Mexico 2024
Supported by the Association of Corporate Counsel
General counsel and institutional affairs vice president | Ternium México
Legal and compliance director | Holcim México
Legal and HR director | Pan American Silver
Legal vice president and general counsel | PepsiCo International México
Chief General Counsel | Ideal (Impulsora del Desarrollo y el Empleo en América Latina)
General Legal Counsel | Iké Grupo Empresarial
General counsel and compliance officer | Grupo Rotoplas
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
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
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 | Promotora de Hoteles Norte 19
Directora jurídica, cumplimiento y enlaces normativos | Grupo Coppel
General counsel nutrition Latam, México and CARICAM | Unilever de México
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
General counsel - Mexico and Southern Cone | Bank of America Merrill Lynch
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...
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 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, vice president regulatory and external affairs | AT&T México
General counsel and operations – legal, collections, HR, market intelligence, internal control, ESG | Acosta Verde
Managing director | Macquarie Asset Management
Head of legal advisory, corporate matters and contracts | AXA Seguros
Gerente legal fiscal contencioso y cumplimiento | FEMSA
General counsel, secretary and chief compliance officer | Grupo Bimbo
General counsel and compliance office | Federacion Mexicana de Futbol Asociación
Legal and compliance director | Glisco Partners
Chief legal and compliance officer | GBM (Grupo Bursatil Mexicano)
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 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.
