Green Ambassadors: Latin America

A senior associate in the environmental law department at Bruchou & Funes de Rioja, Pablo Crimer leads the firm’s recently launched ESG Platform for Climate Action and Sustainable Businesses. Crimer has 17 years’ experience providing corporations with legal advice on environmental and natural resources matters. He often advises companies on green financing and ESG projects, bringing past experience in climate change and sustainable development research whilst working with the Secretary General’s Climate Change Support Team of the United Nations.

Crimer is also a part-time professor on environmental issues in business transactions at Universidad de San Andrés, and regional vice chair for Latin America at the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)’s Commission on Environmental, Economic and Social Policy.

He frequently speaks at events on topics ranging from the energy transition, ESG reporting and sustainable finance to climate change and Argentina’s role in the current global context. Argentina’s daily business newspaper El Cronista featured him in an article on sustainability in 2024, and he also acted as judge for the BritCham Argentina Award for Leadership in Sustainability 2023.

Nicole Jaureguiberry heads up Perez Alati’s conservation and natural resources department, focusing her practice on the public law and environmental sectors. In particular, she is known for her expertise in natural protected areas and in regulatory issues related to the environment. Bringing experience as former General Counsel at the National Park Service of the National Ministry of Environment, she often advises the public sector on legal matters surrounding the conservation of natural resources, sustainability and climate change. 

Jaureguiberry is also a regular speaker and author on these topics, and is an active member of the Women in Nature Network (WiNN) in Argentina. 

Paula Susanna Amaral Mello is an integral part of Pinheiro Neto Advogados’ leading and longstanding environmental and climate change practice. She concentrates her practice on environmental law and sustainability with a focus on complex litigation, consulting, and legal due diligence. Her wide experience includes advising clients on environmental licensing, management of contaminated areas, pollutant emissions, carbon capture and storage, forestry and climate matters. Notably, she has been involved in drafting bills of laws associated with new sustainability projects. 

Besides having authored a book about environmental protection, she also teaches ESG post-graduate courses at Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná and regularly shares her knowledge at sustainability-related events. She has recently spoken about the European Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), sustainability in connection with production and conservation, and the impacts of European rules arising from the European Green Deal on the activities of Brazilian companies. 

Werner Grau Neto developed Pinheiro Neto Advogados’ longstanding environmental and climate change practice in the early 2000’s. He is highly experienced in environmental law consulting and litigation, and often advises large corporations on their shift to more sustainable operations. Additionally, he assists clients with CDM and REDD+ projects as well as NGOs with implementing social carbon projects.  

Outside his client work, Neto stands out for his prolific engagement as a speaker, frequently sharing his thought leadership on environmental, sustainability and ESG topics. His most recent contributions include discussing the limits of judicial intervention in the environmental administrative sphere at an event at the Secretariat of the Environment in São Paulo; sharing his expertise on the carbon market at an event organised by the Brazilian Union of Environmental Advocacy; and participating in the opening panel of the 19th National Congress of Environmental Law. 

Neto has also participated in local radio interviews and podcasts on sustainability matters, and has contributed to publications, such as the firm’s ESG 2023 prospects guide. 

With almost 30 years of experience, Vladimir Miranda spearheaded the formation of TozziniFreire Advogados’ climate change and carbon market practice group. He is also the coordinator of the agribusiness practice at the firm. He often advises clients in the Brazilian carbon market and is involved with drafting new regulation in the area. 

Outside of his work for clients, Miranda is a member of the Climate Working Group (CT Climate) of the Brazilian Corporate Council for Sustainable Development.  

Standing out for his thought leadership contributions, he has co-authored publications on topics ranging from an ESG law guide to multiple discussions of regulatory and legal paths for decarbonisation in Brazil, including for the agriculture sector. He also spoke about decarbonisation in the real estate industry at a conference organised by Finvest Climate and the Center for Real Estate at MIT. 

