Event Report
Tuesday, 21st November 2023, saw the Legal 500 travelling to the enchanting city of Bogota’ to host the GC Summit Colombia annual edition at the JW Marriott. The event saw a full room of in-house in attendance, together with the partners Debevoise & Plimpton LLP, León Cosgrove Jiménez, LLP, Parra RodrÃguez Abogados, Posse Herrera Rodriguez and Aguilar Castillo Love.
The event kicked off with a welcome address by Sara Maggi, The Legal 500’s editorial lead for the Summit, followed by keynote speaker Carlos Felipe Payan Rodriguez — Corporate legal counsel and compliance director at Avaya — who set the right tone for the day, providing an overview of the challenges faced by in-house lawyers in Colombia and the changes brought by digital innovation and AI.
The first session was moderated by Debevoise & Plimpton: ‘Winds of Change: Challenges and opportunities for foreign investors in Latin America’. The panel was moderated by Laura Sinisterra, partner at Debevoise & Plimpton. Speakers included Adriana Rojas, vice president of portfolio management infrastructure, Brookfield Asset Management, Alejandra Bonilla Lagos, corporate vice president of legal, and Frontera Energy.
Posse Herrera Ruiz moderated the second panel of the day. Oscar Tutasaura, partner of Posse Herrera Ruiz, was joined by Juan Pablo Ovalle Arana, country counsel at IBM de Colombia; Rodrigo Borda, LATAM ethics and compliance business partner director at Astellas Farma Colombia; Sara Calderón, head of legal and business conduct at Gilead Sciences Colombia; and Katherine Rueda Chavez, senior managing counsel, senior director Andean region at Visa. This panel focused on the intersection of AI and ethical challenges surrounding bribery and corruption, providing solutions for safeguarding business integrity.
After a refreshing coffee break, the audience pleasantly welcomed the next session, sponsored by León Cosgrove Jiménez, focused on ‘International litigation – recent developments and emerging trends’. Diego Pérez Ara, partner at León Cosgrove Jiménez, moderated the panel. Speakers included Carlos Andrés Bonilla Sabogal, legal vice president – Colombia and Perú, at CEMEX; Carola Andreina Rojas Wulkop, head of the arbitration group at RefinerÃa de Cartagena; andMaria Andreina Hernandez, litigation and arbitration associate, León Cosgrove Jiménez.
The final panel of the day, moderated by Parra RodrÃguez Abogados, explored ‘Navigating legal uncertainty in Colombia: Strategies for business sustainability, both from a national and international perspective’. Attendees benefitted from the diverse range of views of the panellists, which included César Barajas, director banking and finance group at Parra RodrÃguez Abogados; Daniela Peréz, lawyer – corporate and M&A transactions at Parra RodrÃguez Abogados; Francisco Morón, legal director, secretary general and legal representative at Abood Shaio Foundation; Gerardo Hernández Correa, legal
vice president at Banco de Bogotá; and Jorge RodrÃguez, legal and government affairs manager, Natura and Avon Colombia.
After such a brilliant and thought-provoking set of sessions, the attendees gathered for a drinks and canapés reception. The Legal 500 was delighted to host the GC Summit Colombia 2023 and thrilled with the positive turnout and insightful discussions. We look forward to being back in Colombia soon!
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