Uruguay 2024 – GC Powerlist
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Uruguay 2024

Supported by the Association of Corporate Counsel

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  • Industries

  • Powerlist

Alejandra García Bizzozzero

Adscripta a la gerencia in Banca Mayorista | Banco Itaú Uruguay

Financials

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Alejandro Dario Rataus

Legal manager Southern Cone | Unilever

Consumer products

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Alejandro Kavedjian

Chief compliance officer | Puente Corredor de Bolsa

Commercial and professional services

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Alejandro Rey Jiménez de Aréchaga

Legal counsel | Pluspetrol Uruguay

Energy and utilities

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Betania Silvera Perdomo

Legal coordinator of financial alliances and resource mobilisation | CAF – Banco de Desarrollo de América Latina y el Caribe

Financials

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Carolina Rodriguez Zunino

Deputy general counsel | Corporación América Airports

Transport and infrastructure

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Catherine Romang

Legal and compliance manager of Uruguayan operation | CBC INTL (Grupo Mariposa)

Food

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Cecilia Rodriguez

Senior Counsel (lead counsel/legal manager for Paraguay) - Chief Compliance Officer | Peninsula Investments Group

Commercial and professional services

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Diego Slinger

In-house counsel and business development manager | Scanntech

Information technology

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Federico Gianero López

Legal manager | SACEEM

Industrials and real estate

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Florencia Mesa Dupuy

Gerente de Legales, Compliance y Asuntos Regulatorios | GDN UY

Consumer products

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Ginamaría Miglino

Legal manager | Pilay Uruguay Administradora de Fondos de Inversión

Financials

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Gonzalo Inciarte Larraín

Senior legal manager | Techint Group

Industrials and real estate

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Joaquin Idoyaga Larrañaga

Corporate Vice-President Legal, Compliance, Operational Risk, and Information Technology | SURA Asset Management

Commercial and professional services

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Johanna Atala

Senior Legal Counsel/ Security Services Iberoamerica | Securitas Uruguay

Commercial and professional services

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Jonathan Clovin

Vice president - head of legal | Qubika

Information technology

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José Gabriel Lima Eízaga

Corporate lawyer | Winterbotham Fiduciaria Administradora de Fondos de Inversion

Commercial and professional services

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José Juan Gari Schauricht

Director of legal, risk and compliance | Aiva

Financials

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Lucía Estrada Echevarría

Head of legal, sustainability and corporate affairs | Softys Uruguay

Consumer products

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Lucia Ottati

Legal and corporate affairs manager | Coca-Cola FEMSA

Food, beverages and tobacco

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Natalia Morales

Legal, risk and compliance director | Securitas Uruguay

Commercial and professional services

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Nicolás Barizo Peyre

Head of legal department | Greenock Trust

Financials

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Nicole Borensztejn Beja

In-house legal counsel | Scanntech

Information technology

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Sebastián Pérez

CEO | Valo

Commercial and professional services

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Vanessa Malcolm

Head of legal department | Megalabs

Healthcare

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Veronica Burgueño

General counsel | Henderson & Cía - Tienda Inglesa

Consumer products

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Agustina Perez Comenale

In-house lawyer | Binance

Information technology

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Ana Inés Cancelo

Legal director | Grupo Perez Companc

Commercial and professional services

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Ana Inés Terra Ortiz de Taranco

Corporate lawyer | Christophersen

Transport and infrastructure

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Ana Nocetti Herrera

Director of legal affairs and compliance | Seguros Sura

Insurance

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Andrea Celabe Haro

Director of legal affairs | HRU – Codere (Maroñas Entertainment)

Hotel

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Andrés Rosenbaum

In-house lawyer | Roemmers

Healthcare

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Augusto Formento

General counsel and contract manager - compliance officer | CIEMSA

Industrials and real estate

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Barbara Musso del Olmo

General counsel | BBVA

Financials

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Belén Sosa Hontou

General counsel | Datanomik

Commercial and professional services

Bruno Bertolotti

Head of legal, compliance and public policy lead - Uruguay, Bolivia & Paraguay | Roche International

Healthcare

Bruno Bertolotti is head of legal and compliance, and leads the policy team at Roche for Uruguay, Bolivia and Paraguay. He has over 13 years of experience working in the...

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Carolina Gil

In-house lawyer | Montes del Plata

Materials and mining

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Carolina María Herrera Otero

Legal director and insitutional relations | Corporación América

Financials

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Carolina Secondo Maglia

Head of legal | AstroPay

Information technology

Cecilia Faget

Abogada principal y coordinadora dirección de asuntos legales de tesorería y pasivos | CAF – Banco de Desarrollo de América Latina y el Caribe

Financials

Cecilia’s professional practice has focused on corporate, contractual, banking, and financial markets areas. She has advised various national, international, and multilateral companies on matters related to the capital markets, including...