Manuel Barros co-heads Carey’s environment group and is a part of the firm’s ESG team. He often advises clients on environmental impact assessments, environmental audits, and environmental litigation. He also regularly assists with the environmental aspects of renewable energy projects and in matters related to waste and water management. 

Since 2012, Barros has been a professor in environmental law at the Universidad Catolica del Chile, and over the past few years he has also been teaching environmental law at Universidad Finis Terrae and Universidad del Desarrollo. Recent examples of his published thought leadership include a discussion of mining in Chile in light of sustainable development goals and the circular economy, and a co-authored article about the role of the Ministry of Environment and Ministry Council of Sustainability. 

Barros is currently a member of the Sustainability Committee of AMCHAM (Chilean and North America Chamber of Commerce). In 2020, he was appointed by the Ministry of Environment as a member of the Joint Public Advisory Committee of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation between Chile and Canada for the term 2020-2023. 

Paulina Riquelme is the founder of law firm Eelaw, which since its opening in 2008 is dedicated exclusively to the practice of environmental law. She often assists clients within the mining, energy, natural resources, and sustainability sectors, and has deep experience in international environmental law. Notably, she has actively participated in the development of public policies and environmental regulations, including discussions in the National Congress and including issues related to the circular economy and waste. 

Riquelme is currently involved in the negotiation of the future international agreement to address plastic pollution being discussed internationally under the United Nations Environment Programme. She was also a member of the presidential commission established in Chile for the reform of the Environmental Impact Assessment System. 

Her far-reaching involvement further extends to her membership in the Advisory Council of the Ministry of Environment of Chile (MMA), and contributing to the creation of the Committee on Sustainable Development and Climate Change of the CPC (Confederation of Production and Trade of Chile), where she now serves as chair. 

Clemente Pérez at Guerrero Olivos has a longstanding practice focusing on environmental issues, clean energy projects, and climate change matters. He brings extensive experience in environmental litigation, and often advises clients on groundbreaking sustainable finance deals that help accelerate the green transition in the region. In a current ongoing highlight, he is acting for Fundación San Carlos de Maipo, a non-profit organisation which owns the Batuco Wetland, Santiago’s most significant wetland, in connection with the objective of establishing an environmental protection and education project accessible to the community.  

Pérez sits on the board of environmental consultancy Sustentable, of which he is also a founder, and is a member of the board of directors of ACERA, the Chilean Association of Renewable Energies and Energy Storage. Additionally, he actively participates in Climatech, the Chilean Climate Technologies Association; recently, he presented at a workshop organised by Climatech, sharing his knowledge on carbon credits. 

His thought leadership on environmental, energy and sustainability topics is also evident in his regular opinion pieces and columns in Chilean economic newspaper Diario Financiero. 

Felipe Frühling is a member of Guerrero Olivos’ energy and natural resources, projects, and environment practice groups. He brings deep expertise in the renewable energy sector and stands out for his advice on the development of green hydrogen projects. In a 2023 work highlight, he assisted Engie Gas with the development of a green hydrogen power plant at Walmart’s distribution center in Chile, supplying hydrogen to power forklifts. This became Latin America’s first operational industrial green hydrogen project, replacing forklift batteries with hydrogen fuel cells. 

Recent examples of his thought leadership in this space include the publication of a report discussing the Green Hydrogen Action Plan which was recently presented by the Ministry of Energy, and a commentary on the importance of the incorporation of new energy storage systems in the country published in the Chilean newspaper El Mercurio. 

Frühling is also a counselor of the Chilean Association of Renewable Energies and Energy Storage ACERA, and was a member of the environmental jurisprudence discussion group of the Law and Environmental Politics Programme at Universidad Diego Portales Law School. Additionally, he has taught energy law at Universidad Andres Bello.  

