, corporate governance structures, or social impact initiatives, in-house teams are proving to be instrumental in building responsible and resilient businesses​
Artificial intelligence is also reshaping legal work, presenting both opportunities and challenges. AI-powered tools are streamlining contract management, regulatory tracking, and compliance monitoring, freeing legal professionals from time-consuming administrative tasks. However, concerns remain about over-reliance on automation, particularly regarding data security and ethical considerations. Additionally, the increasing use of AI in legal operations is raising questions about how junior lawyers develop critical skills, as routine legal work traditionally used for training is increasingly automated. Striking a balance between efficiency and foundational learning will be essential to maintaining strong legal teams for the future.
Beyond these broad industry shifts, many legal leaders in Central America are embracing a more integrated role within their companies, moving beyond the traditional perception of legal teams as risk mitigators. Today, they are active participants in business strategy, helping companies navigate geopolitical uncertainty, market expansion, and evolving corporate structures. The ability to anticipate challenges and provide proactive, strategic guidance has become a defining characteristic of successful legal leaders in the region.
The professionals featured in this publication exemplify the adaptability, vision, and leadership that define excellence in the modern in-house legal function. Their contributions are shaping not only their organisations but also the broader business landscape of Central America. It is an honor to showcase their achievements and insights in this edition of the GC Powerlist.
Margherita Birri, Research Editor, Legal 500
The Legal 500 was proud to host the third edition of the GC Powerlist: Japan 2025 at the Capitol Hotel Tokyu, honouring the top General Counsel, Chief Legal Officers, Legal Directors, and senior in-house legal professionals operating at the highest level of Japan’s corporate legal landscape. Held in Tokyo, this year’s reception welcomed around 100 of the most respected and senior corporate counsel from across Japan. It was an unrivalled success, and cements Legal 500’s status as the leading force in legal media supporting the achievements of in-house counsel in Japan. The GC Powerlist: Japan 2025 marks the continuation of our commitment to recognising excellence in-house, and this year’s edition represents the most competitive and selective list to date.
Joe Boswell, lead editor of the GC powerlist publication at The Legal 500, opened the evening with an introduction that reflected on the growing prestige of the Japan list. He emphasised how the Powerlist has grown stronger each year, both in scope and quality, making the task of selection more difficult. This year’s honourees emerged from a deeply competitive field, making their recognition even more meaningful.
Boswell extended heartfelt congratulations to all honourees and acknowledged the critical support of key partners and sponsors who made the evening possible. Special thanks were given to Anderson Mori & Tomotsune, Morrison Foerster, iManage, JustLegal, and SS&C Intralinks for their generous sponsorship and ongoing collaboration.
In a moment of reflection, Joe paid tribute to Tim Mackey, chief legal officer at SoftBank, who sadly passed away unexpectedly earlier this year. Tim had contributed to the Powerlist in each of its three editions and was known not only for his exceptional legal acumen but also for his warmth and generosity.
The evening featured insightful remarks from distinguished speakers representing our partners and the broader legal community: Mischa Mulligan, Japan Director at SS&C Intralinks; Hiroki Kodate, Partner and Management Committee Member at Anderson Mori & Tomotsune; Jeremy White, Global Co-Chair of M&A for Morrison Foerster; and, representing those awarded in the Powerlist, Naoki Hamada, General Counsel for Japan at HSBC.
Each speaker provided reflections on legal innovation, leadership, and the evolving role of in-house counsel in Japan’s corporate landscape. Their remarks added valuable context to the achievements celebrated throughout the evening.
The formal awards segment celebrated this year’s GC Powerlist honourees. With assistance from long-time collaborator Isaac Uchiyama who read out awardees’ names, recipients were invited to collect their certificates, pose for photographs, and be formally recognised by their peers.
Certificates were presented on stage by Hiroki Kodate or Anderson Mori & Tomotsune and Jeremy White of Morrison Foerster, whose participation further underlined the deep support of the Japanese and international legal communities.
The GC Powerlist: Japan 2025 reception reaffirmed Legal 500’s commitment to spotlighting the very best of in-house legal talent. With record levels of interest and unmatched quality among candidates, the Japan edition continues to solidify its place as one of the most respected publications in the global GC Powerlist series.
We extend our sincere congratulations to all honourees and thank our partners, sponsors, and speakers for making the evening a success.
We look forward to returning to Tokyo again next year. As a parting gift, you can view Naoki Hamada’s excellent keynote address below, where he touches on a lot of issues and themes that many other GC, whatever country they operate in, will recognise:
‘Good evening, everyone. I am Naoki Hamada of HSBC. I am very pleased to be here speaking to you today. It is a great pleasure and honor, and at the same time, I feel a bit overwhelmed being surrounded by the busiest and most expensive lawyers in the industry—even if I know that nobody will be charging us for their time. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Legal 500 for organizing such a great event, and Anderson Mori & Tomotsune, Morrison Foerster, iManage, SS&C Intralinks, and Just Legal for sponsoring and supporting it. And, huge congratulations on the recognition each of you is receiving, which is truly a great accomplishment and the result of your hard work and the accumulated trust the entire industry has placed in you.
It must be emphasized that this award is given only to general counsels. Being a general counsel means a lot more than just being a subject matter expert. You are a most reliable strategic partner for the business, and I am sure that you have distinguished yourself from the crowd by your ability to identify underlying risks, devise legal solutions, ensure the right processes and governance for corporate decisions, influence others, and educate the next generation of lawyers. This is what you are being recognized for.
Looking back on my career, I have been hugely helped by lawyers in other companies through various industry communities. When I joined the in-house world 12 years ago from a Japanese law firm, large international banks were all struggling with a huge wave of regulatory reform. Back then, I was relatively new to that particular area of finance, and my hiring was somewhat potential-based. Nonetheless, I was assigned to lead the regulatory reform efforts locally. My predecessor had left the bank before I joined, there was no sufficient handover, and I was completely lost as to what to do. What helped me most were the industry peer group discussions, where in-house counsels from major banks would get together to discuss common issues. I learned so much from what was discussed there and absorbed as much as I could. Without that network, I am sure that I wouldn’t have survived that time.
However, our situation today is far more difficult. The changes in the landscape we face today are unprecedented. Technological developments and the corresponding shifts in geopolitical and industrial landscapes are completely unpredictable, and the speed at which they happen is far faster than before. We might face a time that requires us to pivot, forcing us to redefine how we add value and rebuild the way we work. That is somewhat intimidating. But, I am confident that a way forward will be found through the collective wisdom and effort of the people in this room. I would like to be a part of that, and this network of people is enormously valuable and truly priceless.
Finally, let’s have a drink and celebrate our achievements for now – before your CEO calls asking you to join a call! Thank you so much.’