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Cecilia Larrosa Fernández

Legal affairs manager | Nuevo Manantial

Energy and utilities

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Daisy Sonderegger

Latam legal affairs manager | TERUMO Blood and Cell Technologies

Healthcare

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Federico Ferri

Chief risk officer | Julius Baer

Commercial and professional services

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Florencia Fraga

Lawyer | Banco Itaú Uruguay

Financials

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Gastón Tarabal Villa

General counsel | Peninsula Investments Group

Commercial and professional services

Gaston is the general counsel of Peninsula Investments Group. He has over 14 years of experience, earned his L.L.M. from Columbia University (New York) and his J.D. from the Universidad...

Gonzalo López Adib

Head of Legal, External Communications, GTM and B2C | Equifax

Financials

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Ignacio Posada Leguísamo

Legal and contract management manager | Consorcio Constructor Ferrocarril Central

Transport and infrastructure

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Ismael Pignatta Sánchez

Director of legal affairs and compliance | BALUMA (HOTEL CONRAD)

Hotel

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Joaquin Urioste Arnaude

Head of legal and compliance | Stiler

Industrials and real estate

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Juliana Gutiérrez

In-house lawyer | Carlos Gutiérrez

Consumer products

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Karina Moizo

Legal director | Porto Seguro

Commercial and professional services

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Laura Berkman

Legal manager | CAFAM Administradora de activos de Uruguay

Administrative Body

Laura Kotsachis

Lawyer - director of corporate affairs | Compañia Salus

Food

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Leandro Mestre

In-house lawyer | Grupo Marfrig

Food

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Leticia Lago

Director of institutional relations and regulation | Telefonica Uruguay

Telecommunication services

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Lorenzo Franzini Baitler

Director of legal affairs | Perficient Latin America

Information technology

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Lucía Rocca

Director - compliance and operational risk control | UBS Financial Services

Financials

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Luciano Cabana

Director de servicios corporativos | Ingener

Commercial and professional services

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Manuel Cal

Legal counsel | Gletir Corredor de Bolsa

Financials

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Marcelo Díaz

COO | KASZEK

Commercial and professional services

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María José Echinope Poeymiró

Legal fintech specialist | Mercado Libre

Information technology

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Marta Bentancor

General counsel | HSBC Bank Uruguay

Financials

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Martín Gómez Radío

In-house legal counsel | Scotiabank

Financials

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Matías Gómez

Legal director | COFCO International

Food

Mercedes Otegui Carrasco

Legal manager | Compañía Forestal Uruguaya (COFUSA and Urufor)

Industrials and real estate

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Nicolas Castellano Gard

Corporate lawyer | COUSA

Food

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Nicolás Horta Aguinaga

Gerente de legales y de seguros | Teyma Uruguay

Industrials and real estate

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Pilar Aguerrebere Orozco

Director of legal and compliance | Linde

Materials and mining

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Romina Romero Valdéz

Gerenta de asuntos legales y secretaria general | MAPFRE Uruguay

Insurance

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Sofía Anza

Legal director | Tenfield

Sports and media

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Soledad Rodríguez

Legal director | Los Nietitos

Food

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Valentina Larrobla Ugarte

Head of legal and compliance | Banque Heritage

Financials

I am thrilled to present, on behalf of The Legal 500, the latest edition of the GC Powerlist: Uruguay. This eagerly awaited publication celebrates the exceptional achievements of the nation’s leading in-house lawyers.

This edition showcases the significant impact of in-house counsel on businesses in Uruguay, emphasising their expertise, leadership, and unwavering dedication to excellence. This year’s edition celebrates their remarkable achievements and inventive strategies as they navigate an ever more intricate and demanding landscape.

Readers will find detailed profiles and exclusive interviews with the most esteemed and influential in-house lawyers from diverse industries in Uruguay. These professionals exhibit remarkable expertise in shaping legal strategy, managing risks, and delivering strategic guidance to their organisations. Their accomplishments not only serve as an inspiration to the legal community but also highlight the crucial role in-house lawyers play in driving their companies’ business strategies and overall success.

Our research focused on highlighting the pivotal role of legal departments in safeguarding their organisations against instability and crises. As José Juan Gari Schauricht, Director of Legal, Risk, and Compliance at Aiva, notes, “I view crises as opportunities for organisational growth. For legal, compliance, and risk management teams, they represent moments to shine in environments where other departments, such as sales, often take the spotlight. To excel, it is crucial to align with the company’s overarching strategy and senior management. Understanding business objectives allows us to identify potential risks before they arise and to regularly develop and update crisis scenarios. Furthermore, outlining possible issues and integrating action plans within the organisation’s overall crisis management strategy is imperative. During a crisis, teamwork and communication—both internal and external—are essential, alongside ensuring compliance and collaboration across teams. Strong leadership skills, in conjunction with legal expertise, are crucial for maintaining stability.

Our findings also emphasise the ongoing need for enhanced risk assessment and management, as well as improved communication with other departments to build organisational resilience. Carolina Rodríguez Zunino, Deputy General Counsel at Corporación América Airports, aptly describes the situation: “The legal landscape can shift rapidly during crises, often due to significant changes in legislation or the introduction of urgent regulations. I prioritise flexibility in our legal strategies and continuously map the situation in the countries where we operate, evaluating how our peers are responding […] It is also crucial to share as much information as possible with our team and colleagues in other areas, as well as to clarify the rationale behind significant decisions or those affecting the team or the company. Ultimately, collaborating closely with management ensures our legal approaches align with the company’s objectives, contributing to resilience and long-term success.”

