Winners of Iberian Lawyer Gold Awards announced

The winners of the Iberian Lawyer 2020 Gold Awards were announced at an online ceremony

Iberian Lawyer has held a new edition of the Gold Awards to recognise the best in-house lawyers in the Spanish and Portuguese markets from June 2019 to June 2020. This year´s edition of the awards has been held online due to the pandemic situation.

Aldo Scaringella, LC Publishing Group founder, stated that “the work carried out by Legal Counsel and their in-house teams has a vital role to play in the development of business in any sector. For this reason, today at Iberian Lawyer we want to recognise their work with the presentation of the Gold Awards”.

The Gold Awards have been granted taking into account the most important sectors of activity in the economy. In this edition, a total of 36 awards were presented, distinguishing in each category the best legal team and the most outstanding lawyer of the year.

The system for choosing the winners was based on an exhaustive market study carried out on more than 920 respondents, including colleagues and lawyers from law firms.

To see photos from the event, click here.

Click here to watch the video of the gala-night.
 

The winners were the following:

In-House Counsel of the Year
Óscar García Maceiras – Banco Santander

Global director of the bank’s Legal department. He is an outstanding professional, a leader in his company and within the whole Iberian in-house community. With his team, he was involved in some of the most important deals carried out during the past year.

In-House Team of the Year
Endesa

Led by Borja Acha Besga, it is one of the most numerous and important in-house teams in the Iberian market. Last year they were active on several levels, successfully supporting the company’s energy transition.

Innovative Leadership
Javier Vives – Ford España

Acting also as the company´s secretary, he is highly regarded for his innovative approach both to day-to-day legal issues and the internal organisation of the Legal department.

Best Practice Sustainability
Tabaqueira II – Philip Morris International

The team led by Alexandra Reis has distinguished itself for the special attention paid to sustainability issues. It has been deeply involved in the transition of the company’s business model, from traditional tobacco to heated tobacco products.

In-House Counsel of the Year – Travel & Tourism
Patricia Miranda Villar – OUIGO España

Head of the Legal department, she has more than 15 years of legal management experience in Spain and worldwide. Her solid legal knowledge and enthusiastic approach enable her to approach this new experience in the best way possible.

In-House Team of the Year – Travel & Tourism
TAP Air Portugal

Led by Stéphanie Sá Silva, the team has shown great skills during the challenging last year. It has recently been involved in the capitalisation of the company and is currently engaged in its corporate restructuring process.

In-House Counsel of the Year – Energy & Renewables
Clara Cerdán Molina – Ferroglobe

The general counsel covers Europe, Asia, Africa and South America. She has achieved many positive results, as proven by her numerous successful projects.

In-House Team of the Year – Energy & Renewables
Galp

The team, led by Rui Olivera Neves, is among the most active in the energy industry. Among its activities over the past 12 months, it is worth mentioning its involvement in the largest transaction to date in the Spanish PV sector.

In-House Counsel of the Year – Food & Beverage
Beatriz Martínez-Falero – Grupo Mahou San Miguel

Head of the legal department for over 12 years, she has a wide experience in the beverage sector. She is highly appreciated for her dynamic and enthusiastic approach to different subjects.

In-House Team of the Year – Food & Beverage
Danone Iberia

The team shows its ability to be a true value-added for the company. Recently, they have changed their way of thinking, becoming a more active department and acting as a pioneer not only in the food sector.

Thought Leadership
Javier Ramírez Iglesias – Hp Inc.

With a long experience in the tech sector, he is considered one of the most skilled and outstanding professionals. Thanks to his commitment to the ACC Europe’s Board of Directors, he is one of the most influent in-house counsel of the continent.

In-House Counsel of the Year – Retail & E-commerce
Eduardo Pérez Fernández – Makro Autoservicio Mayorista

Eduardo is the company´s Legal and Public Affairs director as well as the secretary of the Board of Directors and of the Executive Committee. Last year, his team led a whole project and negotiation in order to achieve a strategical retail alliance.

In-House Team of the Year – Retail & E-commerce
Amazon

Led by Ana Buitrago, the team is appreciated for its ability to be a fast and extremely efficient business partner. Its contribution has been even more fundamental during the recent times, that have seen an increase in the workload for the company.

In-House Counsel of the Year – Fashion & Luxury
Teresa Mínguez Díaz – Porsche Ibérica

She is one of the leading Compliance experts in the Iberian community and one of the most influential women in the legal and automotive scene. Last year she managed some of the most important sustainability projects of the sector.

In-House Team of the Year – Fashion & Luxury
Desigual

Led by Oliver Ribera Gil, the team counts on high-performing professionals. They recently distinguished themselves for their work on sustainability issues and for participating on the company’s international expansion.

In-House Counsel of the Year – Banking & Finance
Silvia Madrid – UniCredit

She is an experienced professional with an international background, able to find solutions to complex legal or Compliance matters. She is appreciated for her ability to be always fast and practical, and at the same time providing the highest quality legal advice.