Juana Valentina Mican joined Brigard Urrutia’s environmental practice in 2014 and is currently a senior associate in the environment and sustainable business team as well as ESG & impact investment practice. She has over 10 years of experience advising clients on environmental matters that apply to their projects and operations, including advice on compliance with environmental regulations. More recently, she has been focusing her practice on environmental sustainability. 

Complementing her client work, Mican regularly contributes to the firm’s environmental and sustainability-related legal news updates and often speaks at a range of green events. On World Environment Day, she participated as a panellist in an event organised by the Universidad del Rosario and the National Environmental Forum discussing the development of environmental legislation in Colombia. She has also recently spoken about sustainable finance at one of the firm’s own webinars, and shared her expertise on changes brought by the EU in relation to ESG criteria and its impact on Latin America at a forum held by the Alliance for the Legal Ecosystem for Sustainability in Latin America (led by the Global Reporting Initiative). 

With over 15 years of experience in environmental law, Lina Correa heads up Gomez Pinzon’s energy, environment, and natural resources practice group. She specialises in environmental compliance, audits, permitting and sanctions, as well as advising clients on environmental projects and activities both nationally and internationally. 

The impact of her expertise can be seen in her recent work: She supported IDOM in determining the potential of using CCUS in the country, contributing to Colombia’s climate change mitigation goals; advised on the constitution of a natural reserve to protect “The Moyas” moor near Bogotá; and assisted in conducting an audit for beauty company Yanbal to verify compliance with environmental regulation, identify potential environmental risks as well as mitigation solutions and sustainable practices, thereby bolstering its ESG profile. 

Outside of her client work, Correa often shares her knowledge of environmental issues through speaking engagements, such as recently participating in a webinar discussing water reuse and conservation in the region. 

Camila del Villar is a part of Martínez Quintero Mendoza González Laguado & De La Rosa’s (previously DLA Piper Martínez Beltrán) environmental law and sustainable development practice group. Applying her extensive expertise within the energy, environmental and natural resources sectors, she assists clients with environmental permits, due diligence, and project financing. With her experience in ESG-related matters, she also co-leads the firm’s ESG working group, which coordinates the integration of ESG criteria into the firm’s service offering. 

Beyond her client work, she has held a lecturer position for a course on public law and the energy transition at Los Andes University, and has spoken at events organised by industry associations and think tanks, such as a recent webinar on corporate environmental responsibility and a waste management seminar. She also regularly contributes to the firm’s newsletters giving environmental and sustainability-related legal updates. 

In 2002, Raúl Guevara joined Alta Batalla to form the firm’s environmental practice. Bringing a background in natural resource management and speleology, he advises clients on environmental law matters ranging from waste management, air emissions and soil pollution to environmental dispute resolution. 

Guevara has shown a longstanding commitment to environmental protection, having worked on a number of conservation projects and founded Anthros, an NGO dedicated to the studies, research, and conservation of karst systems and caves in Costa Rica.  

He is a member of the sustainability committee and the energy committee of UCCAEP (Federation of Chambers of Private Enterprises), coordinator of the energy committee as well as co-coordinator of the environmental and sustainability committee of the Free Zones Chambers, and a founding member of the Latin American Alliance of Environmental Law and Sustainability, among various other memberships. 

Guevara has authored several articles and regularly participates as speaker at events, seminars, and workshops. He has recently spoken about the role of legal management in sustainability, sustainability in dispute resolution, and the impacts of EU ESG standards in Latin America. 

Senior counsel at Alta Batalla, Roberto Cordero focuses his practice on environmental and ESG law. He has over 20 years of experience advising national and international clients, including corporates, public institutions and NGOs across Central and South America, on issues related to environmental compliance, due diligence and impact studies with a strong emphasis on sustainability. He also acts for clients in major environmental litigation. 

Cordero’s track record includes the promotion of new administrative environmental procedures for sludge valorisation, wastewater treatment options, and air emission treatment regulation, improving clients’ environmental performance and economic productivity. 

