Mexico 2025
Supported by the Association of Corporate Counsel
Chief legal counsel and compliance officer | JLL Mexico
Partner and head of asset management, legal and compliance | Beel Infrastructure Partners
General counsel and secretary of the board of directors | Principal Financial Group México
Senior legal counsel, EU and Latam | Eiffage Energía Sistemas
Associate general counsel (labor and employment), interim LATAM legal lead | Celanese
Chief legal officer | Coca-Cola FEMSA
Deputy general counsel regional head of CIB banking for Mexico and Latam | HSBC Mexico
Partner OGC (office general counsel)Mexico and MCA Cluster | KPMG
Deputy managing legal director – corporate governance | Grupo Financiero Banorte
General counsel and chief legal officer | Grupo Aeroméxico
Corporate legal and regulatory director | FINANCIERA INDEPENDENCIA
General counsel and compliance officer | Grupo Rotoplas
VP general counsel, regulatory & external affairs | AT&T México
Director of legal and compliance | Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Mexico
SVP legal & compliance | Eagle Property Capital
General counsel and chief compliance officer | OCESA Entretenimiento
General counsel, ethics and compliance and data protection officer North Latam | Capgemini
Legal Director LATAM & Public Affairs | Suntory Global Spirits
Vice president legal & sustainability, assistant general counsel | Element Fleet Management Corporation
General counsel and compliance officer | Grupo Danone México
General counsel | Banco Sabadell, Institución de Banca Múltiple
Director of legal, compliance and regulatory affairs | Grupo Coppel
Legal vicepresident and general counsel | Izzi telecom & Sky Mexico (Grupo Televisa)
Legal director and secretary of the board of directors | Grupo Bafar
Director | corporate governance, broker dealer and private bank | legal | Citi México
Tax controversy director (in-house counsel) | Walmart de México y Centro América
Director of legal and compliance | Ainda, energia & infrastructura
LATAM corporate tax planning and transfer pricing | Pepsico
General counsel and secretary of the board of directors | Volaris
Legal head TecSalud, research, entrepreneurship & innovation | Tecnológico de Monterrey
Executive director and assistang general counsel legal | Banco JP Morgan
General counsel and director of legal affairs | Grupo Lamosa
General counsel, company secretary and chief compliance officer | Grupo Bimbo
Vice president legal affairs and compliance | Esentia Energy
On behalf of The Legal 500, I am delighted to introduce the GC Powerlist: Mexico 2025.
This edition recognises the exceptional general counsel and in-house legal teams who are shaping Mexico’s dynamic business and legal landscape. Throughout our research, we have met with professionals who not only deliver expert legal guidance but also drive strategic decision-making, foster innovation, and help their organisations navigate rapid economic and regulatory change.
Across Mexico, legal leaders are stepping far beyond the traditional remit of their roles. They are instrumental in guiding corporate transformation, ensuring governance and sustainability, and enabling growth in an increasingly complex environment. The GC Powerlist: Mexico 2025 celebrates those who combine deep legal knowledge with commercial acumen, leadership, and a clear sense of purpose.
This year’s edition highlights how Mexico’s general counsel are redefining what it means to be a business partner. They are fostering collaboration across teams, building resilient frameworks for compliance and ethics, and embracing technology to streamline operations and anticipate risk. Their influence extends well beyond legal matters—into corporate culture, strategy, and long-term vision.
Equally, the spirit of partnership and community runs through Mexico’s legal profession. By cultivating trust, empowering their teams, and encouraging diverse perspectives, these leaders are creating lasting value for both their organisations and the wider business ecosystem.
This transformation reflects a broader evolution within the country’s legal landscape—from reactive advice to proactive strategy, from compliance to innovation, and from individual expertise to collective impact.
We are proud to present this year’s GC Powerlist: Mexico, a celebration of in-house counsel who are redefining the role of the legal function and connecting local insight with global ambition.