Within this publication, readers will find exclusive content addressing various pertinent topics and challenges faced by Uruguay-based in-house lawyers and their teams. Through their experiences and insights, we aim to provide a comprehensive overview of the legal landscape in Uruguay, highlighting the indispensable role played by in-house legal teams.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all the featured in-house lawyers for their invaluable contributions and for generously sharing their professional journeys with us. We are proud to present this distinguished list, showcasing Uruguay’s most outstanding, dedicated, and celebrated in-house lawyers.

Sara Maggi| Deputy Editor – The Legal 500 GC Powerlist Series 

GC Powerlist: East Africa 2025

Legal 500 was proud to host the second edition of the GC Powerlist: East Africa 2025 in Nairobi, honouring the top General Counsel, Chief Legal Officers, Legal Directors, and senior in-house legal professionals across Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Rwanda. This year’s reception brought together over 100 of the most influential and innovative corporate counsel from the region, and was an unrivalled success, cementing Legal 500’s role as the leading voice in recognising in-house legal excellence across Africa.

The evening was opened by Joe Boswell, lead editor of the GC Powerlist publication at Legal 500, who highlighted the growing prestige of the East Africa edition and the increasing challenge of selecting honourees from such a deep (and rapidly growing) pool of talent.

Guests were then treated to some particularly relevant insights from distinguished speakers. Rachel Musoke, Head of ENS Uganda, delivered a thoughtful welcome that reflected on the importance of collaboration between private practice and in-house teams. This was followed by a powerful keynote from Habil Waswani, Company Secretary & Director Legal Services and Regulatory Compliance at Kenya Airways, who shared reflections on leadership, regulatory stewardship, and the evolving role of corporate counsel in East Africa.

The highlight of the evening was the certificate ceremony, where this year’s honourees were formally recognised. Certificates were presented by senior representatives of ENS, including Désiré Kamanzi (Head of Rwanda), Rachel Musoke, Nigel Shaw (Head of Kenya), Donald Nyakairu (Executive, Uganda), Dieudonne Nzafashwanayo (Executive, Rwanda), Rahema Nakirya Ssemyalo (Executive, Uganda) and Binti Shah (Executive, Kenya) whose participation underlined the depth of the firm’s support for the GC Powerlist initiative.

The GC Powerlist: East Africa 2025 reaffirmed The Legal 500’s commitment to shining a spotlight on the region’s most talented in-house lawyers. With an even stronger field of candidates, this year’s edition stands as a powerful testament to the influence and expertise of East Africa’s legal leaders. Habil Waswani’s excellent speech, which got a raucous reception from those in the room, is reproduced below with his permission:

‘My name is Habil Waswani, and I have been an inhouse legal practitioner for the past 21 years in different sectors (having done law-firm practice for 2 years before that). Tt is indeed a true privilege and honour for me to be here tonight, surrounded by the sharpest legal minds and calmest crisis-handlers the East African corporate world has to offer.

First, let me thank the Legal 500 and ENSAfrica teams, for organising such a fantastic event and for bringing us together in such style. Congratulations to each of tonight’s honourees. You represent the very best of general counsel in this very dynamic corporate space the businesses we support operate in. Strategic, ethical, resilient, and, let’s be honest, often underappreciated leaders of industry.

I am so happy that this evening is not about contracts, or compliance checklists, or board packs. Tonight is about celebrating you, the people behind all of that. The steady hands guiding companies through complexities, uncertainties, and ensuring that the opportunities that lie within those difficult circumstances are lawfully realized.

We all know the role of GCs has evolved. We are no longer tucked away at the end of a corridor marked “Legal” or labelled the proverbial “cost centres”. These days, the GCs sit at the big table – helping drive corporate strategy, shaping desired culture, providing leadership and safeguarding business reputations. We have become indispensable partners to businesses, interpreters, navigators, protectors… and on some (many) days, therapists with law degrees. And yet, we mostly do it all so quietly. No victory laps, no press releases. Often, success for us means the expected disaster didn’t happen.

But tonight, we break that rule. Tonight, we raise a glass to the GCs who’ve blazed the trail courageously, with clarity, conviction, and tremendous resilience that only matches the expectations of the Leadership Guru John Maxwell when he said, “resilient leaders don’t wait for the storm to past — they learn to dance in the rain”. You have managed to balance growth and governance, risk and reward regularly. And, of course, always managed to deal with those 10pm messages: “Hey, just a quick question…Are you able to talk right now…?”

Let this evening serve as a reminder that you are not just experienced legal advisors. You are leaders — spear heads and enablers of execution — and without a doubt critical pillars of business strategy.

To all the honourees, congratulations once again for the well-deserved recognition. This is for the heavy lifting that you do, the standards you uphold, and the impact you make – quietly, consistently, and brilliantly so. You’ve earned this spotlight.

And now, let’s gather and celebrate this milestone. And while we’re at it I plead with you to stay away from your phones …you might just spot a message that says, “please quickly review this and we can discuss your views in the morning?”