Alongside his membership in the Environmental Commission of the Costa Rican Bar Association, Cordero also serves as coordinator of the Environmental and Sustainability Committee of the American Chamber of Commerce in Costa Rica (AMCHAM). 

He has written and spoken on sustainability-related matters such as environmental protection in Costa Rica, wastewater management, and ESG and tourism, among many other topics. 

With over a decade of experience, Fernanda Jiménez at TACTIC has vast expertise in environmental policy and regulatory issues at a national and international level. She has advised clients on issues such as environmental requirements for real estate projects, and water and waste management regulations, often working with relevant environmental authorities, such as the Costan Rican Water Department and Ministry of Environment and Energy. Her recent clients include conversation and sustainable development non-profit Tropical Science Centre and Dutch-Costan Rican foundation Work with Nature. 

Jiménez brings a background as legal advisor for Costa Rican Investment Promotion Agency CINDE’s Tourism Infrastructure Department, where she contributed to the fostering of sustainable practices, and has acted as consultant for international environmental initiatives and organisations, such as the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and Project Lifeplan. Also within her presidency at the Costa Rican Association of International Law (ACODI), she is committed to advancing environmental causes and sustainable legal practices. 

Jiménez regularly shares her know-how in biodiversity and environmental issues via speaking engagements, and also teaches international environmental law as visiting professor at the University for Peace. 

Romina Santroni is a founding partner at Santroni Pasons, a pioneer environmental and sustainable business law firm in the Dominic Republic. She heads the firm’s environmental, real estate and hospitality team, and using her sustainability expertise, she advises clients on the best ways to pursue green development within the tourism industry. Her practice ranges from assisting clients with environmental permits to land use and land planning matters, and general environmental compliance for projects. She is a registered environmental consultant with the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources in the Dominican Republic. 

Beyond her work for clients, Santroni also acts as legal director for ECORED, an association promoting sustainability in businesses. Notably, she has had a leading role in the drafting process of a proposal on waste regulation, which is still under discussion in congress. She recently spoke at an event organised by Riela (the Inter-American Network of Environmental Law Specialists), discussing the most relevant legal environmental developments throughout the Americas. 

With over 15 years of experience, Carlos del Razo heads up ECIJA’s sustainability and environment practice in Mexico, often assisting clients with infrastructure projects, particularly with environmental permits and authorisations, and environmental inspection procedures. Notably, he advised on environmental impact assessment matters in connection with the Reynosa Wind Farm in Tamaulipas, Mexico, one of the largest in Latin America. He also has expertise in environmental and energy regulations and related administrative litigation. 

For over ten years, del Razo was a member of the National Advisory Committee for Environmental and Natural Resources Standardisation. Currently, he serves as first vice president to the board of directions of the Mexican Academy of Environmental Impact, and chairs the Environment and Energy Commission of the International Association of Young Lawyers. Within the latter context, he has spoken on topics including the energy transition, strategic environmental assessment, and a green future in Latin America. 

Del Razo also teaches energy transition and carbon reduction courses at UNAM Law School, and has taught environmental law at Universidad Anáhuac del Sur. He has co-authored a book on ESG published by Tirant Lo Blanch. 

With over 20 years of experience, Carlos Escoto at Galicia is a recognised specialist in the development of renewable energy and infrastructure projects. He co-leads the firm’s environmental practice and is also the coordinator of the firm’s ESG group. His practice focuses on drafting, enacting, and enforcing environmental policy and regulation, and he also advises on environmental aspects of M&A and financing projects. 

Escoto’s dedication to ESG initiatives extends beyond his client work to driving internal change at the firm; he is a member of the firm’s sustainability committee. Externally, he spreads his knowledge via his written and spoken thought leadership. He recently participated in a discussion on ESG impacts and stakeholder balance in connection with new infrastructure projects in Mexico at event organised by the International Chamber of Commerce. He also contributed a chapter on ESG regulation in Latin America to a book on ESG and the commitment to a sustainable world, written by over 20 specialists and published by Tirant lo Blanch. 

