Spain: Latam Specialists 2022 – GC Powerlist
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Spain: Latam Specialists 2022

Supported by the Association of Corporate Counsel

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  • Industries

  • Powerlist

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Alejandro Rincón Nieto

Chief legal officer | Almar Water Solutions

Energy and utilities

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Casandra Alonso-Misol Gerlache

General counsel | Grupo Iberconsa

Food

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David Bürger

Legal department manager | GAM

Industrials and real estate

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David López Medina

Board secretary and head of legal | J. García Carión

Food

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Eva Argilés

General counsel | Applus+

Energy and utilities

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Fernando V. Beguiristáin Muruzábal

Global general counsel | Acciona Concesiones

Energy and utilities

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Gerardo Codes Calatrava

Business and global coordination legal director, secretary of the compliance and audit committee | Iberdrola

Energy and utilities

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Jaime de Rivera López de Letona

Legal director | Acciona Construcción

Industrials and real estate

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Javier Ilescas

 Group head of corporate legal and vice-secretary of the board  | Banco Santander

Financials

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José María Balboa

General counsel – Spain and Latam | Inetum

Information technology

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Juan Vales

Legal director | Mapre Asistencia

Financials

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Leandro Meneses

General counsel | Duro Felguera

Industrials and real estate

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Manuel Morales Zapata

Director of legal advice and internal audit | Grupo Central Lechera Asturiana

Food, beverages and tobacco

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Margarita Mínguez Martín

General counsel international | Veepee Group

Consumer products

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María Sánchez

Legal counsel | Acciona

Energy and utilities

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María José López Lorenzo

Legal director | Liga Nacional de Fútbol

Sports and media

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María Juliana Muci Richa

Global counsel - regulatory compliance and disputes | Spotify

Information technology

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Miguel Perea-Milla

General counsel and head of compliance | Eurodivisas

Financials

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Nerea Llona

Tax and legal counsel – Spain and Latin America | Utmost Weath Solutions

Financials

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Ondřej Ležatka

Group legal counsel | Urban Developers and Investors

Industrials and real estate

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Pablo Pozuelo de Felipe

Head of legal department | Rover Grupo

Transport and infrastructure

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Patricio Morenes Hoyos

Global deputy general counsel, global corporate legal director, director to the board of directors | Distribuidora Internacional de Alimentación

Consumer products

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Santiago González Pérez

Director and employment law counsel | American Express

Financials

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Santiago Martínez Garrido

General secretary and first deputy secretary | Iberdrola

Energy and utilities

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Timo Matthias Spitzer

Head of legal corporate and investment banking Germany | Banco Santander

Financials

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Zahorí Martínez Calva

General counsel | Siemens Mobility

Transport and infrastructure

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Alberto Herrero

Secretary of the board | Air Nostrum

Transport and infrastructure

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Alberto Llompart

General counsel, chief legal officer | Iberostar Group

Hotels, restaurants and leisure

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Alicia Puebla

Head of legal | BP

Energy and utilities

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Ana Garcia Rodriguez

General counsel and global corporate secretary | Kuxtabank

Financials

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Anna Trallero

Vice president of legal affairs | Cabify

Information technology

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Antonio Guillamon

Legal counsel | Sacyr Concesiones

Transport and infrastructure

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Antonio Navas

Assistant global general counsel | Nissan Motor Co

Consumer products

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Antonio Redondo Monsalve

General counsel | Mutua Madrileña

Financials

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Belen Dominguez Domech

Head of global legal department | Minsait

Information technology

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Belén Molina

Legal counsel | Kronos

Commercial and professional services

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Carlos López Martín de Blas

Secretary general and global head of legal | Grupo Secuoya

Commercial and professional services

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Diego Trillo

Director legal and corporate affairs | Enagás

Energy and utilities

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Elena Roldán

Secretary of the board | AENA

Transport and infrastructure

Enrique Sánchez

Head of legal | Avanza

Financials

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Gabriel Pretus

In-house lawyer | DISA

Energy and utilities

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Guillermo Damiá Díaz-Plaja

General counsel | Samsung

Consumer products

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Ignacio Redondo

General counsel | Caixabank

Financials

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Jaime Pérez Renovales

Secretary of the Board / General Counsel | Santander

Financials

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Javier Telleria

Legal counsel | Acciona Agua

Energy and utilities

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Javier Usero Fernández

Legal director Spain and Latam | Intelcia

Commercial and professional services

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José Eduardo Álvarez-Naveiro Sánchez

