| ABB Colombia and Ecuador
ABB is a world leader in electrical infrastructure engineering production with a major presence in Latin America. Its legal team in Colombia and Ecuador has been involved in continuous changes...
| Abbott
Expertly covering the Andean region, Abbott’s in-house legal team based in Colombia continues to impress after its leader’s previous inclusion in the GC Powerlist: Colombia 2018. With the largest market...
| AECOM
AECOM, a global construction and engineering company which earned US$20bn in revenue in 2018, bases its Latin American in-house legal team in Colombia. The team provides exceptional coverage across the...
| Alianza Team
Alianza Team (Team) is the leading edible oil and fat producer in Colombia and the parent company of a group of eight companies, located in Colombia, Mexico and Chile. The...
| Allianz Colombia
Chief legal and compliance officer Gustavo Sáchica leads a team of 13 lawyers that provide the highest quality of legal services to Allianz Colombia, the local subsidiary of the global...
| Alpina Productos Alimenticios
Alpina Productos Alimenticios’ legal team is headed by executive director Cristina De La Vega, who in addition to legal affairs is also in charge of corporate affairs, government relations, communications,...
| Altra Investments
Continuing to impress following its inclusion in the previous Teams edition of the Colombia GC Powerlist, the legal department of Altra Investments is a leading financial legal function in the...
| AT&T
Returning to the GC Powerlist: Colombia Teams after its 2017 inclusion, the Northern Region of Latin America legal team at AT&T has continued to impress. Responsible for a wide area...
| ATC Colombia (American Tower Colombia)
The expert legal team consisting of 11 talented lawyers at ATC is a well-known force in the telecommunications industry in Colombia. It is led by Victor Enrique Cuéllar Olarte, legal...
| Avianca Holdings
The in-house legal team at Avianca Holdings continues to make a great impression in the legal market through its expert management and continued success in the Latin American transport sector....
| Banco de Bogotá
Led by chief legal officer José Joaquín Díaz Perilla, the legal team at Banco de Bogota is one of the most respected in Colombia. One of the oldest banking institutions...
| Banco de la República
The in-house legal department at Banco de la República, the central bank of Colombia, capably handles all of the complex legal tasks required by the highly significant financial institution. It...
| Banco de Occident
Part of the Grupo Aval banking conglomerate, Banco de Occident has over half a century of experience in the Colombian financial market, with an in-house legal team that reinforces that...
| BancTrust & Co.
Managing director Carlos Hernández Laya leads the legal team made up of seven highly talented lawyers including a head of legal, head of compliance, two senior lawyers and two legal...
| Bayer
The Bayer legal team in Colombia is led by Hector A. Garcia Corredor, the head of legal, compliance, data privacy and insurance for the multinational healthcare company’s Andean country group....
| BBVA Colombia
Vice president of legal services and general secretary Ulises Canosa Suárez leads a legal team of 50 members at BBVA Colombia, a major Colombian banking institution. The legal team is...
| British American Tobacco Colombia
Following on from its recognition in the 2017 edition of this publication, the in-house team at British American Tobacco (BAT) in Colombia has continued to impress with its legal and...
| BTG Pactual Colombia
The highly esteemed in-house legal team of BTG Pactual Colombia is led by Guillermo Quiroga Barreto, head of legal and general counsel, and has been prolific in the last year...
| Caracol Televisión
The legal team of the largest private broadcaster in Colombia continues to impress after its inclusion in the GC Powerlist: Colombia Teams in 2017. Broadcasting across 80 countries with over...
| Cargill
Cargill’s business in Colombia, Ecuador and Peru is managed by a legal team of five lawyers and an assistant led by senior commercial lawyer Maria del Mar Bonilla Uribe. Bonilla...
| Casa Editorial El Tiempo
The legal team at Casa Editorial El Tiempo expertly guides the oldest media company in Colombia through its legal affairs across nine printed newspapers, two 24-hour television networks and its...
| CEDELCA
CEDELCA (Centrales Eléctricas del Caucis), the main electricity provider in the Cuaca region of South Western Colombia has a talented in-house legal team led by legal director Andrea Campo, who...
