It has been an honour to lead the research for this year’s inaugural The Legal 500 GC Powerlist: Uruguay. It was an immense privilege to speak with the most outstanding in-house counsel in the country, getting to know them and their world of work during the course of putting this publication together. Our interviews have touched upon several topics, in particular changes to the political and regulatory environment, the added value that external firms bring and key objectives for the future. To make this first edition of the Powerlist more varied and to allow the in-house lawyers here to express themselves, we have asked in-house lawyers in Uruguay to discuss a business-related topic they are passionate about. What emerges is that Uruguay-based in-house lawyers are very passionate, creative and committed to several initiatives aimed at promoting a more equal, sustainable, risk-free and innovative environment for both their companies and the country at large.

Even though Uruguay, like the rest of the world, has been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, it was able to record a gross national income of $15,790, rendering the country one of the high-income nations in Latin America, according to the World Bank. The country’s strategic position, bordering Brazil and Argentina, makes Montevideo a hub for trading. Thanks to this prosperity, the country presents a well-developed professional services industry, making Uruguay a solid place to do business and, in turn, a fertile environment for producing high-quality in-house counsel.

This year’s GC Powerlist Uruguay highlights the role of general counsel in driving the success of their companies and the development of their country, taking on challenges and overcoming crises. Johanna Atala, head of legal at Securitas Uruguay, summed up the situation on the ground succinctly: ‘Corporate lawyers have an even more significant challenge than that of their legal attorneys, and that is to mesh the organisations in such a way that with their knowledge, analysis and courage, they manage to bring forward every adverse situation present in the companies without putting the organisation at risk because it is not only about being a law expert but also about accompanying the company’s day-to-day operations’.

More and more, general counsel in Uruguay are becoming generalists, always on top of their game when it comes to adapting to new scenarios and providing sound advice to their internal clients. A shared cause among internal lawyers in Uruguay is environmental and social responsibility, climate change and sustainability. Augusto Formento, general counsel and compliance officer at Ciemsa, sums up the view of his peers: ‘we are committed to generating a positive and verifiable social and environmental impact. In an increasingly sensitive industry to social and environmental matters, addressing these issues is how companies build durable trust’.

I want to extend the most profound gratitude to every in-house lawyer who participated in this first-of-its-kind edition of the GC Powerlist Uruguay 2022. I am incredibly proud to be able to introduce this list of Uruguay’s most outstanding, agile and acclaimed in-house lawyers.

Sara Maggi | Research Analyst | GC Powerlist Series

The Legal 500 has kindly invited Guyer & Regules to host the first edition of the GC Powerlist Uruguay, which recognises the most influential and innovative general counsel of our country.

To identify the top general counsel in the country, The Legal 500 conducted independent research, which includes in-depth consultations with important members of the Uruguayan legal community, with a particular emphasis on those general counsel that promote effective team collaboration, also an important value for us.

Guyer warmly congratulates those who have been recognised, including those with whom we have shared professional experiences that have enabled us to appreciate first hand their leadership and effectiveness.

Guyer reiterates its belief in the important roles that the general counsel recognised by The Legal 500 have played and regularly play in their professional and personal communities where they interact. We view them as legal lighthouses which guide the corporations they serve, preventing them from making decisions that might lead them to dangerous waters, in most cases supported by their team of excellent professionals too.

As leaders in Uruguay, We at Guyer & Regules, not only share with them the pursuit for excellence but also many of the values and beliefs which lead this group in its professional and personal life.

Building a strong and positive culture whether in a law firm or in a company is not an easy task and requires continual work and reflection. We at Guyer & Regules appreciate the leadership and inspiration that the lawyers recognised by The Legal 500 this year provide to the entire legal community.

Thank you to The Legal 500 for this invitation and, once again, congratulations to the general counsel selected for their outstanding work.

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Guyer & Regules is considered Uruguay’s blue chip firm and the first choice for international and domestic complex legal, accounting and tax work. Such reputation is grounded in being one of the largest groups of most experienced partners in the country, who lead a solid team of internationally-trained professionals with experts in every field of business law, and promote a culture of innovation within the firm.

Guyer & Regules is proud to have been consistently recognised by leading legal directories.

Most firms define their value proposition in terms of the companies and institutions they serve. Guyer & Regules challenges this, believing that while the firm’s duty is to the client, that is, the institutions, at the same time the work is delivered to the client on an  individual level.  Performing with excellence, expertise, value, responsiveness, creativity and consistency, is not enough. Trust is a personal feeling. You trust people. So the firm strives to grow its capacity to develop strong and mutually rewarding personal working relationships. It is by developing a rich, challenging, personal working relationship with the people within the institutions, that Guyer & Regules truly differentiates itself.