Peru 2023
Supported by the Association of Corporate Counsel
Legal, compliance and ESG vice president | CAMPOSOL
Legal director of Peru, director of integrity and compliance Latin America | Adecco Perú
Compliance officer for Peru and Ecuador | A.P. Moller - Maersk
Chief legal counsel and compliance officer | Marsh McLennan
Head of legal and compliance | Bosch (BSH Electrodomésticos SAC)
Legal head - procedural and regulatory affairs | Corporación Primax
Chief legal counsel - projects, business and compliance | Urbanova Inmobiliaria
Legal vice president and corporate secretary | Scotiabank Peru
Legal and corporate affairs manager | Sky Peru
Legal and natural resources manager | Southern Peru Copper Corporation
Director of government affairs, Andean South Region | Microsoft
General counsel and compliance officer Perú | Hochschild Mining
Manager of legal affairs and corporate relations | Arca Continental Lindley
Legal and corporate affairs manager | Inca Rail, a Carlyle group company
Legal corporate manager | Grupo Intercorp
Corporate vice president and general counsel | Grupo Intercorp
General counsel and secretary to the board | Banco de la Nación
Legal manager and normative compliance officer | ICBC Peru Bank
Legal and compliance manager | San Miguel Industrias
Legal and corporate affairs manager | AMG – Auplata Mining Group Peru
General counsel Peru and chief complaince officer regional Latin America and Peru | Repsol
Legal and corporate compliance analyst | Cementos Pacasmayo
Vice president of compliance and legal counsel | Banco Pichincha
Legal director and corporate affairs | Urbanova Inmobiliaria
Head of legal Perú | Angloamerican Perú (Quellaveco Operation)
General counsel and board secretary | CGIAR International Potato Center (CIP)
Head of LCA I&N, market, services and Enel X Perú | Enel Distribución Perú
Legal manager | National Confederation of Private Business Institutions (CONFIEP)
Legal and compliance manager, general counsel | Compañía de Minas Buenaventura
Manager of the legal and the general secretariat division | Banco GNB Perú
Focus on: The career of Miguel Angel Raygada Castillo Miguel Angel Raygada Castillo graduated from the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru, and is a recognised expert in financial regulation, legal...
It was a particular honour to lead the research for The Legal 500 GC Powerlist: Peru, 2023, covering the best in-house legal talent within the region. The great enthusiasm of the lawyers that we spoke to was outstanding and inspiring, but the sheer level of innovative work that has been carried out in this region is even more spectacular. Interviews in this edition touch on the challenges that esteemed counsel have faced in the past year, the impact of technological advancement on legal work, and causes, business related or otherwise, that the in-house lawyers are passionate about.
In-house counsel in this edition shared their biggest struggles of the past years, and the ways that they overcome such struggles, highlighting their immense ability to be flexible and adapt to the fast-changing legal and economic environment. This was emphasised by Carlos Zapata Zegarra, head of legal and compliance at Bosch (BSH Electrodomésticos SAC), who stated that, ‘On top of the non-optimal worldwide context, the political crisis in Peru and the region, in general, led us to massive challenges.’ Raúl Pizarro, legal director at Backus Corporative highlighted the challenges of the ever-evolving role of in-house legal counsel, stating that ‘The in-house legal department of a large corporation is no longer classified as a back-office service, our role is clearly leading, our internal clients need us on the front line, by their side, actively participating in business decision-making, identifying risks, managing contingencies and promptly activating the measures envisioned by law to keeping active the license to operate and commercialise.’
In spite of the overall uncertainty of global and local markets following the Covid-19 pandemic, esteemed counsel in this publication were delighted to share how technological advancements will benefit the role of in-house counsel in the near future. Javier Durand Planas, general counsel of Cementos Pacasmayo, emphasised this point, stating that ‘AI and machine learning will definitely continue to help in the automation of legal processes for instance through smart contracts, which will automate repetitive and low-complexity tasks, enabling legal teams to focus on more strategic and complex issues.’ However, this advancement does not come without potential challenges, as emphasised by Patricia Kosa Muñoz, legal and compliance director at Gold Fields La Cima, who stated that ‘These advancements may introduce new challenges such as data privacy and cybersecurity concerns. As legal professionals, we must remain abreast of legal and regulatory changes in the technology space and utilise our knowledge to provide guidance to the company.’
In-house counsel also took the time to share a cause, business related or otherwise, that they care about and why. The answers to this question were truly insightful, showing the passions and personality of the in-house lawyers in Peru. Responses included gender equality, ESG, diversity and inclusion, and health and safety within the business.
We would like to congratulate and thank all the in-house counsel featured in this edition on their incredible achievements in the legal industry, and on joining the list of hundreds of the most trusted, effective and innovative in-house lawyers across the globe. It was a pleasure to speak to all included and gain insight into the markets of Peru.
Elena Lewis | Lead researcher: GC Powerlist Peru 2023
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.
