About

Juan Pablo Perez is Cisco System’s general counsel for Latin America. Based in Miami, Perez oversees a team of seven lawyers located in Cisco’s core regional markets providing advice on everything from commercial and transactional work to IP, litigation and compliance. At the same time, Perez must track broader issues affecting both Cisco and its corporate customers. ‘Some of our most important customers in the region are service providers such as large telecoms companies’, says Perez. ‘That means we need to partner with government affairs and work hard as a legal team to understand how regulatory issues in each country affect their business and what they are looking for in a contract. We are constantly mapping this change so our commercial teams can keep on top of it.’ Cisco’s wider legal department is known for its technologically sophisticated approach sharing information and resourcing matters, and Perez has worked alongside them to develop platforms specific to the Latin America legal function, particularly in the area of contract management. Prior to joining Cisco in 2013 he spent 13 years at Oracle where he held a number of positions including regional general counsel for Latin America. His time at Oracle coincided with a period of rapid expansion for the company throughout Latin America, and Perez was closely involved in driving the acquisition and integration of a number of companies. While at Oracle he also oversaw significant growth in the Latin America legal team. He is, says one nominator, ‘a hugely experienced tech-focused lawyer who understands how to work in a dynamic sector while also dealing with the risks that arise from volatile market conditions. His dedication to learning and understanding the technologies Cisco creates is an admirable trait that makes him a cut above many other lawyers I have encountered.’