Europe: Latin America Specialists 2023
Supported by the Association of Corporate Counsel
Senior legal counsel, Iberoamerica | Securitas - Security Services Ibero America
Senior legal counsel, EU and LATAM | Eiffage EnergÃa Sistemas
Global head of legal and secretary general | Secuoya Content Group
Legal counsel, concessions division | OHLA Group
Senior regional legal manager, Brasil, HispAm and global projects | Telefónica
Chief legal officer and public affairs director | Acciona
General counsel and secretary of the board of directors | Hispasat
Head of legal, Iberia, Italy and LATAM | Majorel
Senior director, legal and compliance | Llorente y Cuenca
Legal director, concessions division | OHLA Group
General counsel and company secretary | REN - Redes Energéticas Nacionais
Senior vice president, compliance and data protection, International | Fresenius Kabi
General counsel and head of compliance | Eurodivisas (Global Exchange Group)
Legal counsel, project finance | Sacyr Concesiones
Group general counsel and company secretary | Distribuidora Internacional de Alimentación
Senior legal manager, Spain, Portugal and LATAM | Astellas Pharma Europe
Head of legal, procurement global contrats and tenders | Enel Group
General counsel, beauty and wellbeing LATAM, head of legal and data privacy leader, LATAM | Unilever
Head of legal Santander Corporate & Investment Banking Germany, Austria, Switzerland & Nordic countries | Banco Santander
Corporate counsel and company secretary | Vencorex France
General counsel, Iberoamerica | Securitas Seguridad España
Vice president and deputy general counsel, international legal (EMEA, APJ, LATAM) | Hewlett Packard Enterprise
Senior legal director Europe, Turkey and Africa, CIS and LATAM | Oriflame Cosmetics
Group head of legal and compliance and company secretary | PetrolValves
Vice president, deputy general counsel, EMEA | Baxter International
Legal counsel and board member | Ferrovial Airports International
Legal director, Spain and LATAM | INTELCIA
Senior director, associate general counsel, head of legal EMEA and LATAM | Adobe
Legal counsel and general secretary | Grupo Ortiz
Legal director | Fomento de Construcciones y Contratas
Global counsel, regulatory compliance and disputes | Spotify
Group executive committee member, group general counsel and commercial and contract management | Capgemini
Legal and finance director | Depuración de Aguas del Mediterráneo
Associate general counsel, head of legal for Europe, MEA and APAC | Sonova Group
Legal manager and compliance officer | UBE Corporation Europe
Lead legal counsel, M&A and corporate | NTT Data Europe & LATAM
Vice president, head of legal, Middle East and Africa | Stellantis
Executive vice president, general counsel international markets | MasterCard
We are thrilled to present to you the inaugural GC Powerlist: Europe Latin America Specialists 2023. This eagerly awaited publication marks a significant milestone, building on the success of its predecessor, 2022’s GC Powerlist Spain: Latin America Specialists.
This new release is a testament to the continuous commitment of recognising and celebrating the outstanding accomplishments of Europe’s leading in-house lawyers who dedicate their efforts to the dynamic and challenging Latin American markets.
As the legal landscape continues to evolve and globalise, the role of in-house lawyers becomes increasingly pivotal in navigating the complexities of international business. The focus on Europe’s top in-house lawyers with a specialisation in Latin American markets underscores the strategic importance of this region in the global business arena. Latin America, with its diverse economies, regulatory frameworks, and cultural nuances, presents unique challenges that demand specialised expertise.
The publication not only highlights the professional achievements of these lawyers but also serves as a platform for acknowledging their expertise in dealing with the intricacies of cross-border legal matters. Whether it’s managing mergers and acquisitions, navigating regulatory compliance, or addressing cultural considerations, these legal professionals play a crucial role in facilitating successful business operations between Europe and Latin America.
