General counsel and institutional affairs vice president | Ternium México
Legal and compliance director | Holcim México
General counsel - Mexico and Southern Cone | Bank of America Merrill Lynch
Legal and HR director | Pan American Silver
Vice president legal México and North Latam | Linde
General counsel, government affairs, contract management, licenses, compliance and Latam | DHL Supply Chain
Director general adjunto juridico financiamiento, sector público | Banorte
Regional Legal Director Mexico & Central America and Caribbean | Reckitt Benckiser
Director Jurídico México y Centroamérica | Arcos Dorados
Vice president and legal counsel | Discovery Americas
Andrea Esquivel is vice president and legal counsel of Discovery Americas. She has more than 12 years of experience in corporate law, specialising in areas such as mergers & acquisitions...
Legal vice president and general counsel | PepsiCo International México
Chief General Counsel | Ideal (Impulsora del Desarrollo y el Empleo en América Latina)
Director legal and compliance | Empresas Aries
Chief legal and compliance officer | Catena Activos Alternativos
Dina Moreno is currently the chief legal and compliance officer of Catena Activos Alternativos (Catena). Catena was established in 2023 by a seasoned team from Credit Suisse Asset Management Mexico...
General Legal Counsel | Iké Grupo Empresarial
General counsel | Alsea
Fernando Macedo is the general counsel of Alsea, one of the largest restaurant operators in the world, with presence in 12 countries and with over 4,500 restaurants and coffee shops...
General counsel and compliance officer | Grupo Rotoplas
General Counsel, vice president regulatory and external affairs | AT&T México
General counsel and operations – legal, collections, HR, market intelligence, internal control, ESG | Acosta Verde
Head of legal/ chief of staff | Gaya Sinergia Constructiva
General counsel, director of legal affairs | Grupo Lamosa
General counsel for Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean | General Motors de México
General counsel, ethics, compliance officer and data protection officer North Latam | Capgemini
Legal director and public affairs Latam | Suntory Global Spirits
Managing director | Macquarie Asset Management
Director of legal services | Accenture
Head of legal and compliance Latam | The Vanguard Group
Vice president legal and compliance, assistant general counsel | Element Fleet Management Corporation México
Counsel, senior manager | Mondelēz Snacking México
General counsel Mexico | Compass Group Mexico
Head of legal advisory, corporate matters and contracts | AXA Seguros
Gerente legal fiscal contencioso y cumplimiento | FEMSA
Executive director - general counsel | RLH Properties
General counsel and compliance officer | Grupo Danone México
Vice President legal and government affairs México and North America | Continental Group Mexico
General counsel, secretary and chief compliance officer | Grupo Bimbo
General counsel | Promotora de Hoteles Norte 19
Directora jurídica, cumplimiento y enlaces normativos | Grupo Coppel
General counsel and compliance office | Federacion Mexicana de Futbol Asociación
General counsel nutrition Latam, México and CARICAM | Unilever de México
Legal and compliance director | Glisco Partners
Chief legal and compliance officer | GBM (Grupo Bursatil Mexicano)
General counsel México | Sizzling Platter de México
Vice president legal and corporate affairs | Grupo Modelo (AB InBev)
Senior counsel México and Rc emerging seeds Latam | Mars petcare México
It is with immense pride, and on behalf of everyone at The Legal 500, that I warmly welcome you to this edition of the GC Powerlist: Mexico. It has been a true privilege to interview the brightest legal minds in the country and gain insight into what defines exceptional in-house counsel, as well as the key issues shaping their work as some of the region’s leading corporate legal professionals. This publication is a tribute to the remarkable contributions these outstanding individuals have made to Mexico’s business landscape. It stands as a testament to their unparalleled expertise, exemplary leadership, and unwavering commitment to excellence.
One clear theme that emerged from this year’s research is the collective emphasis on teamwork and the essential role it plays in ensuring the success of a company. Many general counsel featured in this edition have underscored the importance of recognising and celebrating every member of their legal teams. As Juan Luis Rodríguez-Rivero, director of legal services at Accenture, shared: “In my experience, maintaining motivation and inspiration within a team is crucial. While not all tasks will be enjoyable, it is important to ensure that at least some aspects of the work are fun and exciting. We continually strive to find ways to motivate our team, with a significant focus on fostering enjoyment in their tasks. This is often achieved when the team commits to a goal they have set themselves, as this leads to greater dedication to their chosen work.”
This sentiment was echoed by Jorge E. Rodriguez Arellano, executive director of legal at Banco J.P. Morgan, who added: “A growth mindset is encouraged. We hold frequent meetings where every member of the team is encouraged to participate, share their challenges, and propose solutions. Every opinion is taken into account. Continuous learning is supported.”
Mexico’s business community is also rapidly embracing digital transformation, and its general counsel are leading this charge within their companies. José Eduardo Salgado Villegas, general counsel, ethics and compliance officer, and DPO for North Latam at Capgemini, explained the multifaceted approach necessary for ensuring the successful digital transformation of legal departments while adhering to Mexico’s data protection laws. As he noted: “The key elements of this strategy include comprehensive assessment and planning, developing a robust data protection and compliance framework, careful technology and vendor selection, training and awareness initiatives, ongoing compliance and adaptation, and close collaboration with IT and security teams.”
Within the pages of this publication, you will discover the incredible accomplishments of Mexico’s top in-house counsel, including insights into some of the largest deals and transactions they have overseen in the past year. Their profiles also provide a closer look at their personal journeys and the paths they have taken to success.
I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to every general counsel who participated in this edition of the GC Powerlist: Mexico 2024. This list celebrates the most impressive in-house lawyers in the country—those who have not only applied their legal expertise but also strategically leveraged it to drive business growth and success.