| Cementos Argos
Cementos Argos is one of the largest cement producers in Latin America and the largest in Colombia. In 2018, the company with the support of its in-house team earned consolidated...
| CEPSA
CEPSA’s legal manager for Latin America, Cesar Augusto Lozano Gutierrez, leads the legal area based in Colombia which covers the region for the Spanish oil and gas company. Consisting of...
| Citibank Colombia
The Citibank Colombia legal team has been through significant change and accomplished much in the last year and continues to demonstrate its strength. Led expertly by general counsel Francisco Baquerizo...
| Ciudad Limpia Bogotá
Ciudad Limpia’s legal department brings expert legal assistance and support to five different corporations, namely, Ciudad Limpia Bogotá, Ciudad Limpia Neiva, Ciudad Limpia del Huila, Ecolimpia and Ecotrans. The legal...
| Coca-Cola FEMSA
Silvia Barrero, legal and corporate affairs vice president, leads an eight-lawyer in-house legal team for Coca-Cola FEMSA in Colombia. She leads the legal team drawing on more than 15 years...
| Coltabaco, an affiliate of Philip Morris International
A legal team of eight lawyers who is in charge of all the legal matters related to PMI’s business in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela. It has five lawyers based...
| Corficolombiana
Corficolombiana’s legal team is a diverse and talented group of lawyers who are, in the words of the team’s leader, ‘highly committed and business oriented, that have the ability to...
| Corona
Corona’s in-house legal team is comprised of six lawyers and one compliance specialist under supervision of Bernardo Ávila, legal and compliance manager. Two of these lawyers, as well as the...
| DaVita Colombia
A leading kidney specialist healthcare company, DaVita Colombia’s in-house legal team is recognised for its exceptional skill in legal matters pertaining to the medical and healthcare industry. Led by Helena...
| Decameron
The in-house team at hotelier Decameron is highly skilled and plays an important part in the continued growth of the company’s portfolio across Latin America, Central America and the Caribbean....
| Diageo Colombia
Diageo is the number one premier alcoholic distiller in the world boasting an enviable range of brands with more than 180 different products. The company’s operation in Colombia is one...
| DIRECTV Latin America
Legal manager Alvaro Andres Ponce Reyes leads the exceptionally talented in-house legal team at DIRECTV Colombia which is made up of five lawyers that ensure the legal compliance of all...
| Distribuidora Nissan – Grupo Vardí
The highly talented in-house legal team of Distribuidora Nissan, is comprised of four lawyers and is led by Catalina Robledo Ramirez who is the legal manager – general counsel. The...
| Ecopetrol
Continuing to impress, the in-house team at Ecopetrol supremely manages the energy company’s legal business, demonstrating considerable skill given the Ecopetrol’s dominant market position in Latin America. Capably led by...
| Eficacia
Luis Fernando Rueda Latiff, legal manager at Eficacia, leads a legal department which demonstrates excellence on behalf of the professional services company which is focused on brand management and advertising....
| Falck - Grupo EMI
The legal team at Falck – Grupo EMI, led by Nicolás Ruiz, legal and corporate affairs director Latin America, consists of four excellent lawyers and an assistant expertly managing the...
| Ferrocarriles del Norte de Colombia (FENOCO)
FENOCO is the administrator of the Atlantic Railway Network, which consists of a 246 kilometre railway corridor that runs from the coal mining region of El Cesar to Santa Marta...
| Fundación Cardiovascular de Colombia
The in-house team of seven highly skilled and specialist lawyers at Fundación Cardiovascular de Colombia is headed by Dr Ana María Flórez Ocampo, as head of corporate legal office. The...
| General Motors Financial (GMF)
General Motors Financial is the financial services arm of the global automobile manufacturer General Motors, providing automobile finance across the world with operations in the US, Canada, China, Indonesia, Australia...
| Grupo Alsea en Colombia
Grupo Alsea en Colombia’s in-house legal team is formed of four lawyers and a business administrator and headed by legal advisor Katherine Silva Hernández, as leader of the department. The...
