Colombia 2024
Supported by the Association of Corporate Counsel
Legal director and general counsel | Ocensa - Oleoducto Central
Legal and GR senior manager | Mercado Libre Colombia
In-house legal counsel SR | Comunicacion Celular Claro Colombia
Legal lead Colombia – contracting counsel senior manager | Accenture
Legal vice president Colombia | Steward Health Care International Colombia
Legal and compliance director, Colombia, Central America and the Caribbean | SGS Colombia
General counsel, compliance officer and head of corporate affairs | Tecnoglass
General legal counsel of palm oil business | Aceites Manuelita
Advisor legal vicepresidency | Grupo Energía Bogotá
Legal vice president – Colombia and Perú | Cemex Colombia
Corporate and legal counsel for Andean, CCA and Mexico. Compliance officer for the Andean Region | Avaya Communication de Colombia
Coporate counsel - legal, compliance and sustainability | Organización Espinosa
Legal and compliance manager | Riopaila Castilla
Legal director, general counsel - Colombia | Compass Group Services Colombia
Chief legal officer | Teleperformance Middle Americas
Head of legal and corporate affairs | Gases de Occidente - GdO
General secretary and legal director | Caracol Primera Cadena Radial Colombiana
Legal business partner Latam and acting lead compliance manager Latam | Betsson Group
Managing counsel for Latin America | McKinsey & Company
Associate legal director Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela | Abbott Laboratories
Legal vice president, general counsel | Hoteles Decameron
Subdirector jurídico | Grupo Alsea Colombia
Head of law, patents and compliance for Bayer Andean, Central America and Caribbean Countries (PACA) | Bayer
Gerente corporativa de asuntos legales | Darnel Group
Gerente de estrategia y asesoría legal | Ocensa - Oleoducto Central
Head of legal Colombia and Ecuador | Hitachi Energy Colombia
Vice president of corporate affairs, legal affairs and sustainability | Amarilo
Legal manager of Investment Banking | Investment Banking at Bancolombia (BIB)
General legal counsel and corporate secretary | BBVA Valores Colombia
Legal director Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela | Abbott Laboratories
Senior regulatory counsel, Mexico; antitrust POC Latam; women of CLO global co-chair | Uber
Legal director Colombia and Venezuela | PepsiCo Colombia
Corporate legal manager LATAM | Manuelita Corporativa
Chief business and legal affairs officer - CBO | Dynamo Producciones
Corporate legal manager | Sociedad Administradora de Fondos de Pensiones y Cesantías Porvenir
Chief legal officer | Sociedad Administradora de Fondos de Pensiones y Cesantías Porvenir
General counsel beauty and wellbeing Latam, head of legal Andean region and data privacy and governance leader Latam | Unilever
General legal counsel sugar business | Manuelita
Legal manager for Andean countries | Mercado Libre Colombia
Legal and corporate governance vice president | Grupo Colpatria
Legal affairs manager - Colombia and Dominican Republic | Air Liquide
Legal and compliance vice president | Grupo Energía Bogotá
General counsel and compliance officer | Nestlé Colombia
Chief counsel of non-sovereign operations, legal affairs | Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF)
Rosalía Roman-Urcuyo is chief counsel of non-sovereign operations, legal affairs at the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF), leading the division within the legal department that supports...
Senior Counsel illicit trade prevention for Latam, Canada and the US | Philip Morris International
I am a dual-authorised lawyer in Colombia and Venezuela, with over thirty years of international experience as a business lawyer. My expertise lies in leading legal projects and navigating complex...
The Legal 500 is thrilled to announce the release of the latest edition of the GC Powerlist: Colombia. This eagerly awaited publication celebrates the outstanding achievements of the country’s leading in-house lawyers.
In this edition, we highlight the pivotal contributions of in-house counsel to Colombian businesses, showcasing their expertise, leadership, and unwavering commitment to excellence. The 2024 edition shines a spotlight on the extraordinary accomplishments and innovative approaches of these legal professionals as they navigate the intricate landscape of Colombian law. From managing crises and adapting to regulatory changes to implementing artificial intelligence and advancing sustainability and diversity initiatives, these leaders exhibit remarkable resilience and adaptability in a rapidly evolving legal environment.