It is with great pleasure that I present this distinguished group of agile, innovative, and truly exceptional in-house counsel in Mexico.
Sara Maggi| Deputy Editor – The Legal 500 GC Powerlist Series
The Legal 500 was proud to host the third edition of the GC Powerlist: Japan 2025 at the Capitol Hotel Tokyu, honouring the top General Counsel, Chief Legal Officers, Legal Directors, and senior in-house legal professionals operating at the highest level of Japan’s corporate legal landscape. Held in Tokyo, this year’s reception welcomed around 100 of the most respected and senior corporate counsel from across Japan. It was an unrivalled success, and cements Legal 500’s status as the leading force in legal media supporting the achievements of in-house counsel in Japan. The GC Powerlist: Japan 2025 marks the continuation of our commitment to recognising excellence in-house, and this year’s edition represents the most competitive and selective list to date.
Joe Boswell, lead editor of the GC powerlist publication at The Legal 500, opened the evening with an introduction that reflected on the growing prestige of the Japan list. He emphasised how the Powerlist has grown stronger each year, both in scope and quality, making the task of selection more difficult. This year’s honourees emerged from a deeply competitive field, making their recognition even more meaningful.
Boswell extended heartfelt congratulations to all honourees and acknowledged the critical support of key partners and sponsors who made the evening possible. Special thanks were given to Anderson Mori & Tomotsune, Morrison Foerster, iManage, JustLegal, and SS&C Intralinks for their generous sponsorship and ongoing collaboration.
In a moment of reflection, Joe paid tribute to Tim Mackey, chief legal officer at SoftBank, who sadly passed away unexpectedly earlier this year. Tim had contributed to the Powerlist in each of its three editions and was known not only for his exceptional legal acumen but also for his warmth and generosity.
The evening featured insightful remarks from distinguished speakers representing our partners and the broader legal community: Mischa Mulligan, Japan Director at SS&C Intralinks; Hiroki Kodate, Partner and Management Committee Member at Anderson Mori & Tomotsune; Jeremy White, Global Co-Chair of M&A for Morrison Foerster; and, representing those awarded in the Powerlist, Naoki Hamada, General Counsel for Japan at HSBC.
Each speaker provided reflections on legal innovation, leadership, and the evolving role of in-house counsel in Japan’s corporate landscape. Their remarks added valuable context to the achievements celebrated throughout the evening.
The formal awards segment celebrated this year’s GC Powerlist honourees. With assistance from long-time collaborator Isaac Uchiyama who read out awardees’ names, recipients were invited to collect their certificates, pose for photographs, and be formally recognised by their peers.
Certificates were presented on stage by Hiroki Kodate or Anderson Mori & Tomotsune and Jeremy White of Morrison Foerster, whose participation further underlined the deep support of the Japanese and international legal communities.
The GC Powerlist: Japan 2025 reception reaffirmed Legal 500’s commitment to spotlighting the very best of in-house legal talent. With record levels of interest and unmatched quality among candidates, the Japan edition continues to solidify its place as one of the most respected publications in the global GC Powerlist series.
We extend our sincere congratulations to all honourees and thank our partners, sponsors, and speakers for making the evening a success.
We look forward to returning to Tokyo again next year. As a parting gift, you can view Naoki Hamada’s excellent keynote address below, where he touches on a lot of issues and themes that many other GC, whatever country they operate in, will recognise:
‘Good evening, everyone. I am Naoki Hamada of HSBC. I am very pleased to be here speaking to you today. It is a great pleasure and honor, and at the same time, I feel a bit overwhelmed being surrounded by the busiest and most expensive lawyers in the industry—even if I know that nobody will be charging us for their time. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Legal 500 for organizing such a great event, and Anderson Mori & Tomotsune, Morrison Foerster, iManage, SS&C Intralinks, and Just Legal for sponsoring and supporting it. And, huge congratulations on the recognition each of you is receiving, which is truly a great accomplishment and the result of your hard work and the accumulated trust the entire industry has placed in you.
It must be emphasized that this award is given only to general counsels. Being a general counsel means a lot more than just being a subject matter expert. You are a most reliable strategic partner for the business, and I am sure that you have distinguished yourself from the crowd by your ability to identify underlying risks, devise legal solutions, ensure the right processes and governance for corporate decisions, influence others, and educate the next generation of lawyers. This is what you are being recognized for.
Looking back on my career, I have been hugely helped by lawyers in other companies through various industry communities. When I joined the in-house world 12 years ago from a Japanese law firm, large international banks were all struggling with a huge wave of regulatory reform. Back then, I was relatively new to that particular area of finance, and my hiring was somewhat potential-based. Nonetheless, I was assigned to lead the regulatory reform efforts locally. My predecessor had left the bank before I joined, there was no sufficient handover, and I was completely lost as to what to do. What helped me most were the industry peer group discussions, where in-house counsels from major banks would get together to discuss common issues. I learned so much from what was discussed there and absorbed as much as I could. Without that network, I am sure that I wouldn’t have survived that time.
However, our situation today is far more difficult. The changes in the landscape we face today are unprecedented. Technological developments and the corresponding shifts in geopolitical and industrial landscapes are completely unpredictable, and the speed at which they happen is far faster than before. We might face a time that requires us to pivot, forcing us to redefine how we add value and rebuild the way we work. That is somewhat intimidating. But, I am confident that a way forward will be found through the collective wisdom and effort of the people in this room. I would like to be a part of that, and this network of people is enormously valuable and truly priceless.
Finally, let’s have a drink and celebrate our achievements for now – before your CEO calls asking you to join a call! Thank you so much.’