Senior legal counsel, Iberoamerica | Securitas - Security Services Ibero America
Senior legal counsel, EU and LATAM | Eiffage Energía 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 Legal 500 GC Powerlist: Italy 2026 brought together some of the country’s most distinguished general counsel and senior in-house legal professionals for an evening of celebration, recognition and networking in Milan.
Held on 24 September 2026 at the Organics SkyGarden Rooftop at Hyatt Centric Milan Centrale, the event provided a fitting setting in which to recognise the outstanding achievements of the lawyers featured in this year’s GC Powerlist: Italy.
The evening celebrated an exceptional and diverse group of in-house leaders representing companies across a broad range of sectors, including financial services, energy and utilities, technology, healthcare, consumer products, luxury, manufacturing, transport and infrastructure, media and professional services. This breadth reflects both the diversity of Italy’s corporate landscape and the increasingly important role played by legal departments in organisations across the economy.
Guests had the opportunity to connect with fellow members of Italy’s in-house legal community, exchange perspectives and celebrate the achievements of this year’s Powerlisters. The strong representation of senior legal professionals from across sectors also reinforced the value of the GC Powerlist as a platform for building relationships and encouraging dialogue within the Italian in-house community.
This year’s research highlighted the continued evolution of the general counsel role. Against a backdrop of increasing regulatory complexity, geopolitical uncertainty, technological innovation and changing business priorities, in-house lawyers are being called upon to contribute well beyond traditional legal advisory work. Artificial intelligence and digital transformation are also reshaping legal departments, creating opportunities for greater efficiency while introducing new questions around governance, implementation and risk.
Throughout the evening, there was a clear sense of the strategic importance that legal teams now hold within their organisations. The professionals recognised in the 2026 Powerlist demonstrate how modern in-house counsel combine technical expertise with commercial awareness, leadership and an ability to anticipate and respond to rapidly evolving business challenges.
The reception also provided an important opportunity to recognise the teams behind these achievements. As highlighted throughout the research for this year’s publication, many of Italy’s leading general counsel place collaboration, talent development and knowledge-sharing at the centre of building effective legal functions.
The Legal 500 would like to congratulate everyone recognised in the GC Powerlist: Italy 2026 and thank all those who contributed to the research and joined us in Milan for a memorable evening.