General manager corporate governance and legal affairs, secretary of the board | Abanca

Financials

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José Felipe Gómez de Barreda

General Counsel | Globalvia

Transport and infrastructure

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Juan Stembert

Legal counsel | Aldesa

Industrials and real estate

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Julio Acinas Villanueva

Legal director Spain and Latam | Saur

Energy and utilities

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Laura De Rivera

Directora de regulacion y servicios juridicos | Grupo Red Electrica

Energy and utilities

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Leyre Navarrete

In-house counsel | Accem

Non-profit / public sector

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Leyre Navarro Aranda

General Counsel | FCC Construcción

Industrials and real estate

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Lidia Barrera

Head of legal and secretary of the Board | Unidad Editorial

Sports and media

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María Jesús Arribas

Global head of legal | BBVA

Financials

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María Rodríguez Pardo

Head of legal - Iberia | Schweppes

Consumer products

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Marisa García Camarero

Head of legal and secretary of the Board | Sareb

Financials

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Matthias Grupp

General counsel and secretary board of directors | Olympic Broadcasting services

Sports and media

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Mónica Ramírez

Inhouse Lawyer | Hoteles Royale - NH Hoteles

Hotels, restaurants and leisure

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Natalia Bódalo Lozano

Head of legal exploration and production | CEPSA

Energy and utilities

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Nieves Polanco

Senior legal counsel | Sacyr Concesiones

Industrials and real estate

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Pablo de Carvajal González

General counsel and regulatory affairs | Telefónica

Telecommunication services

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Pelayo Delgado

Head of legal affairs | Telefónica

Telecommunication services

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Pilar Acacio

Head of legal | Renovalia

Energy and utilities

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Rafael Sanmartin

Legal counsel | Grupo SanJose

Industrials and real estate

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Rubén Delgado Corral

M&A and corporate legal counsel | NTT Data

Information technology

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Sandra Perles

Head of legal | Baleària

Transport and infrastructure

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Simona Scelfo

Director, regional counsel Latam | Stryker

Healthcare

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Teresa González Ercoreca

Lead counsel spain and latam | Micro Focus

Information technology

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Vicente José Noguera Hernández

Head of legal | Iberdrola Mexico

Energy and utilities

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Víctor Amado Garcia

Regional general counsel Latam | SoftwareONE

Information technology

Leading research for the maiden edition of The Legal 500 GC Powerlist Spain: Latin America Specialists was a great honour. It was characterised by a high level of engagement, a variety of extensive interviews and an opportunity to identify and liaise with Latin America specialists based in Spain and beyond. I am certainly appreciative of the time spared by these brilliant in-house lawyers to share their plans for their organisations and the investments and transactions they are leading their companies through in Latin America.

Against a backdrop of vast political and regulatory changes in Latin America, GCs are committed to reinforcing their company’s presence within Latin America. In the words of Alejandro Rincón Nieto, chief legal officer of Almar Water Solutions, ‘we will maintain our investment targets, provided the exchange rates and inflation compared to dollar remains assumable, and regulatory changes, like in Chile and Perú, do not harm carrying out business in the country.’ Other GCs such as the group legal counsel of Urban Developers and Investors, agreed with the sentiments about their organisation’s plans too, ‘Urban Developers and Investors are actively looking for new potential projects in Costa Rica, Panama and Colombia with the aim of extending our presence in the region.’

Moreover, many general counsel interviewed confirmed that the context of the pandemic had given them unique challenges doing business in Latin America. The majority of interviews were characterised by GC’s innovative solutions to handling the gravity of the effects of the pandemic on the region, such as contractual shielding to protect their organisations. Succinctly put by David Burger, the legal department manager of GAM, ‘our strategy consists of inorganic growth taking advantage of the global market situation, focusing our operational growth on businesses without capex, especially the distribution, maintenance and training line of business and limiting our exposure to risk through contractual shielding of our commercial relationships.’

