Central America Teams 2019
Supported by the Association of Corporate Counsel
Can you briefly explain how the legal team is structured, highlighting key individuals and their role within the department? Our legal department is structured to render strategic and business legal...
Can you briefly explain how the legal team is structured, highlighting key individuals and their role within the department? The head of the legal department is David Estuardo Portilla Rivera...
Can you briefly explain how the legal team is structured, highlighting key individuals within the department? The legal team is structured into five areas: The legal directorate – which is...
Can you briefly explain how the legal team is structured, highlighting key individuals and their role within the department? Orlando Zuniga, Legal assistant manager, giving the strategy, the coordination, and...
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What are the most significant cases and/or transactions that your legal team has been involved with in the last two years? In 2019 the legal team supported Banistmo’s issuance of...
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Can you briefly explain how the legal team is structured, highlighting key individuals and their role within the department? Ivannia Montero is business partner for crop science, seeds and environmental...
BAT’s legal team is a highly experienced group of attorneys with a long track record in the region. The team is headed by Fernando Robles, who has a demonstrated history...
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Can you briefly explain how the legal team is structured? We work as one team under a regional service delivery model in which we have commercial lawyers who work and...
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Can you briefly explain how the legal team is structured, highlighting key individuals and their role within the department? Citi’s Central America (CA) legal team is structured with general counsels...
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Can you briefly explain how the legal team is structured, highlighting key individuals and their role within the department? The legal team is structured in two divisions formed by three...
Can you briefly explain how the legal team is structured, highlighting key individuals and their role within the department? Legal manager, Maricel Álvarez Chavarría, is a key leader since he...
Can you briefly explain how the legal team is structured, highlighting key individuals and their role within the department? We are divided by the functions we are providing support to...
Can you briefly explain how the legal team is structured, highlighting key individuals and their role within the department? We are a ‘hands-on department’, focused on providing direct practical answers...
Can you briefly explain how the legal team is structured, highlighting key individuals and their role within the department? We provide legal support and guidance to the business aligned with...
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Can you briefly explain how the legal team is structured, highlighting key individuals and their role within the department? The legal department that supports DHL Express Central America and Dominican...
Can you briefly explain how the legal team is structured, highlighting key individuals and their role within the department? Aside from general counsel Central America and the Caribbean Zamira Zapata...
Can you briefly explain how the legal team is structured, highlighting key individuals and their role within the department? Eli Lilly Latin America is divided into five affiliates: Mexico; Brazil,...
Can you briefly explain how the legal team is structured, highlighting key individuals and their role within the department? The legal department is structured with a general counsel, a group...
Can you briefly explain how the legal team is structured, highlighting key individuals and their role within the department? The FIFCO legal department for our Central American operations consists of...
Can you briefly explain how the legal team is structured, highlighting key individuals and their role within the department? The legal team in Central America and the Caribbean is very...
Can you briefly explain how the legal team is structured, highlighting key individuals and their role within the department? Our legal team consists of three lawyers, a compliance officer and...
Can you briefly explain how the legal team is structured, highlighting key individuals and their role within the department? The legal department of consumer healthcare at the Latin American northern...
Can you briefly explain how the legal team is structured, highlighting key individuals and their role within the department? The senior manager and six equally-ranked young lawyers of the team...
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The Intel legal team is distinguished by its highly experienced attorneys. The team is characterised by having a strong, deep and detailed knowledge of different and specialised practice areas which...
Can you briefly explain how the legal team is structured, highlighting key individuals and their role within the department? The legal and compliance department in Central America and the Caribbean...
Can you briefly explain how the legal team is structured, highlighting key individuals and their role within the department? We are currently in a divestiture process and we are only...
Can you briefly explain how the legal team is structured, highlighting key individuals and their role within the department? Mastercard’s Law, Franchise and Integrity (LFI) team is structured in four...
Can you briefly explain how the legal team is structured, highlighting key individuals and their role within the department? Melania Calzada and myself are responsible for dealing with all legal...
What are the most significant cases and/or transactions that your legal team has been involved with in the last two years? We have worked on a number of significant cases...
Can you briefly explain how the legal team is structured, highlighting key individuals and their role within the department? The legal team senior team is composed with legal regional counsel,...
What are the most significant cases and/or transactions that your legal team has been involved with in the last two years? Our company’s legal team was invited to join the...
Can you briefly explain how the legal team is structured, highlighting key individuals and their role within the department? The legal team of the vice presidency of legal affairs of...
Can you briefly explain how the legal team is structured, highlighting key individuals and their role within the department? The legal team is structured in predetermined roles, in which each...
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What are the most significant cases and/or transactions that your legal team has been involved with in the last two years? In 2017 SUEZ were awarded a contract with the...
Can you briefly explain how the legal team is structured, highlighting key individuals and their role within the department? The legal team of Scotiabank Dominican Republic is structured as follows:...
