Ecuador 2022
Supported by the Association of Corporate Counsel
Gerente legal and apoderado especial | Directv Ecuador
Legal counsel GM Ecuador legal department | Fresenius Medical Care
General counsel and chief compliance officer | Holcim
Legal and corporate affairs director | Cervecería Nacional
Legal counsel GM Ecuador legal department | Motors del Ecuador
General counsel and chief compliance officer | DK Management Services
Legal and government affairs manager | Productos Avon Ecuador
Legal director | Las Lomas Ciudad Industrial y Comercial
Corporate counsel | SBA Communications Corporation - Ecuador
Director legal ecuador and legal counselor | Huawei Technologies
Director jurídico | Concentración Deportiva de Pichincha
Corporate manager of management control and risks and legal | Corporación GPF - Grupo Fybeca
Vice President of Legal and Corporate Affairs | Reybanpac
Legal chief and corporate affairs | Corporación El Rosado
Legal assistant manager | Latam Airlines Ecuador
Director jurídico | Grupo Empresarial Espinoza - GES
Head of legal and compliance andean cluster (Colombia, Ecuador, Peru) | Alcon
Senior corporate counsel, LATAM | Lumen Technologies
Gerente legal y relaciones publicas | UNACEM Ecuador
Gerente legal and compliance Ecuador, Puerto Rico, República Dominicana, Aruba and Curazao | Linde
Corporate legal manager | Asesoría y control
Ecuador has a rich natural endowment which if combined with climate-friendly policies has the potential to be a source of the country’s sustainable economic development. With the government initiatives on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) such as the Green Bonus scheme, Ecuador’s in-house lawyers have been proactive in navigating their organisations by encouraging eco-friendly policies and socially responsible governance. Despite the challenges the country has faced through the unprecedented pandemic crisis, the legal teams serving the companies in Ecuador demonstrably helped businesses to drive success while mitigating risks and reducing potential legal issues.
This year’s GC Powerlist: Ecuador highlights the role of in-house counsel playing a vital part in promoting global initiatives including Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Taking the lead in implementing corporate agendas with social accountability, in-house counsel in Ecuador promoted diversity and inclusion as well as community engagement into their corporate governance internal model. Recognised as business partner, the in-house legal role in Ecuador continues to evolve as strategic advisor, leading the latest opportunities and challenges.
Remaining abreast of the latest legal technology, legal functions demonstrated their increasing efficiency and productivity over the pandemic. Technology will continue the push for in-house lawyers to work faster and smarter. Driving further efficiencies in processes, the counsel contained within these pages have utilised their legal knowledge strategically alongside business insight to make a positive impact towards their organisation’s success.
It was my pleasure to speak and extensively interview the most agile, innovative, and exceptional in-house lawyers in Ecuador spanning international and 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 extend the sincerest gratitude to all the general counsel and in-house lawyers who participated in this edition of the GC Powerlist: Ecuador. This edition identifies the most impressive counsel who have tackled new challenges caused by the pandemic as well as the development of eco-friendly regulations and policies.
On Tuesday 16th September 2025, Legal 500 returned to Zürich to host the Diversity and Inclusion Forum: Switzerland, in partnership with Schellenberg Wittmer. The event consisted of insightful discussion, focusing on what diversity and inclusion mean in today’s world and how in-house counsel can put these principles into practice. The forum took place at the historic Zunfthaus zur Meisen – notably, the first guild to admit women as members, as was highlighted during the evening.
The evening began with a welcome address from Isabel Caine, Event Content Editor at Legal 500, who spoke to the continued importance of spotlighting diversity and inclusion in the current geopolitical environment – the need to continually apply and reapply, learn and relearn what we know about these topics as organisations adapt to today’s rapidly-changing climate.
Anya George, partner at Schellenberg Wittmer, then took to the stage, echoing these sentiments and highlighting the importance of diversity and inclusion to the firm.
Next, Karin de Witt, Director of Ethics, Compliance and Investigations at Lonza, delivered the keynote speech. Her lively and thought-provoking address set the tone for the evening’s discussions.
The first session of the evening, ‘AI in hiring: reducing or reinforcing bias?’, was moderated by Caroline Clemetson, partner at Schellenberg Wittmer. The panel was made up of Nora Rümbeli, Group Head Legal & Compliance Tech, Data & AI and Group DPO at VONTOBEL; Renate Lichtenegger, Chief Legal and Compliance Officer at Pocket App; Liliana Correia, Legal Counsel and HR Head at Swiss AI AG; and Thomas Schönholzer, General Counsel at The Swiss Post Ltd. The panelists engaged in an animated discussion regarding the pros and cons in-house counsel must consider if using AI to aid the recruitment process, from budget restraints and data protection issues to potential bias and the human element essential to hiring.
In light of recent social and political developments on a global scale, the second panel was entitled ‘Growing pressure on diversity and inclusion programs: balancing company values with compliance’. Moderator George Ayoub, partner at Schellenberg Wittmer, was joined on stage by Sandrine Wait, VP Head Legal Global M&A and Finance at Adecco Group AG; Ingrid Sollerer, General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer and Executive Committee Member at Sandoz; and Rita Portmann Witmer, Head Legal WM Zurich at BNP Paribas (Zurich Branch). The panel considered how organisations’ diversity and inclusion initiatives may be affected by recent geopolitical changes. The panelists spoke passionately about how in-house counsel can best navigate these circumstances, ensuring that business continues but that employees’ voices are heard and company values are upheld.
The inclusive atmosphere encouraged audience engagement, with attendees posing insightful questions and interacting with the panelists, before Caroline Clemetson rounded off the evening with closing remarks.
Attendees and panelists then continued conversation and networking, while enjoying drinks and canapés. Legal 500 was honored to partner once again with Schellenberg Wittmer to provide a platform for these critical discussions.