Despite the political and economic volatility that countries in Latin America experience, GCs in this edition of The Legal 500 GC Powerlist Spain: Latin America Specialists 2022 remain committed to leading their companies through hefty investments into the region. The relationship between Spain and Latin America remains fertile, with efforts being directed to increasing hiring efforts and interest in incorporating support from local companies. In the words of the director of legal advice and internal audit of CAPSA, Manual Morales Zapata, ‘We consider the LaAm market of maximum interest. We intend to continue the existing operations with the same clients and interlocutors, whom we already know, and to go little by little to increase the market.’

Summarily, these interviews conducted allowed for a brilliant and sound publication which sheds light on challenges in doing business in Latin America, pioneering solutions to these challenges and focuses on the historic relationship between the Latin American region and Spain.

We are glad to have such an esteemed list of leading legal professionals actively participating in this publication. It was such a pleasure to hear their highlights in their line of work and encapsulate their motivation in this publication. Tonight, they join hundreds of legal professionals globally located, in being recognised as Latin America Specialists in Spain and beyond. Congratulations to all the brilliant, innovative leading in-house counsel of The Legal 500 GC Powerlist Spain: Latin America Specialists 2022!

Melissa Yebisi| Research Analyst

GC Summit: Brazil 2025

The Legal 500 Brazil Forum gathered a distinguished cohort of legal professionals, business leaders, and regulatory experts for a full day of thought leadership, collaboration, and strategic dialogue in São Paulo. As Brazil enters a new chapter of regulatory transformation and economic complexity, the forum provided a timely and comprehensive platform to examine the legal developments shaping the country’s business environment—both domestically and in the global arena.

The day began with a warm welcome from The Legal 500, who underscored the forum’s mission: to foster meaningful discussions around the critical legal and commercial shifts currently defining Brazil’s future.

Opening the programme was a compelling panel focused on the intersection of intellectual property and data protection, supported by Lefosse Advogados. Drawing lessons from the life sciences, data infrastructure, and technology sectors, the session explored how these once-separate domains are now deeply intertwined, and how legal departments must adopt integrated strategies to manage risk and drive innovation. Speakers highlighted the pressing need for future-proofed governance structures capable of withstanding regulatory volatility and technological disruption.

The conversation then moved into the fast-evolving world of artificial intelligence in corporate investigations. In a session shaped by Iokoi advogados, panellists examined how AI is transforming evidence gathering, fraud detection, and legal analysis. The use of advanced technologies to enhance investigatory efficiency and minimise human error was a central theme, with participants calling for careful balancing between innovation, privacy, and ethical oversight.

Demarest Advogados supported the following panel, which tackled one of the most significant legal shifts in recent Brazilian history: tax reform. With the country undertaking a sweeping overhaul of its tax regime—including the consolidation of indirect taxes into a VAT-like system—speakers analysed both the immediate and long-term implications for businesses. The discussion was grounded in practicality, focusing on compliance readiness, corporate restructuring, and the transitional challenges that in-house legal teams must now navigate.

In collaboration with TozziniFreire Advogados, the spotlight then turned to agribusiness, a sector at the heart of Brazil’s economy. This panel addressed the pressing challenges posed by both tariff and non-tariff trade barriers, with particular attention to environmental compliance, traceability, and international market access. While regulatory constraints were a recurring concern, the session also explored how these challenges can give rise to new opportunities for innovation and market differentiation within the sector.

After the lunch break, the agenda resumed with an urgent and timely session on crisis management, presented with the support of Veirano Advogados. From product recalls and data breaches to regulatory probes and environmental incidents, panellists drew from real-world experience to build a 360-degree framework for crisis readiness. Prevention, internal communications, stakeholder management, and reputational recovery were all addressed, providing legal leaders with a strategic toolkit for navigating high-stakes scenarios.

The final panel of the day, held in partnership with Cascione Advogados, explored strategic planning in an increasingly competitive and uncertain landscape. Against a backdrop of tax reform, global trade frictions, and shifting political alliances, the discussion centred on risk mitigation, adaptability, and long-term value creation. Speakers shared how legal teams can play a proactive role in shaping business strategy amid regulatory upheaval, turning legal foresight into competitive advantage.

As the event came to a close, guests gathered for drinks and canapés—an elegant and convivial end to a day marked by rich dialogue, expert insight, and meaningful connection.