Libbey Glass is a leading manufacturer in retail glassware with a number of different brands in its portfolio, and its operations in the Latin America region rely on the skills of legal manager Luis Manuel Chao Guajardo to manage its ambitious business agenda and large portfolio of 200 plus trademarks in Latin America from a legal standpoint. An expert advisor that is proud of his experience dealing with issues in ‘complex legal environments’ such as Colombia and Brazil as well as his home market of Mexico, Chao can boast of a number of achievements throughout a tenured and impressive in-house legal career including ‘negotiating and executing’ a deal between Libbey Glass and energy giant Iberdrola on a five year contract worth around US$33m.

Obtaining a background in private practice, including as a real estate associate for Creel, García-Cuéllar, Aiza y Enríquez, Chao first joined the in-house sector as a legal manager for construction infrastructure firm PYECSA and subsequently spent nearly four years as an attorney for Sutherland Global Services Mexico with a focus on Latin American affairs. Presiding over high-value transactions during this time, Chao managed to assist the company in achieving its US$1bn revenue goal for 2016 by virtue of his work on an M&A deal involving American analytics firm Nuevora, valued at around US$5m. He also played a key a key role in a ‘major arbitration award enforcement in Mexico’ which was won in Texas for proceedings worth around US$2m.

As well as his strictly legal role, Chao serves as the leader for Libbey Glass with regards to public relations and crisis management, which he states involves ‘keeping good relationships with trade associations and external organisations’, as well as ‘representing the company at local industrial associations’.