In-House Team of the Year – Banking & Finance
Novo Banco

A full-service team, providing support to all areas of the bank, from the most complex transactions to the support to the ordinary banking activity. It is appreciated for its approach, always focused on their clients´.

In-House Counsel of the Year – Technology
Asier Crespo – Microsoft

Asier has extensive experience in all categories of the sector. He is the Legal director of the whole Iberian market. He is highly appreciated for his innovative approach and his ability to be constantly updated.

In-House Team of the Year – Technology
Indra Portugal

Particularly focused on IT Industry, the team has supported the company’s international expansion in the Portuguese-speaking African countries. Last year it was also involved in the purchase of SIA Group.

In-House Counsel of the Year – Telecommunications & Media
Tiago da Mota – The Walt Disney Company

With a fast-rising professional career, he is a Legal director with a solid experience in different frameworks. In particular, looking at the SVOD and Pay TV Distribution areas, he has consistently proved to be an incredibly skilled advisor.

In-House Team of the Year – Telecommunications & Media
Telefónica

It is one of the biggest legal departments in the Iberian market, and it is composed of professionals with a high degree of specialisation. The team is recognised for its ability to offer valuable advice.

In-House Counsel of the Year – Construction, Projects & Infrastructure
Isabel Fernandes – Grupo Visabeira

She leads the national and international team of the entire group, which covers different areas beyond the construction sector. She is highly respected and is considered one of the best opinion leaders of the whole Iberian community.

In-House Team of the Year – Construction, Projects & Infrastructure
Sacyr

Composed of lawyers from different jurisdictions, the team provides full legal support to all the business lines and operations, both in daily and strategic matters worldwide. During the research period the legal department has been reinforced with the introduction of an arbitration hub.

In-House Counsel of the Year – Automotive & Transport
Pablo Bolinches – FCA Group

A highly appreciated general counsel for his leadership skills and for an insight view of the business needs. Leading the Legal department, his team has been one of the most active in the industry during the research period.

In-House Team of the Year – Automotive & Transport
Mercedes-Benz España

The team, led by Ana Prado Blanco, is composed of multi-profile lawyers that provide legal support with flexibility and balance. They are successfully facing innovative and complex challenges related to sustainability, internet of things and sharing economy.

In-House Counsel of the Year – Real Estate
Gerardo de Zaldivar Vericat – CBRE Global Investors

With an in-depth knowledge of all legal aspects related to real estate, Gerardo has been the company’s general counsel for two years now. Last year he worked on some of the most significant deals in this sector.

In-House Team of the Year – Real Estate
Sareb

The team has many highly skilled and prepared professionals, globally recognised for being ready to handle the needs of the business. Last year they worked on some of the most important deals of the Iberian real estate sector.

In-House Counsel of the Year – Consumer Goods & Manufacturing
Alejandro García – Casal – Robert Bosch España

The general counsel leads a multidisciplinary team focused on providing services and legal support to all business divisions of the company. He is well known for his leadership skills and his expertise on Compliance issues.

In-House Team of the Year – Consumer Goods & Manufacturing
The Navigator Company

It is one of the most appreciated and esteemed teams in the consumer goods sector in the Iberian community. The team is led by Antonio Neto Alves, an outstanding professional with the role of general counsel and company secretary.

In-House Counsel of the Year – Insurance
Claudio Ramos Rodríguez – MAPFRE

With a long career, he is among the most experienced in-house counsel in the insurance sector. He leads a well-prepared and versatile team that is proved to be among the most appreciated by the community.

In-House Team of the Year – Insurance
Fidelidade

Led by Isabel Lage, the team is formed by cross-skilled professionals with a management background. It is a business-driven team and works in a strict bi-lateral collaboration with business teams from different sectors.

In-House Counsel of the Year – Pharma, Healthcare & Life Sciences
Jorge Muñoz – Gilead Sciences

Great experience and preparation on the whole range of issues related to the pharmaceutical sector are his distinctive qualities. He is considered an opinion leader by the entire Iberian in-house community.

In-House Team of the Year – Pharma, Healthcare & Life Sciences
Siemens Healthineers

The team provides legal support in all Compliance and Data Privacy topics. During the last 12 months, it was involved in one of the biggest MedTech M&A deals in Portugal and in innovative contractual setups.

In-House Counsel of the Year – Services & Consultancy
Juan Venegas – Servinform

Juan has been an In-house counsel for over twenty years and has recently completed his first year as head of the company’s Legal and Compliance department. He is recognised for his versatility and his outstanding analytical skills.

In-House Team of the Year – Services & Consultancy
Accenture

Led by Joana Pinto, the team is formed by constructive and expert in-house counsel, with deep business knowledge and expertise. They are constantly involved in any important company decision with a clear high impact all over the organisation.

Rising Star
Lígia Gutierrez Setúbal – OutSystems

Highly skilled professional, she is strengthening her position in the Iberian in-house community by successfully working on Data Privacy and Compliance programs of the company.

 

Desire Vidal

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