Can you briefly explain how the legal team is structured, highlighting key individuals and their role within the department? Our team is small but our culture is characterised by doing...
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Can you briefly explain how the legal team is structured, highlighting key individuals and their role within the department? As a mega region, there is a division by sub regions...
Can you briefly explain how the legal team is structured, highlighting key individuals and their role within the department? Our department is structured under three areas that report to Walmart...
Since first being published as The Corporate Counsel 100, The Legal 500’s GC Powerlist series has grown exponentially since its beginnings in 2013. It started by covering four of the world’s most established legal markets, and whilst the core objective of the publication – highlighting the most capable, outstanding and innovative in-house counsel in a jurisdiction – has remained the same, the reach and scope of the GC Powerlist has since become almost unrecognisable. Now present in a vast array of jurisdictions and with a portfolio of 70 unique editions, the GC Powerlist series has gone from strength to strength and has firmly been established as the “go-to” title that assesses and features leading corporate counsel across the globe.
Not content to rest on our laurels, we at The Legal 500 are evolving the GC Powerlist series even further, deepening our commitment to ensuring not only the widest geographical coverage, but to highlight and explore issues and challenges at the forefront of the minds of leading in-house lawyers. Therefore, this and future editions of the GC Powerlist will have a very different look to their predecessors. Instead of profiling individual counsel or in-house legal teams, more incisive insights from in-house thought leaders on the topics of the day will be featured throughout our new look GC Powerlist publications.
This new look entails the publication of Q&A transcripts regarding legal and business challenges, comment pieces on specific industry or regulatory affairs, more detailed analysis as to where the market is heading and content related to soft-skills, work ethic and business relationships that general counsel utilise. This new format will not only provide more thought leadership and insight, but provide more clarity on what is driving legal business forward in each market that we cover.
This brings me to Central America. The Legal 500 has covered the Central American in-house legal market since 2016, which has allowed us to become familiar with the deep pool of in-house legal talent that exists across various industries and levels of seniority within the country. Whether it’s facilitating key company projects, adopting the latest technology to drive efficiencies or adjusting to new laws and regulations, the region is brimming with in-house lawyers and teams who seamlessly adapt with the latest international business developments.
It was our pleasure to speak to and extensively interview counsel based in the region spanning Fortune Global 500 companies, domestic business titans and organisations at the cutting edge of technology and the future of work, each with their own priorities and challenges. I would like to thank our sponsor Arias for supporting this publication. I’d also like to thank our extensive network of law firm partners and in-house counsel in the region whose opinions we canvassed during the course of the research phase. Of course, your feedback is valuable and welcomed, so if there are any comments or suggestions please feel free to get in touch with these.
Last but not least, I would like to congratulate all those featured in this year’s list. Their selection means they have been identified as legal teams who are amongst the standard bearers of the in-house legal profession, and as specialists who confront and manage commercial and legal challenges in a way that marks them as market leaders. They are not only talented legal teams, but instrumental partners to and crucial components of their respective organisations, demonstrably helping them drive success and move business forward.
Rejoice! Congratulations on being named a leader amongst leaders. General counsels (GCs) have been blazing new trails in the legal marketplace for years and it is a testament to your leadership to be named in the GC Powerlist. We praise your extraordinary work and invaluable responsibility to propel the legal profession and we likewise, want to praise your accomplishments. It is a delight for Arias to have the privilege to sponsor this activity that perceives a remarkable gathering of individuals.
Grander Purpose. It is our pleasure to distinguish each and every single one of you because it is your diligent and outstanding work that provides prosperity for your stakeholders and development to the region. This is not a simple job; the role of a general counsel (GC) has developed substantively over the last decade due to increasingly complex regulation, technological advancements and globalisation. We acknowledge that all of you now bring more to the table than just your legal expertise and act as strategic legal and business advisers to the chief executive and executive leadership teams. All of you represent the greatness that arises from individuals operating together for a grander purpose; we appreciate all of you and hope that we can continue to work side by side for the years to come.
The GC Powerlist and Arias, Across Borders. Arias and The Legal 500 GC Powerlist members have had a long relationship. As the first Central American law firm with presence in Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama, Arias has being adding value to clients with a regional operation since 1998. Arias has grown and excelled just like your companies in the region, our success goes hand in hand; we thank you for your trust.
We are your strategic partners. We relate and feel close to the vision and aspirations of your companies and your teams. We also relate with your teams because we know how hard you work every day, as we are usually your companions in the journey, for seeking better and more efficient and innovative solutions for your legal matters, but also giving you advice every step of the road.
Cheers! We have said this on multiple occasions however we can’t pass up on this chance to express it once more: we feel fortunate to have the chance to work with you, and we trust that you keep on surpassing in your work and life, and that we continue on this path as growth partners.
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.’