| Grupo Bancolombia
Grupo Bancolombia’s legal team is constantly changing and evolving in order to adapt to a legal system that has recently been transforming drastically. The team, led by corporate legal vice...
| Grupo Bancolombia - Capital Markets
Carlos Aldana, legal director of capital markets and corporate finance, manages the in-house legal subdivision at Grupo Bancolombia. The team is composed of 18 lawyers and three interns, who support...
| Grupo Empresarial Colombina
Grupo Empresarial Colombina is a global food company that endeavours to delight consumers with its winning combination of innovation and great tasting products. It is anchored by its strong master...
| Grupo Éxito
The legal team at Grupo Éxito, a major consumer products conglomerate across all of Latin America based and founded in Colombia, has continued to impress peers since being featured in...
| Grupo Nutresa
The in-house legal team at Grupo Nutresa continues to inspire as an example of excellence following its multiple inclusions in previous editions of the GC Powerlist: Colombia. The team provides...
| Grupo Odinsa
Andrea Eugenia Camargo Niño, legal director, leads the talented in-house legal team at Odinsa. With seven members, the team is divided into functions based on each lawyer’s skillset and different...
| Grupo Prodeco (Glencore)
The legal department at Grupo Prodeco, the wholly owned Colombian subsidiary of multinational commodity trading and mining company Glencore, is an impressive mixture of different skills and talents combining to...
| Grupo Sura
Grupo SURA is the holding company of the Colombian financial conglomerate Conglomerado Financiero SURA-Bancolombia, as well as the controlling company of the Grupo SURA business group (“Grupo Empresarial SURA”) which...
| Hocol
Legal manager Christian Castro Agudelo leads Hocol’s in-house team which is comprised of five lawyers and an intern each specialised in different areas to supply thorough legal advice services to...
| HP Colombia
Following on from the recognition of Arusiak Mardirousian, South America global legal affairs director, in last year’s edition of the GC Powerlist: Colombia 2018, it is right to recognise the...
| IBM de Colombia
Tech giant IBM has a small but powerful in-house legal team at its operation in Colombia, with a reputation for expertise across a wide range of topics. Juan Pablo Ovalle...
| Interconexión Eléctrica
The in-house legal team at Interconexión Eléctrica (ISA) deserves recognition for its command of legal business affairs related to infrastructure projects under schemes of public private partnerships (PPP) and M&As...
| ISA INTERCOLOMBIA
Chief legal officer Sonia Margarita Abuchar Aleman leads the highly skilled legal team at oil and gas company, ISA INTERCOLOMBIA which has a major domestic and Latin American presence in...
| ISAGEN
The legal department at ISAGEN, a leading renewable energy company in Colombia that operates six thermal and hydroelectric plants and a thriving commercial energy business, is comprised of industry specialist...
| Itaú BBA Colombia
The in-house legal team at Itaú BBA in Colombia brings considerable commercial acumen and legal skill to the corporate investment bank of the Itaú Unibanco group, one of the world’s...
| Johnson & Johnson, Medical Devices
David Quiroz Rendon, legal director for North Latin America, continues to lead the compact in-house legal department at Johnson & Johnson in Colombia, which covers the North Latin American region...
| Laboratorios Baxter
A globally renowned specialist healthcare company focusing on kidney conditions, Laboratorios Baxter has a major presence in Colombia, and a highly responsive and effective legal team led by legal director...
| MetLife Colombia
MetLife continues to impress with its significant presence in the Colombian market, with offices located in Bogota, Medellin, Cali, Manizales, Barranquilla, Pereira and Bucaramanga. Previously recognised for its skill, innovative...
| Ministerio de Comercio, Industria y Turismo
The legal team of the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism has impressed numerous peers in the Colombian legal market. The team achieved success with a landmark agreement signed between...
| Mondelēz International
Chief counsel for the Andean, Pacific and Central American countries Juan Pablo Restrepo leads a multiregional team of five lawyers and three paralegals. Headquartered in Bogota, the team is responsible...