This publication includes detailed profiles and exclusive interviews with the most influential and esteemed in-house lawyers across various sectors in Colombia. These professionals excel in formulating legal strategies, managing risks, and offering strategic advice to their organisations. Their achievements not only serve as inspiration to the legal community but also demonstrate the significant impact in-house lawyers have on shaping their organisations’ business strategies and success.
Our research underscores the growing importance of aligning legal departments with senior management, highlighting the evolving role of general counsel as crucial business partners. As Ana María Navarrete Frías, Legal Lead Colombia – Contracting Counsel Senior Manager at Accenture, observes, “Maintaining a positive attitude is essential. Work with the business and leadership to develop strategies for navigating periods of instability or crisis, and align the legal function with that strategy. Encourage closer communication between business and legal departments, and support your legal team in staying calm and resilient during challenging times.”
In-house lawyers are also at the forefront of integrating sustainability measures within their organisations. Adriana Londoño Ángel, Legal Director and General Counsel at Ocensa – Oleoducto Central, highlights, “My legal team is instrumental in embedding sustainability into Ocensa’s governance framework. In addition to providing expert advice on sustainability reporting and regulatory compliance, we focus on creating robust contractual frameworks to support ESG strategic objectives. This includes developing clauses related to the circular economy, water management, social responsibility, and stringent HSE and human rights protections in our supplier contracts.”
This publication provides exclusive insights into the challenges and opportunities facing in-house legal teams. Delve into the GC Powerlist: Colombia 2024 to uncover the remarkable stories of these distinguished individuals. Through their experiences, we aim to offer a comprehensive overview of Colombia’s legal landscape, underscoring the vital role of in-house legal teams.
We extend our sincere gratitude to all the featured in-house lawyers for their invaluable contributions and for sharing their professional journeys with us. We are proud to present this distinguished list, celebrating Colombia’s most exceptional, dedicated, and esteemed in-house lawyers.
Sara Maggi| Lead editor – The Legal 500 GC Powerlist Colombia 2024
On 26 February, Legal 500 returned to Lagos to launch the latest edition of the GC Powerlist: Nigeria, hosted at the exclusive Metropolitan Club and attended by more than 100 senior in‑house lawyers from across the country. The evening brought together many of Nigeria’s most influential corporate counsel for a programme that blended recognition, thought leadership and high‑level networking in a setting that reflected the prestige of the series. Honourees were celebrated for the impact they have made within their organisations, their contributions to the wider legal ecosystem and their ability to drive innovation and strategic value across sectors ranging from finance and energy to technology and consumer markets.
The event opened with remarks from David Freeman, Global Business Development Manager at Legal 500, who spoke about the significance of the GC Powerlist in Nigeria and the evolving role of in‑house counsel as strategic leaders. He highlighted the growing influence of general counsel in shaping governance, regulatory engagement and business transformation, setting a purposeful tone for the evening.
The programme continued with insights from two distinguished speakers. Adedoyin Afun, Partner at Bloomfield, offered a forward‑looking analysis of Nigeria’s regulatory and transactional landscape, noting the increasing pressures and opportunities facing in‑house teams as they navigate compliance shifts, cross‑border transactions and the expectation to operate as commercial partners. He was followed by keynote speaker Angela Omo‑Dare, retired General Counsel of Stanbic IBTC Group, whose reflective address on leadership, ethics and the long‑term development of legal teams resonated strongly with the audience. Drawing on her extensive career, she underscored the GC’s role as an ethical steward, culture‑shaper and trusted adviser to senior leadership.
After the formal proceedings, guests enjoyed dinner and continued discussions on emerging trends shaping the Nigerian legal landscape, from regulatory reform and investment flows to legal operations and talent development. The atmosphere remained warm and engaged throughout, reinforcing the sense of community that has become synonymous with the GC Powerlist.
Overall, the GC Powerlist: Nigeria 2026 launch event ultimately reaffirmed Legal 500’s commitment to celebrating and elevating the work of general counsel in one of Africa’s most dynamic markets. With its combination of high‑calibre speakers, strong industry representation and meaningful recognition, the event stood out as a defining moment in the 2026 calendar and further strengthened the platform’s role as a convening force for leadership and professional excellence within Nigeria’s in‑house legal community.
Legal 500 extends its sincere thanks to Bloomfield Law for its invaluable support of this year’s publication.
