Rising Stars Mexico 2022

Adriana Enríquez Jurado

Commerical legal manager | Daimler Trucks Mexico

Consumer products

Aislinn Flores Hernández

Associate general counsel | Banco Sabadell

Financials

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Ana Laura Villaneuva Vega

Executive legal director | Banco Mercantil del Norte (Banorte)

Financials

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Ana Paulina Romo Romero

Legal counsel | Philip Morris International

Food, beverages and tobacco

Anahí Aguilar

Commercial counsel | Google

Information technology

Andrea Villanueva-Villareal

Senior legal counsel | Comisión Federal de Electricidad

Energy and utilities

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Angel Ocampo Juarez

Senior legal partner | MetLife

Financials

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Anna Carolina Sepúlveda Salinas

Legal manager | FINSA

Industrials and real estate

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Blanca Luévano García

Director legal regulatory | AT&T Mexico

Telecommunication services

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Brian Hernandez Mendoza

Legal and Government Relationships – Senior Legal Counsel. | Samsung Electronics Mexico

Information technology

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Carolina Cárdenas

Legal counsel | Medtronic

Healthcare

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Celia Alejandra Gallardo Medina

Legal counsel manager | Henkel Capital

Consumer products

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Corinne Kathryn García Kane

LAD Deputy general counsel | Oracle

Information technology

Damian Gonzalez

In-house counsel | Shell

Energy and utilities

David Garza Villarreal

Senior legal manager | Heineken Mexico

Food, beverages and tobacco

Diego Cancino Kirchner

Senior legal advisor | Walmart

Consumer products

Ernesto Becerril

Senior legal counsel operations for the Americas | Patrón Spirits México - Grupo Bacardi

Food, beverages and tobacco

Fabiola Lama Navia

Gerente Jurídico | AXA Seguros

Financials

Felipe Pinedo

Senior legal counsel | RGIS

Consumer products

Fernando Luque

Legal counsel Mexico | The Wonderful Company

Consumer products

Fernando Onofre Gómez

Senior legal manager | ENGIE

Energy and utilities

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Francisco Meouchi Vázquez

Senior legal and commercial counsel - Mexico and Carribbean GE Power | GE Power

Energy and utilities

Gabriela Pérez Castro Ponce de León

Senior legal manager | Medtronic

Healthcare

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Gabriella Contreras

Senior legal counsel for Mexico and ethics compliance Latin America | Weatherford

Energy and utilities

Gerardo Camacho Fong

Legal manager and counsel | American Express

Financials

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Gerardo García-Téllez M.

Senior director government affairs LATAM | Abbott

Healthcare

Grisel Pacheco García

Legal counsel | Conagra Foods

Food, beverages and tobacco

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Gustavo Saab

Head of Legal, Mexico | Signify Mexico

Industrials and real estate

Héctor Salomón Galindo Alvarado

Group legal counsel - Region Americas | DNV

Commercial and professional services

Iker Buere Cantú

Head of legal and compliance - Mexico | Panasonic Mexico

Information technology

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Isaac Evangelista Garcia

Labour legal corporate manager | Servicios Administrativos Peñoles

Materials and mining

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Isabel Cossi Morán

Legal counsel for Mexico, Central America, Caribbean and Andean Region | Reckitt Benckiser

Consumer products

Itzú Martínez Calva

Corporate legal manager | Industrias Peñoles

Materials and mining

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Jaime Pintado

Legal associate | Irongate - Costa Palmas

Commercial and professional services

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Javier Rioja Jaimes

Assistant general counsel | Alsea

Hotels, restaurants and leisure

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Javier Torres Avalos

Associate legal counsel | Mexico Tower Partners

Information technology

Javier Villanueva Walbey

Legal manager strategic projects and litigation | Estafeta Mexicana

Transport and infrastructure

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Jennifer Martinez

Senior legal director | Nike

Consumer products

Jessica Chávez

Senior lawyer | DiDi

Information technology

Jessica Mejía Franco

Head of financial services legal support | Sura Asset Management México

Financials

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Jessica Paola Vaugier islas

Senior corporate legal counsel, Mexico and Central America | Deloitte Mexico

Commercial and professional services

Jesús Eleazar Herrera Ruiz

Deputy director of labour | Grupo DeAcero

Commercial and professional services

Jesus Serrano

Legal manager | Sonder

Transport and infrastructure

Jhahyr Suárez Ferráez Athié

Contract and legal senior regional manager - México, Central America, Caribbean and Andean Region | Reckitt Benckiser / Mead Johnson

