Principal counsel, corporate operations and rest of Latin America | The Walt Disney Company
Legal and compliance manager Colombia and Central America | Linde
Legal counsel contracts | Comcel - Claro Colombia
Legal director of corporate affairs | Hoteles Decameron
Executive vice president, general counsel | Inter-American Coal
Director of legal and corporate affairs | Oleoducto de los Llanos Orientales and Oleoducto Bicentenario de Colombia
Head of legal and corporate affairs, general counsel and compliance officer | Tecnoglass
Associate general counsel - Latin America | Trane Technologies
Advisor - legal vice president | Grupo Energía Bogotá
General counsel | Cenit Transporte y Logística de Hidrocarburos
Head of legal and compliance – compliance officer | Mazda
Corporate legal counsel and compliance officer, Andean and CCA-Caribbean and Central America Region | Avaya
Legal manager, corporate secretary | Distribuidora Nissan (Grupo Vardí)
Legal manager and compliance officer - LATAM | Cepsa Colombia
Director of legal, logistics and business | Biomax Biocombustibles
Legal vice president and secretary general | Arthur J. Gallagher Colombia
Chief legal and compliance officer | Teleperformance
General counsel and corporate affairs director | Grupo Empresarial Levapan
General secretary and legal director | Caracol Primera Cadena Radial Colombiana
Senior counsel Latam and third party risk, export controls team manager | Zoom Video Communications
Vice president legal | Cámara Colombiana de la Infraestructura
Legal vice president - general counsel | Hoteles Decameron
General counsel | Fondo Latinoamericano de reservas - FLAR
Legal and compliance manager Colombia and Panama | Bureau Veritas Colombia
Vice president of corporate affairs and secretary general | Ecopetrol
Chief counsel of private sector legal division and member of the board of directors | CAF - Development Bank of Latin America & CAF - Asset Management Uruguay
Legal director Colombia - data privacy advisor Latam | Unilever
It has been a privilege and an honour to conduct research for this year’s Legal 500 GC Powerlist: Colombia 2022, the first edition after the imposed hiatus caused by the pandemic. As lead researcher, I have had the opportunity to speak with the most outstanding in-house counsel in the region. Our interviews have touched upon several topics such as sustainability, technology and the impact of Covid-19 on business operations. Among other revelations, the overall picture that emerged is that Colombia-based in-house counsel have come out from the pandemic stronger than ever and ready to look ahead, working to bring added value to their organisations, harness technology to drive efficiencies, and make their operations more sustainable to promote the growth of the country.
Colombia’s position as one of the region’s most stable economies has allowed it to face the pandemic and overcome it without significant repercussions, and some statistics highlight this. Colombia’s GDP has expanded by 10.6% and is predicted to grow faster than any other country in Latin America. It continues to be an attractive destination for foreign investors, given the existence of multiple business centres and various sectoral demands. The strategic geographic position it enjoys at the centre of the continent allows for greater connection with every destination across the hemisphere.
Additionally, Colombia has been actively responding to international challenges, acting on sustainable development. It aims to reduce its greenhouse emissions by 51% by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2050. These are just some factors that make Colombia a solid place to do business and, in turn, a fertile environment for producing high-quality in-house counsel.
This year’s GC Powerlist Colombia highlights the role of general counsel in embracing change and innovation, working towards the development of their country — “my team and I work with the purpose of being seen as supporters of these initiatives, which requires an attitude towards change backed by the legal knowledge that allows seeking for responses, said Jorge Adrián Rincón Plata, chief legal officer in Grupo Aval. Technology will continue to demand in-house lawyers to drive efficiencies and work smarter. These pages reveal that in-house lawyers in Colombia are on top of their games when it comes to adapting to new scenarios and changes. As Fernando Victoria Peña, chief legal and compliance officer at Teleperformance, suggests: “the pandemic has brought many lessons to the legal profession. Our role can adapt and transform, and we can guarantee the same legal security through new technologies. We are opening the Pandora’s box to be more efficient and productive”.
I want to extend the most profound gratitude to every in-house lawyer who participated in this edition of the GC Powerlist. This issue of our worldwide publication acknowledges the most outstanding and impressive in-house lawyers who have tackled new challenges and have used their expertise and versatility to adapt to new scenarios and master the use of technology advancements to promote the success of their corporations. I am incredibly proud to be able to introduce this list of Colombia’s most outstanding, agile and acclaimed in-house lawyers.
Sara Maggi | Research analyst | GC Powerlist Series
The Legal 500’s 2024 GC Powerlist: Thailand, the much-anticipated second edition, built on our wildly successful 2023 event to create an even more exclusive celebration of the top in-house legal counsel in the country. At a time when the Thai economy continues to grow, attracting new legal talent while established names add to their significant experience, we were delighted to welcome a star-studded list of guests to the Waldorf Astoria Bangkok’s spacious Camellia Ballroom.
Over 150 attendees were present, including general counsel from the country’s top companies and senior and managing partners from our four law firm sponsors: Chandler MHM, Herbert Smith Freehills, Kudun & Partners, and Tilleke & Gibbins. Also in attendance were a selection of our 2024 Rising Star In-house Counsel, chosen for their achievements at a relatively early stage in their careers, representatives from our event sponsor Robert Walters, and our guests of honor, including government officials.
After a welcome video from senior partners at Chandler MHM, Herbert Smith Freehills, Kudun & Partners, and Tilleke & Gibbins, we moved on to our keynote speeches. Wallaya Kaewrungruang, chief legal and compliance officer of SCBX, spoke about recent changes to the general counsel role in Thailand and touched on international considerations for the Thai business sector. Visitsak Arunsuratpakdee of True Corporation then took the stage to discuss the work that the Thai Corporate Counsel Association has done since its inception last year to bring the legal community together.
The award ceremony followed, with those fortunate enough to be included in the 2024 edition welcomed to the stage to receive their accolades. Inviting them were Dean Pareena Srivanit of the Faculty of Law at Chulalongkorn University and Dean Pokpong Srisanit of Thammasat University, who have known many of the awardees since the start of their careers.
The celebrations carried on long into the night, with new connections made and old friends reunited.
Thank you to Chandler MHM, Herbert Smith Freehills, Kudun & Partners, Tilleke & Gibbins, and Robert Walters for partnering with us on this project, and to the Thai CCA for their invaluable support. Most importantly, congratulations to everyone featured in the 2024 edition; your inclusion is entirely due to your hard work throughout your careers. We look forward to 2025, when we will strive to create an even more expansive representation of the top in-house lawyers in Thailand.
