LATAM legal counsel and GC of Mexico and Colombia | Trinasolar ISBU
Assistant general counsel Latam | IPG Mediabrands
Legal and compliance manager | Navistar Financial México
Corporate and labor affairs legal director | General Motors Mexico
Legal manager and head of data privacy Latam | L’Oréal America Latina
Legal associate, ESG manager and compliance officer | Capital Índigo
Senior legal manager of regulatory compliance and corporate affairs | Jaguar E&P
Senior legal manager | Kueski
Emmanuel Flores Ferrusco is a lawyer with 12+ years practicing corporate law. Over the last six years he has worked in the Legal & Compliance department at Kueski, one of...
Latam division compliance and commercial legal counsel | Colgate Palmolive
Senior legal and compliance counsel | Element Fleet Management Corporation México
Group legal counsel region Americas | DNV
Legal manager for Mexico Central America and Caribbean | Reckitt Benckiser Group
Senior legal manager – supply, contracts and litigations | Reckitt / Mead Johnson
Lead litigation and regulatory counsel for spanish speaking Latam | Meta
Director, legal counsel Latam | The Coca-Cola Company
Head of subcontractor contracts and IMSS | Gaya Sinergia Constructiva
Senior legal consultant | Element Fleet Management México
Director of transactional legal affairs | FINSA
Vice president associate general counsel | Hyatt Hotels Corporation
Legal business manager, north division, north and north-center regions | Banco del Bajío, Institución de Banca Múltiple
Legal manager and data protection officer | L´Oréal México
Senior legal counsel México and Central America and GEOS | Orbia Building & Infrastructure (Wavin)
Legal counsel México and Central America | Aptiv
Regulatory, real estate and GPSC Lead Counsel | General Motors México
Counsel, Latin America and the Caribbean, IP and innovation | Diageo
Senior manager corporate legal | American Tower México
Head of legal and compliance Mexico, Centroamerica | Innomotics
It has been a true honour to lead the research for the GC Powerlist Mexico: Rising Stars 2024, showcasing a group of exceptional young legal professionals whose talent, innovation, and ambition are shaping the future of the Mexican legal landscape. Throughout this process, we had the privilege of engaging with rising stars who are not only excelling in their legal careers but are also driving significant change within their industries.
What sets this group apart is their adaptability and willingness to embrace new challenges, whether they be in complex regulatory matters, digital transformation, or sustainability initiatives. These rising stars are tackling diverse projects that demonstrate both their legal acumen and their leadership in navigating fast-evolving business environments.
A recurring theme in this year’s research was the increasing role of sustainability and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices. It is clear that these young legal professionals are taking proactive steps to embed these values into their companies’ strategic frameworks. Their work is not only ensuring compliance but also helping their organisations lead in areas that are now essential to long-term success.
Moreover, the digital revolution is another area where these rising stars are proving indispensable. Whether through the development of legal frameworks that foster innovation, or the navigation of new regulatory challenges posed by emerging technologies, these professionals are at the forefront of a legal transformation that promises to redefine industries across Mexico.
In the face of regulatory complexities and evolving business demands, the resilience and creativity displayed by this new generation of legal talent are truly remarkable. They are driving innovation and continuously adapting to the ever-changing legal landscape, offering fresh perspectives and solutions that are already leaving a lasting impact.
We are thrilled to highlight the remarkable achievements and contributions of these individuals in this 2024 edition of the GC Powerlist Mexico: Rising Stars. Their dedication, vision, and leadership are a testament to the bright future of the legal profession in Mexico. It has been a pleasure to connect with such an inspiring group, and we eagerly anticipate their continued success and influence in the years ahead.
Margherita Birri,
Lead Researcher: GC Powerlist Mexico Rising Stars 2024
On Thursday 20th March, Legal 500 returned to Frankfurt for the 2025 edition of the GC Summit: Germany. The event brought together some of the leading legal minds in the country for an afternoon of engaging panel discussions and interactive sessions. The agenda spanned a range of topics, current in today’s dynamic market and tailored to in-house counsel.
Vanessa Westphal, Head of legal services group at Merck, opened the programme with a keynote speech, in which she touched upon the importance of embracing uncertainty. In a market where the ways in which in-house counsel operate is rapidly changing, from the resources available to transactions themselves, Westphal advised how the legal industry can strengthen both its legal and non-legal ‘backbone’: in-house teams should focus not only on legal prowess, but also improve cultural and management expertise to ensure smooth operations across the organisation.
The first panel of the day, sponsored by Seitz, discussed the crucial role that labour law can play in times of crisis. Dr. Kathrin Bürger and Dr. Stephan Pötters of Seitz were joined on stage by Prof. Dr. Marlene Schmidt, partner at Apitzsch Schmidt Klebe Rechtsanwälte, Ralph Wangemann, managing director of human resources and labour director at Opel Automobile, Dr. Tom Gellrich, partner and managing director at AlixPartners, and Olaf Möllenkamp, chairman, Conciliation boards. In light of the election process in Germany, the panel discussed the ever-relevant topic of labour law and examined how the current environment does not make for a classic crisis: various different factors, from digitalisation to ESG aspects, come together to create a complex type of crisis that requires a more nuanced approach to labour regulations.
Ashurst took to the stage for the second panel, considering the influence that environmental, social and governance (ESG) measures and artificial intelligence (AI) can have on joint ventures. Dr. Alexander Duisberg, Marina Arntzen and Dr. Stephan Hennrich, partners at the firm, discussed the hot topic with Maler James, head of the centre of competence for strategic business units and finance at compliance at Volkswagen, Philip Nicolai, general counsel commercial and technology at Schaeffler Group, and Thilo M. Tern, managing partner at Silvester Group. The experts analysed how these elements can be utilised to make joint ventures successful and more sustainable – and ultimately act as dealbreakers or dealmakers.
Following a short break for coffee and networking, experts returned to the stage to discuss how to navigate today’s challenging M&A market. Dr. Christian Traichel and Dr Marco Hartmann-Rüppel, partners at Taylor Wessing, were joined on stage for the firm’s panel by
Carsten Burger, managing director at DC Advisory, Viktor Strauch, partner at Borromin, and Alexander Deicke of Körber. The panel considered how to manage transactions, taking into account risk, uncertainty and regulation.
The final panel of the day brought fresh perspectives on the age-old question: to litigate or to arbitrate? Nicole Boehler, Director of legal operations Europe at Autoliv, engaged in lively debate with Horst Daniel and Dr. Eveli Lume of Squire Patton Boggs, weighing up the pros and cons of litigation and arbitration. The panellists discussed factors such as bias, confidentiality, costs and recoverability. The interactive panel saw plenty of involvement from the audience, with questions from attendees touching on international mediation and third-party funding.
In a true show of the relevance and significance of the panel topics, delegates continued their animated conversations and debates over final networking drinks.
On behalf of Legal 500, we extend our gratitude to our expert panellists, sponsors, and all attendees for coming together for such a productive, engaging and successful event.