Consumer products

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Jorge A. Martínez y López

Talent, Marketing and Music Head Counsel | TelevisaUnivision

Sports and media

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Jorge Echagaray Rivera

Legal partner director | MetLife

Financials

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José Luis Álvarez

Regional legal counsel | Veolia Mexico

Energy and utilities

José Rodrigo Fonseca Bernard

Contracts and new business manager (legal) | PISA Farmacéutica

Transport and infrastructure

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Juan Jose Margain Treviño

Senior legal counsel and compliance specialist | Vanguard

Financials

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Juan Pablo Villela

Director Ejecutivo Jurídico Bursátil y Contratos | Grupo Financiero Banorte

Financials

Karen Orivio

Legal senior manager | Novartis México

Healthcare

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Karina Sol

Associate general counsel Mexico - Latin America | Celanese

Materials and mining

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Karla Castillo Estrada

Legal manager - mining and energy | Grupo Peñoles

Materials and mining

Laura Berazaluce Charles

Legal manager | Forvia

Consumer products

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Lilia Alejandra Ibarra Moreno

Legal manager | Federación Mexicana de Fútbol

Sports and media

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Luis Arturo Silva

Legal and compliance counsel | Holcim

Materials and mining

Luis Enrique Gris Merlin

Coordinador legal | DHL Express Mexico

Transport and infrastructure

Luis Lauro González Martínez

Legal director - transactional | Finsa

Industrials and real estate

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María José Ricalde Martínez

Legal counsel | Prologis

Industrials and real estate

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María Luisa Licón Holguín

Senior counsel for Mexico | Marathon Petroleum Corporation

Energy and utilities

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Mariana Avalos Uribe

Senior legal counsel | Apple

Information technology

Mariana Bermudez

Corporate legal counsel | Bosch Mexico

Industrials and real estate

Mariana Conss Michel

Associate counsel – Latin America legal department | Kyndryl México

Information technology

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Mariel Fuentes Zecaida

Associate general counsel | Nexteer Automotive

Consumer products

Marlon Eduardo Bernal Bravo

Legal manager | RLH Properties

Industrials and real estate

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Mauricio Hernández A.

Senior manager, global privacy, Mexico | Johnson & Johnson

Healthcare

Max Millan

Corporate legal manager | Volkswagen

Consumer products

Miguel Angel Morales

Senior legal counsel | Huawei

Information technology

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Myriam Andonie

Vice president and legal counsel, Mexico and Central America | Swiss Re

Financials

Nallely Flores Rodríguez

Gerente Corporativo Jurídico Ambiental y Contencioso | Servicios Administrativos Peñoles

Materials and mining

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Nancy Martínez Rodríguez

Senior legal manager | El Palacio de Hierro

Consumer products

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Natalia Garcia Quintero

Associate legal director | Colgate-Palmolive

Consumer products

Navil A. Mendoza Olaya

Corporate and compliance attorney | The American School Foundation

Non-profit / public sector

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Nubia Morales

Senior legal counsel for Latin America | Iron Mountain Mexico

Commercial and professional services

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Paola Andrea Saavedra

Legal and compliance director | Webhelp

Information technology

Paulina Gabriela Ramírez Peralvillo

Employee relations generalist | H&M

Consumer products

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Paulina Trujillo

Legal director | PepsiCo

Food, beverages and tobacco

Pedro Romano Bardales

Corporate legal director | Grupo Modelo

Food, beverages and tobacco

Ramiro Vega

Legal manager Mexico | O-I

Materials and mining

Raúl López González

Senior legal manager | Engie

Energy and utilities

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Regina Vega Alcántara

Legal counsel | Klar

Financials

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Ricardo Vargas

Senior legal counsel | The Home Depot

Consumer products

Roberto Domínguez Velázquez

Senior legal counsel | Manpower Group

Commercial and professional services

Roberto Fraustro Sánchez

Corporate counsel | Irongate - Costa Palmas

Industrials and real estate

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Roberto Monroy Fernandez

Legal manager and local compliance officer | Nordex Group

Energy and utilities

Roberto Priego de Bascarán

Corporate legal director | Grupo Traxión

Transport and infrastructure

Rodrigo Flores Manzanedo

Director and head of legal, Mexico | WeWork

Industrials and real estate

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Rodrigo Martinez

Legal manager for Mexico, Central America and the Carribbean | General Motors

Financials

Rodrigo Sanchez-Mujica

Director of regulatory affairs | Mastercard

Financials

Salvador Barragán

Legal counsel manager | KPMG Mexico

Commercial and professional services

Samantha Marcos Arrieta

Senior legal counsel | Element Fleet

Commercial and professional services

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Sandra Breida Alvarado Quintero

