Mexico Rising Stars 2025
Supported by the Association of Corporate Counsel
Legal and compliance associate | Ainda Energía & Infraestructura
Legal markets vice president | Banco J.P. Morgan, Institución de Banca Múltiple
General counsel for specialised business | Grupo Nacional Provincial
OGC personal data protection manager | KPMG Cárdenas Dosal
Senior manager -corporate legal affairs and financing | Finsa
Chief of trademarks and contracts-– Electrolit legal department | Grupo Pisa
Senior aviation regulatory counsel | Volaris
Legal manager and head of data privacy LATAM | L’Oréal LATAM
Corporate legal manager - mergers and acquisitions | America movil
Associate general counsel and data protection officer, Mexico | Cinépolis
Sr. corporate attorney | International Motors Mexico
Intellectual property and food law manager | Danone de Mexico
Sr. legal manager – contracts, litigations, corporate and supply MÉXICO & CARCA – Core Reckitt | Nutrition | Reckitt/Mead Johnson
Licensing and permitting manager | Grupo Rotoplas
Legal finance manager – Middle Americas zone | Anheuser-Busch InBev
Lead counsel, regulatory, real estate and commercial affairs | General Motors de Mexico
Senior legal, ethics, compliance and quality director | Novo Nordisk
Office of general counsel- senior manager | KPMG Mexico
Head legal advisory officer, contracts, recoveries and legal partners | AXA Seguros
Vice president, legal real estate | Macquarie Asset Management
Head of intellectual property legal | Sigma Alimentos
Legal, environmental and regulatory coordinator | Grupo Peñoles
National regulatory affairs counsel | Banco Nacional de México (Banamex)
Senior vice president legal and ethics | Banco Nacional de México (Banamex)
Head of legal, corporate and commercial banking | Banco Sabadell, Institución de Banca Múltiple
Legal manager – mining and infrastructure | Peñoles Industries & Fresnillo
Associate general counsel and data protection officer, Mexico | Forvia
Head of legal – capital markets and contracts | Grupo Financiero Banorte
General counsel | Suntory Global Spirits
I am delighted to present the Mexico Rising Stars 2025.
This edition shines a spotlight on the next generation of legal talent driving innovation, excellence, and impact across Mexico’s in-house and private practice communities. Through this research, I have encountered lawyers who are redefining ambition—combining technical mastery with strategic thinking, agility, and a deep understanding of the evolving business environment.
Mexico’s rising stars are not only exceptional legal professionals; they are change-makers shaping the future of the profession. They bring fresh perspectives to complex challenges, champion collaboration, and embrace technology and innovation as tools to deliver greater value. Their work reflects the growing importance of adaptability, cross-functional insight, and leadership potential within the modern legal landscape.
Across sectors, these emerging leaders are influencing decisions at the highest levels, fostering ethical and sustainable practices, and positioning Mexico’s legal community at the forefront of regional and global transformation. Their achievements demonstrate that the future of law is being built today—by professionals who blend deep expertise with creativity, integrity, and purpose.
The Mexico Rising Stars 2025 celebrates this new generation of lawyers who are not just excelling within their organisations but are also shaping the next chapter of the country’s legal and business success story.
On behalf of The Legal 500, I am proud to recognise their accomplishments and to share their inspiring journeys as they continue to elevate Mexico’s legal community on the global stage.
Margherita Birri,
Research Editor
The Legal 500
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.