| Nestlé Colombia
Phyllis Gleiser, general counsel, leads the talented group of four in-house lawyers and support team members at Nestlé Colombia, a major producer in the global Nestlé brand network. Recently the...
| Oleoducto de los Llanos Orientales and Oleoducto Bicentenario de Colombia
Oleoducto de los Llanos Orientales (ODL) and Oleoducto Bicentenario de Colombia (BIC) are managed and operate under a single administration led by ODL, which requires a very efficient legal team...
| Organización Terpel
Terpel’s legal department of 19 lawyers is divided into a legal industry management and a corporate legal office. The legal management team is further divided into three sub-teams by specialised...
| Panalpina
The highly skilled in-house legal department at Panalpina continues to impress after its inclusion in the GC Powerlist: Colombia Teams 2017. Led by Juan Camilo Bernate, senior counsel, the team...
| Parque Arauco
The in-house legal team of Parque Arauco Colombia is made up of four highly trained and talented lawyers, bringing legal guidance and commercial clarity to one of Colombia’s largest retailers....
| PepsiCo Colombia
The in-house legal team at PepsiCo Colombia continues to impress as an exceptionally talented legal team commanding respect across the in-house industry in Latin America. In the last year the...
| Perenco
The first independent oil and gas company in Europe, Perenco has grown its international presence and since 2014 has had a major stake in the Colombian oil market. Its prodigious...
| Postobón
Postobón commands the largest market share for the production of non-alcoholic drinks in Colombia and is a major force within the industry as one of Latin America’s most prominent soft...
| Praxair Colombia
The largest retailer of industrial gases in North and South America, Praxair has an important presence in Colombia, as demonstrated by its exceptionally talented legal team. Having been recognised in...
| Productos Roche
The in-house team at Productos Roche continues to impress leading the Colombian subsidiary of the global healthcare producers’ industry leading research, clinical trials and diagnostic products. The company has focused...
| Publicar Publicidad Multimedia
The legal team of Publicar Publicidad Multimedia, parent company of Publicar & Gurú Group, is composed of six lawyers led by Andrés Pérez Velasco, who is the company legal vice...
| RCN TV
RCN TV is the second largest television and media company in Colombia by viewership, and is an important voice in the media industry in Colombia. Its legal department carries out...
| Reckitt Benckiser Colombia
A global leader in electrical and other energy products and services such as grid management, energy management software and supply services Schneider Electric has a large Andean regional presence. The...
| Refinería de Cartagena
Refinería de Cartagena’s (RDC) in-house legal department, led by legal vice president Herman Eduardo Galan, is comprised of 24 highly talented lawyers and is structured into four areas. These are...
| Repsol
Continuing to impress following its previous recognition, the in-house legal team at Repsol is a leading example of best practice in Colombia’s legal in-house market, and a stand-out team within...
| Riopaila Castilla
Carlos Paz, legal manager and compliance officer, leads the legal department at agro-industrial company Riopaila Castilla. The high performing in-house legal team is made of five lawyers and two support...
| SAP
An expert in-house legal team at SAP covers Northern Latin America and the Caribbean providing the highest quality legal advice and contracts organisation, focused on negotiation and deal closing, overall...
| SBS Seguros Colombia
General counsel Catalina Gaviria leads the legal team at SBS Seguros Colombia, a major insurance company owned by the Fairfax conglomerate. The team expertly handles the review of insurance policies...
| Schlumberger
Schlumberger has a long history in Colombia and across Latin America, with its first oil field electric log performed by the company at the Tabatinga field in 1938. The company...
| Schneider Electric
A global leader in electrical and other energy products and services such as grid management, energy management software and supply services Schneider Electric has a large Andean regional presence. The...
| Scotiabank Colpatria
In July 2018, Colpatria and Scotiabank announced their merger to strengthen the position of both banks within Colombia drawing on Scotiabank’s international resources and Colpatria’s local presence and knowledge. The...
