Forbes Chile unveils the corporate legal teams featured in the first edition of “Who’s Who in Chilean Legal Departments,” a list compiled with the support of Audentia, in which our partner Ariela Agosin served on the judging panel.
The first edition of Forbes Chile’s “Who’s Who in Corporate Legal Departments” reveals the list of the top 50 corporate legal departments. This is an independent editorial recognition initiative launched in partnership with the consulting firm Audentia, which highlights the legal teams working within companies, with the General Counsel or legal director as the central figure.
The selection was made from among 85 nominations from companies operating in Chile, evaluated by the editorial team at Forbes Chile and Audentia, along with a panel of experts comprising Davor Harasic, partner at Harasic / Barros; Ariela Agosin, partner at az; Maximiliano Santa Cruz, founder of Santa Cruz IP; Melissa Hohmann, president of Isapres de Chile; Gina Ocqueteau, chair of the board of directors at SQM; and Nicolás Goldstein, CEO of Accenture Hispanic South America and president of AmCham Chile.
The evaluation considered three dimensions: leadership and legal management structure (30%), which measures the size and composition of the team, its gender diversity, and the profile of its leader; management and contribution to the business (40%), focusing on key achievements, regulatory milestones, and contributions to internal policies between August 2025 and July 2026; and visibility and engagement with the broader community (30%), which assesses the department’s public presence, its participation in forums and academic activities, and its community outreach.
A Year of Stringent Regulatory Demands
The list highlights teams that operated during one of the most demanding regulatory cycles in recent years. Compliance with the new Personal Data Protection Law appears as a cross-cutting task in many of the selected departments, along with updating crime prevention models in response to the Economic Crimes Law, the Cybersecurity Framework Law, the Fintech Law, and the REP Law.
But the role of these departments goes beyond mere compliance. During the period under review, legal departments were behind some of the year’s most significant transactions: the Andina–Los Bronces Joint Mining Plan, which features teams from Codelco and Anglo American on the list; the lithium joint venture between Codelco and SQM; the first license granted to a neobank in Chile; and the first issuance of a hybrid bond in the local market, among others.
Retail and consumer goods is the sector with the most representatives, with 11 management positions, followed by Energy (8), Mining (7), and Banking, Financial Services, and Pension Funds (7). Rounding out the list are Services (6), Fintech and Payment Methods (4), Technology and Telecommunications (4), Forestry (2), and Education (1). Of the 50 legal departments, 23 are headed by women.
The November 11 Awards
The 50 legal departments will be recognized at a ceremony on Wednesday, November 11, at the GAM Cultural Center, where three special awards will also be presented: Legal Department of the Year, Innovative Legal Department of the Year, and Emerging Legal Department of the Year. The results will also be featured in a special edition of Forbes Chile.
Check out the selected departments in the Forbes Chile publication here.