Margherita Birri
Research Editor
The Legal 500
On 26 March, Legal 500 partnered with Portuguese law firm PLMJ to bring its renewed sustainability‑focused conference series to Lisbon with the ESG Forum: Portugal 2026. The half‑day event gathered senior leaders from the legal, financial, energy and sustainability spheres for a concentrated programme hosted at PLMJ’s offices. Throughout the sessions, speakers explored the regulatory, governance and enforcement forces reshaping ESG strategy in Portugal, offering a clear cross‑sector perspective on how organisations are adapting to an increasingly complex and fast‑moving landscape.
The event opened with some welcome remarks from Legal 500 editor Francisco Castro, who emphasised the value of events that bring the in‑house community together to learn, exchange experiences and build meaningful professional networks. In his welcome address, he highlighted the growing complexity of ESG obligations across Europe and the increasing pressure on organisations to adopt integrated, business‑wide approaches to compliance, risk management and strategic planning. By underscoring the need for practical, grounded discussion rather than abstract theory, he set the tone for a programme designed to deliver actionable insight and foster collaboration among practitioners navigating a rapidly evolving ESG landscape.
Followed an opening brief delivered by PLMJ’s Managing Partner, Bruno Ferreira, who provided a concise yet comprehensive overview of the ESG priorities defining Portugal in 2026. He outlined the expanding influence of EU regulatory frameworks on corporate reporting, due diligence and governance, noting how these requirements are reshaping expectations around data quality, transparency and accountability. His remarks positioned ESG not as a peripheral concern but as a central driver of corporate behaviour, capital flows and long‑term competitiveness in the Portuguese market.
The first panel, moderated by João Marques Mendes, Partner at PLMJ and joined by Cláudia Teixeira de Almeida of Banco BPI, Nuno Moraes Bastos of GALP and Diogo Graça of REN, explored how corporate governance and sustainable finance are shaping Portugal’s energy transition. The discussion examined how boards and executive teams are adapting oversight structures to manage transition‑related risks and how legal, compliance, sustainability and procurement functions are increasingly intertwined in project governance. Panellists described the growing influence of financing structures on project execution, noting that lenders’ expectations around ESG metrics, contractor performance and transparency now shape governance decisions from the earliest stages. They also addressed the operational constraints that continue to challenge Portugal’s transition ambitions, including permitting timelines, grid capacity limitations and delivery risk. While acknowledging the complexity of EU‑level frameworks, speakers emphasised that these standards also present strategic opportunities to harmonise practices, unlock investment and strengthen Portugal’s competitive position in the energy transition.
Following a short break, the second panel turned to litigation, liability and the emerging enforcement era surrounding sustainability claims. Moderated by Raquel Azevedo, Partner at PLMJ and featuring contributions from Carla Góis Coelho of PLMJ, Carlos Martins Ferreira of Jerónimo Martins, Filipa Rodrigues Carmona of Caixa Geral de Depósitos and Céline da Graça Pires of NOVA, the session examined the rapid rise of ESG‑driven disputes, investigations and regulatory actions. Panellists discussed the typical trigger points for scrutiny, ranging from sustainability reports and corporate websites to marketing materials and investor presentations, and highlighted how these touchpoints are increasingly tested by regulators, competitors, consumers and NGOs. They analysed recent case law developments and their implications for Portuguese organisations, noting the emergence of more stringent evidentiary standards around disclosures and due‑diligence obligations. The panel concluded that sustainability claims can no longer be treated as aspirational messaging; they now carry the weight of binding legal obligations, requiring more rigorous internal validation and cross‑functional coordination.
The forum concluded with closing remarks from Francisco Castro, after which attendees were invited to continue their conversations over a light lunch, providing a relaxed setting to deepen connections and reflect on the themes explored throughout the morning.
Legal 500 extends its thanks to PLMJ for its collaboration in bringing this conference format to Portugal’s in‑house legal community. The team looks forward to returning soon for the launch event of this year’s GC Powerlist: Portugal.