| SGS
Legal director Diana Daza Vallejos leads the in-house legal team of four lawyers, a contracts assistant and an administrative assistant at the Colombian division of SGS, one of the world’s...
| Siemens Healthineers
The in-house legal team at Siemens Healthineers in Colombia continues to impress and provide the highest quality legal coverage to the global healthcare giant’s presence in Colombia and the Andean...
| Siemens Mobility
The in-house legal department of Siemens Mobility in Colombia has regional coverage as well as specific to each relevant jurisdiction. The team has adapted to the division of the Mobility...
| Stork, a Fluor company
The in-house legal team at Stork, a Fluor company, provides comprehensive legal guidance and regulatory coverage for the engineering company’s business across Colombia and the northern Latin American region. The...
| Superintendencia de Industria y Comercio
The highly talented legal team at the Superintendence of Industry and Commerce is formed by two experienced lawyers who hold the position of technical liaisons for the organisation. This promotes...
| SURA Asset Management
Grupo SURA is the holding company of the Colombian financial conglomerate Conglomerado Financiero SURA-Bancolombia, as well as the controlling company of the Grupo SURA business group (“Grupo Empresarial SURA”) which...
| Telefónica Móviles Colombia
Telefónica Colombia’s highly talented in-house legal team made up of 27 lawyers and four support staff continues to impress after its recognition in the GC Powerlist: Colombia Teams in 2017....
| Teleperformance
As a global leader in contact centre and business process outsourcing (BPO) services, Teleperformance has experienced an impressive growth in recent years, and its business in the CGP region (Colombia,...
| Terranum
The in-house legal team at Terranum stands out for its talent and composed handling of legal affairs within a rapidly growing real estate group in Colombia. Terranum is Colombia’s market...
| The Walt Disney Company Latin America
In March 2019, 21st Century Fox was acquired by The Walt Disney Company, causing a major change within the workings of the Fox organisation in Latin America. In addition to...
| Toyota Colombia
Toyota Colombia possesses a highly experienced and well-regarded in-house legal team adept at the management of the global automotive giant’s legal operations in the country. It is particularly skilled in...
| Uber Colombia
Uber’s legal team in the Andean region (Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, and Bolivia) is led by Sandra Monroy. Monroy joined the company in October 2018 as legal director of the Andean...
| Unilever
Vice president of legal services and general secretary Ulises Canosa Suárez leads a legal team of 50 members at BBVA Colombia, a major Colombian banking institution. The legal team is...
| Unisys
Continuing to impress, the Unisys in-house legal team demonstrates its quality and deserves recognition again the GC Powerlist after its inclusion in 2017. The team is known for its legal...
| Visión Software
Visión Software is a leading Colombian technology company and has a compact but highly efficient legal department comprised of legal manager and compliance officer Juan Camilo Medina and legal counsel...
| Willis Towers Watson
The in-house legal team at Willis Towers Watson in Colombia has, over the last two years, expertly managed the company’s merger and development in the Andean region with the final...
| Yara
Continuing to impress, the in-house legal team at Yara in Colombia constantly demonstrates excellence in management of the global fertiliser, seed and crop nutrition company. The team sets the standard...
Now in its fourth edition, in this year’s GC Powerlist: Colombia we are showcasing the highest achieving legal teams that are transforming the market and making themselves indispensable within their organisations. Emerging from the research are a number of trends with the overall message that despite Colombia’s mixed economic fortunes in recent years, the in-house legal industry is thriving.
In addition to the strong focus amongst legal teams to utilise technology to drive efficiencies, there is an emphasis on further integration in the business contributing to positive shifts in internal perception. Another theme is the regional scope of many legal teams within Colombia. While this publication covers the in-house legal market within the country it would be remiss to not address the international scope of the teams included and their multi-jurisdictional expertise. Furthermore, there continues to be an increase in the number of women in senior in-house legal positions, matching the trend seen across Latin America.
