Chile 2025
Supported by the Association of Corporate Counsel
Vice president, associate general counsel, head of Latin America | Everest Insurance Chile
VP Legal,Regulation and compliance officer | AFP Capital
 General counsel and external affairs officer | SMU
Legal and compliance manager | Celeo Redes
Director, Legal, Sustainability, and Corporate Affairs | Softys
Legal Director | Hanseatic Global Terminals Latin America
General Counsel for Latin America | Air Products Group
General counsel Chile and Latam | Sodexo
Head of legal division | ENAMI – Empresa Nacional de MinerÃa
Co-Director of Legal Department | CompañÃa General de Electricidad- CGE
Chief legal officer and chief compliance officer | Grupo Sencorp
 Director for Legal and Regulatory Affairs | ISA Interchile
General counsel, sustainability and corporate affairs | Sierra Gorda SCM
Lead legal counsel, Andean and South Cone Region | FedEx
General Counsel and Compliance Officer | Sociedad Austral de Electricidad - SAESA
Senior manager, international legal affairs | SBA
General counsel, Chile and lead counsel for Latin America | EY
Director of Corporate and Legal Affairs | Nestlé Chile
Legal and corporate affairs director | Empresas Hites
Director, Legal, Sustainability, and Regulatory Affairs | Statkraft Chile
Human Ressources and Legal Manager | IANSA
Legal, Compliance and Sustainability Manager | ESVAL y Aguas del Valle
On behalf of The Legal 500, I am delighted to introduce the GC Powerlist: Chile 2025.
This edition recognises the general counsel and in-house legal teams who play an important role in shaping Chile’s legal and business landscapes. Through our research, we met with professionals who not only provide professional advice but also influence strategies, drive transformation, and help businesses thrive.
Today’s general counsel are stepping well beyond traditional roles. In Chile, they are central to business planning, navigation of complex regulations, supporting digital transformation, and guiding organisations with commercial foresight. The GC Powerlist: Chile 2025 celebrates those who pair deep legal expertise with the vision and leadership to create a lasting impact.
Paola Cifuentes, General Counsel at Anglo American, shares her perspective:
‘Legal work goes far beyond contracts; it can be a lever for transformation and impact.’ She also emphasises strength and adaptability: ‘It’s not just about reacting to events; it’s about shaping resilient pathways.’ For her, this extends to her team: ‘We often talk about diversity as a goal, but I see it as a condition for good leadership.’
Her words reflect a wider shift across the region. As Macarena Vargas Losada, Legal Vice President and General Counsel at Codelco, explains:
‘Remarkable lawyers need to think out of the box and shift from confrontation to collaboration, built on transparency, trust, and shared vision.’ She adds: ‘Empowering people to lead and thrive is a strategic imperative; because when individuals flourish, so do the organisations they belong to.’
We are proud to present this year’s GC Powerlist: Chile, a celebration of legal professionals who are redefining the future of corporate law and connecting local insight with global impact.
On 26 March, Legal 500 partnered with Portuguese law firm PLMJ to bring its renewed sustainability‑focused conference series to Lisbon with the ESG Forum: Portugal 2026. The half‑day event gathered senior leaders from the legal, financial, energy and sustainability spheres for a concentrated programme hosted at PLMJ’s offices. Throughout the sessions, speakers explored the regulatory, governance and enforcement forces reshaping ESG strategy in Portugal, offering a clear cross‑sector perspective on how organisations are adapting to an increasingly complex and fast‑moving landscape.
The event opened with some welcome remarks from Legal 500 editor Francisco Castro, who emphasised the value of events that bring the in‑house community together to learn, exchange experiences and build meaningful professional networks. In his welcome address, he highlighted the growing complexity of ESG obligations across Europe and the increasing pressure on organisations to adopt integrated, business‑wide approaches to compliance, risk management and strategic planning. By underscoring the need for practical, grounded discussion rather than abstract theory, he set the tone for a programme designed to deliver actionable insight and foster collaboration among practitioners navigating a rapidly evolving ESG landscape.
Followed an opening brief delivered by PLMJ’s Managing Partner, Bruno Ferreira, who provided a concise yet comprehensive overview of the ESG priorities defining Portugal in 2026. He outlined the expanding influence of EU regulatory frameworks on corporate reporting, due diligence and governance, noting how these requirements are reshaping expectations around data quality, transparency and accountability. His remarks positioned ESG not as a peripheral concern but as a central driver of corporate behaviour, capital flows and long‑term competitiveness in the Portuguese market.
The first panel, moderated by João Marques Mendes, Partner at PLMJ and joined by Cláudia Teixeira de Almeida of Banco BPI, Nuno Moraes Bastos of GALP and Diogo Graça of REN, explored how corporate governance and sustainable finance are shaping Portugal’s energy transition. The discussion examined how boards and executive teams are adapting oversight structures to manage transition‑related risks and how legal, compliance, sustainability and procurement functions are increasingly intertwined in project governance. Panellists described the growing influence of financing structures on project execution, noting that lenders’ expectations around ESG metrics, contractor performance and transparency now shape governance decisions from the earliest stages. They also addressed the operational constraints that continue to challenge Portugal’s transition ambitions, including permitting timelines, grid capacity limitations and delivery risk. While acknowledging the complexity of EU‑level frameworks, speakers emphasised that these standards also present strategic opportunities to harmonise practices, unlock investment and strengthen Portugal’s competitive position in the energy transition.
Following a short break, the second panel turned to litigation, liability and the emerging enforcement era surrounding sustainability claims. Moderated by Raquel Azevedo, Partner at PLMJ and featuring contributions from Carla Góis Coelho of PLMJ, Carlos Martins Ferreira of Jerónimo Martins, Filipa Rodrigues Carmona of Caixa Geral de Depósitos and Céline da Graça Pires of NOVA, the session examined the rapid rise of ESG‑driven disputes, investigations and regulatory actions. Panellists discussed the typical trigger points for scrutiny, ranging from sustainability reports and corporate websites to marketing materials and investor presentations, and highlighted how these touchpoints are increasingly tested by regulators, competitors, consumers and NGOs. They analysed recent case law developments and their implications for Portuguese organisations, noting the emergence of more stringent evidentiary standards around disclosures and due‑diligence obligations. The panel concluded that sustainability claims can no longer be treated as aspirational messaging; they now carry the weight of binding legal obligations, requiring more rigorous internal validation and cross‑functional coordination.
The forum concluded with closing remarks from Francisco Castro, after which attendees were invited to continue their conversations over a light lunch, providing a relaxed setting to deepen connections and reflect on the themes explored throughout the morning.
Legal 500 extends its thanks to PLMJ for its collaboration in bringing this conference format to Portugal’s in‑house legal community. The team looks forward to returning soon for the launch event of this year’s GC Powerlist: Portugal.