A key takeaway from our the exclusive content within the publication is that Latin America is a region with a rich and diverse cultural tapestry, and this diversity extends to the ways in which business is conducted across various countries. As brilliantly put by Enrique Rubio Ayala, senior regional manager at Telefónica, “Culture across Latin American countries is enormous. It is reflected in different the ways to work and different business tactics”. On this, Leandro Meneses, general counsel at Duro Felguera also states that “[t]he legal landscape in Latin America is very diverse, and each country has its own unique set of laws and regulations.” In all while it’s important to recognise that generalisations might not capture the nuances of each nation’s business culture, there are some common trends and characteristics that are often observed, essential to the way in-house lawyers conduct their operations in the region.
As businesses continue to expand globally, the need for legal expertise in navigating diverse legal systems and business environments becomes paramount. The GC Powerlist publication plays a crucial role in shedding light on the achievements of those at the forefront of this legal frontier, contributing to the broader dialogue on the intersection of European and Latin American legal practices.
There are many other relevant topics and challenges exclusively discussed in this publication, so we invite you to explore The GC Powerlist: Europe Latin America Specialists 2023 and discover the extraordinary stories of these exceptional individuals.
We would like to express our gratitude to all the in-house lawyers featured in this publication for their valuable contributions and for sharing their journeys with us. I am delighted to present to you this distinguished list of Europe’s most exceptional, diligent, and celebrated in-house lawyers with a focus on Latin American markets.
Francisco Faria e Castro | Lead researcher
The recent news that elite US firm Sullivan & Cromwell had apologised to a judge over AI hallucinations in a court filing prompted a collective wince from the legal profession.
But while some lawyers remain wary of AI, others are striking a more open-minded note, and at the LexisNexis AI Forum hosted this Wednesday (20 May) by Legal 500 and Legal Business, panelists argued that the risks are far outweighed by the opportunities.
Barbara Zapisetskaya, principal technology counsel at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, made the case that hallucinations and other potential pitfalls can be overcome with a shift in mindset.
‘What makes a difference,’ she said, ‘is empowering your lawyers to take responsibility for AI output – helping them become active AI operators, not just passive AI users. You have agency to decide whether you agree with the output or not.’
Zapisetskaya was among a line-up of leading in-house figures speaking on two panels, which covered everything from practical steps for AI implementation to the key decisions GCs need to be making in the coming months.
Financial Times general counsel Dan Guilford began by stressing the importance of building the right culture for AI adoption. In addition to proactively upskilling himself, Guilford talked about how he had implemented a voluntary weekly ‘show and tell’ meeting for team members to share successful use cases – or an exercise that became a gratifying measure of progress.
Other panelists discussed how increased in-house productivity is altering the dynamic with their external counsel.
While some see the use of AI by law firms as a precursor for reduced fees, Russell Davies, head of global operations for legal and compliance at Dentsu, said that faster results – however they are delivered – are something to be valued.
GSK assistant general counsel Anthony Kenny agreed, saying that while there was an expectation that external counsel would be utilising AI, the focus should be on the value of the output, rather than an overemphasis on identifying AI use as a justification to reduce fees.
Speaking on the second panel, MUFG EMEA general counsel James Morgan stressed the critical importance of education, noting that educating the C-suite on the advantages and risks of AI is just as important as enabling large in-house teams to use these tools.
Shanthini Satyendra, vice-chair of the AI Committee, Society for Computers & Law, CEO and founder of Manisain, offered a reminder of the importance of making the connection between tasks and the purpose behind them, extolling the virtues of identifying use cases for AI that can solve a meaningful problem.
Zapisetskaya concurred, adding that one of the most important tasks for GCs across the next six to twelve months is to create AI playbooks and templates, noting that ‘it is easy for lawyers to see problems – much harder for lawyers to see opportunities.’
There was also broad agreement among panellists that GCs should focus on upskilling their junior lawyers on AI, rather than – as some may expect – cutting back their workforce. As Satyendra summarised: ‘Some people are replacing human capital with AI without thinking about what’s required to make AI work. Retain your people and train them up.’
The panels were moderated by Emma Millington, head of the UK Lexis+ Finance Group, and LexisNexis director of segment management Stuart Greenhill.