The development of these successful trends within the in-house legal market is partly a response to the recent economic turbulence within Colombia. The economic indicators have had an effect on Colombian law with in-house teams having to adjust policies and protocols to react to new legislation such as changes to the corporate tax rate and VAT. Other legal developments such as new environmental regulations and the peace treaty renegotiations have also impacted the legal business of Colombian companies and will continue to do so as plans for the future materialise further.
The legal teams selected in this list have demonstrated exceptional ability in handling all these challenges and excel in the Colombian market. They are innovators and examples of the best quality that the Colombian in-house market has to offer. It is our pleasure at The Legal 500 to recognise their abilities.
In 2019, Colombia has proved itself as a sustainable investment destination. After a year in office, President Iván Duque has achieved some wins in the economic sphere and now is seeking to maintain investor confidence for long-term growth.
Experts agree that despite the economic slowdown during Q1, there are good reasons to believe that by the end of 2019, Colombia will reach the projected 3.5% increase in its GDP. That figure alone shows significant growth, compared to the 1.1% expected for South America by the International Monetary Fund.
Now, Colombia is challenged with ways to remain economically stable in the long run, while the country confronts political polarization in a post-conflict society. As a result of the conflict era, Colombia has learned valuable lessons such as the importance of working internally and with the international community in order to implement treaties and agreements that sustain peace and ensure growth.
The months to come present certain challenges –financing the post-conflict agreements is just one of them, which will require establishing new controls against corruption and fiscal consolidation.
At Baker McKenzie, we are proud to have established a commitment to innovation, revolutionising the traditional approach of the industry to offer services that are more competitive to our clients across different sectors. Our firm has been looking into ways to adopt new technologies, such as artificial intelligence and design methodology, to lead the way in innovative legal services with a focus on business, in Colombia, and around the world.
Another important topic on the Colombian government’s current agenda is immigration. How can the country keep pace with economic development, while not being indifferent to the wave of migrants arriving from Venezuela? This recent trend has led to a transformational movement in Colombia and across Latin America, forcing countries throughout the region to take advantage of the benefits of immigration, embrace diversity, and spark debates surrounding people’s conceptions of xenophobia and stigmatization.
These conversations are not irrelevant for our firm and our clients, who need to navigate Colombia’s business landscape comfortably. It is critical to understand the geopolitical conditions of the country and region, while still being able to secure stable investments in the end. Our lawyers focus on the ability to understand not only the regulatory framework of our clients’ industries but the trends that will affect their businesses. We are the new lawyers who are able to prepare clients for the future by responding adequately to upcoming challenges.
At Baker McKenzie, we focus on six key industries: consumer goods and retail; energy, mining and infrastructure; healthcare; industrials, manufacturing and transportation; and technology, media and telecommunications. Our variety of clients encourages us to provide forward-thinking legal advice based on an intimate knowledge of local markets, combined with a global mindset.
Over the past 80 years, we have witnessed the development of the country by helping local companies expand their businesses and multinationals to land their investments in Colombia successfully. Baker McKenzie was a pioneer in the region, offering clients a longstanding presence in the leading economies in Latin America and a visionary approach.
Our talent is diverse, as is our firm. Baker McKenzie has demonstrated a substantial commitment to diversity and inclusion, being the first law firm to establish aspirational targets for female representation at the partnership and leadership levels. Just recently, Baker McKenzie took another bold step towards gender inclusion by becoming the first law firm to establish a 40-40-20 team by 2025. That means a 40% male, 40% female split, with a flexible distribution for the remaining 20% among partners, senior business professionals, firm committee leadership, and candidate pools for recruitment.
For our talent, we have developed work balance programs such as bAgile, a flexible remote work initiative for both men and woman, available to people across the firm globally.
In our communities, we develop CSR initiatives such as support of the Quiero Estudiar program in Colombia that allows eight students, with outstanding academic performance, who graduate from high school in Colombian Pacific Coast schools, to have access to a career at the Universidad de Los Andes, one of the most prominent academic institutions in the country.
Baker McKenzie’s highest commitment is to Colombia and Latin America, whether through cutting-edge legal advice, innovation, diversity and inclusion, or CSR efforts, our firm wants to build and inspire.