Gerente divisional contencioso de la dirección jurídica de Grupo Coppel | Grupo Coppel

Consumer products

Santiago Soldevilla Gutiérrez

Senior legal counsel | RLH Properties

Industrials and real estate

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Sara Laura Garza

Director and legal counsel | Magna International

Consumer products

Sergio Barragan

Senior legal director and trademark counsel for LatAm | PepsiCo

Food, beverages and tobacco

Vanessa Manrique

Senior legal counsel | GE Healthcare

Healthcare

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Veronica Alin Godinez Cuevas

Legal counsel and contracts and claim manager | Siemens

Industrials and real estate

Vicente Méndez Alegría

Associate general counsel, commercial banking | Banco Sabadell

Financials

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Yanette Gutiérrez Zuñiga

Legal counsel | IBM

Information technology

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Yessica Centeno Resendiz

Senior legal counsel | HSBC

Financials

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It was an honour to lead the research for The Legal 500 GC Powerlist: Rising Stars Mexico 2022, which highlights promising in-house counsel based in Mexico. This edition features in-house lawyers well on their way to being at the top of their field and is an offshoot from our usual research in Mexico; The GC Powerlist Mexico, a publication identifying senior in-house counsel within Mexico. Interviews in this edition spotlight the support up-and-coming lawyers give their legal functions, and the risks that organisations are facing post-pandemic and the legal team’s contribution to their circumvention.

Despite the overall uncertainty of global and local markets, esteemed counsel in this publication were delighted to share their respective successes in assisting their organisations. In the words of manager and counsel at American Express, Gerardo Camacho Fong, ‘A successful in-house counsel needs to have a 360° vision; this means that they can provide support to the business, while understanding their needs and priorities. They must consider not only the legal and regulatory requirements, but also bear in mind the customer experience, and reputational risk, among other things.’ Stressing on the legal team’s significance within their organisations, Jaime Pintado, legal associate at Costa Palmas comments, ‘Business has never been more interlinked with the legal department.’

Looking forward, Nanelly Flores Rodriguez, the corporate, legal, and environmental manager at Grupo Peñoles says the aim in her legal department, ‘…is to create an environment of trust and mutual respect that allows the team to be highly productive, able to communicate, cooperate and innovate.’ Roberto Fraustro Sanchez, legal counsel at Klar also includes that the attitude of the legal team is vital as, ‘it is essential that all members of the legal team have a thorough understanding of the business to which the company is engaged.’

On the topic of business post-pandemic in Mexico, Rodrigo Flores Manzanedo, director and head of legal sheds some light on the state-of-play at WeWork, ‘The pandemic was a difficult time for us. We quickly went from a promising business in Mexico to having the lowest historic occupancy in our buildings, and then starring one of the greatest comeback stories in the business world, surpassing our highest historic occupancy in record time.’ There is a general sentiment of flexibility and dedication from in-house lawyers in this edition, as they work within this volatile period. There is much change to the regulatory and economic landscape of business in Mexico, especially due to global supply chain issues and immense, and sometimes conflicting, regulation from the government.

Mexico is also no exception to the ESG policies which are shaping other companies globally. Anna Carolina Sepúlveda Salinas, legal manager of FINSA admits ‘applying these non-financial factors [ESG] to identify material risks is always a challenge and with the help of my business partners, we are constantly analysing and improving our compliance policies, that will guide and lead the way to better and more innovating practices, boosting economic development and sustainability.’

I would like to congratulate all in-house counsel featured in this publication, on this amazing feat of joining hundreds of Powerlisters, across the globe in chalking up this achievement. The in-house community in Mexico has always been a delight to research, because of the willingness to engage with us and their characteristic warmth.

Melissa Yebisi | Lead researcher GC Powerlist Mexico Rising Stars 2022