Luis Miguel Ramírez Ruggeberg, who has recently been appointed managing partner of LHO, is deeply engaged in the energy and environmental sector, often advising on groundbreaking renewable energy and environmental projects across Latin America. A number of his clients are leading the way in the green transition, such as The Carbon Trust, French pioneer in environmental solutions Veolia, renewable energy tech company Prodiel, and nature investment startup Cultivo. 

In a particular highlight for the Ministry of Sustainable Development, he was involved in drafting the regulations of the first ecozone in the continent, the Ecozona del Centro Histórico de Cuernavaca. Subsequently, he was named president of the energy transition and climate committee of the Ecozone Council and president of the entire Citizen Council of the Ecozone.  

Ramírez has also been appointed as Secretary to the Sustainability Committee of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Mexico, and serves as Vice President of the Legal ESG Group of the British Chamber of Commerce.  

A crucial member of Mijares, Angoitia, Cortés y Fuentes’ ESG practice, Adriana Morales has extensive experience advising clients at a global and domestic level on corporate governance structures and in adopting policies to address and mitigate ESG risks, handling issues ranging from supply chain management to climate change and human rights. In recent years, she has focused her practice on designing tools for the development and implementation of regulatory and compliance management systems. 

Morales’ external engagements include her participation in events and webinars, where she has spoken on topics such as the future of ESG and digital transformation, the impact of ESG policies on the legal market, and ESG trends in the legal profession. 

Morales is also a certified Chief Sustainability Officer after having completed the CSO Acceleration Programme organised by Mexican Stock Exchange BIVA and Social Value Institute. 

At Mijares, Angoitia, Cortés y Fuentes, Gabriel Calvillo has a long track record in the regulatory, law enforcement and compliance fields with a focus on environmental and human rights matters. He regularly represents clients in complex environmental litigation, and acts for buyers and sellers in environmental compliance and due diligence matters.  

Notably, Calvillo oversaw the design and implementation of the Federal Law on Environmental Responsibility, which addresses central issues of climate responsibility, and environmental compliance and litigation. 

He also brings a background of having acted as head of the Environmental Crimes Unit of the Attorney General’s office, and as General Counsel for the Federal Environmental Enforcement Agency, as well as Litigation Director General at the Environmental and Natural Resources Ministry, and head of Environmental Crimes Division of the Federal Department of Justice.  

Alongside his frequent speaking engagements on environmental justice, sustainability and ESG, he also teaches a Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO) Acceleration Programme in partnership with Mexican Stock Exchange BIVA and Social Value Institute.

Marcela Ánimas, who joined Nader, Hayaux & Goebel’s sustainable transition working group in 2024, has 25 years of experience in environmental and natural resources matters. Specifically, she often advises clients on sustainability, circular economy, ecological ordinance, environmental impact, and corporate environmental liability issues. 

Ánimas is particularly known for her leading expertise in the water sector (regarding water availability, extraction rights and efficiency, recycling and reuse), having worked as external counsel for several public national and international institutions, advising on successful water governance practices. 

Her thought leadership contributions have included the publications of several articles across Mexico and Spain on water sustainability, climate change, soil contamination, and the management of national parks. She also frequently has speaking engagements on these topics. 

Applying over 30 years of experience in assisting clients across a range of sectors with corporate and governance matters related to their operations in Mexico and Latin America, Yves Hayaux du Tilly leads Nader, Hayaux & Goebel’s sustainable transition working group, advising clients and boards of directors on the best ways to assess their ESG impact, manage climate emergency risks and transition into a sustainable economy from a governance, regulatory and compliance standpoint. 

Hayaux du Tilly’s commitment to driving sustainability and the green transition reaches beyond his client work: He is a member of Chapter Zero UK (the Director’s Climate Forum), led efforts to launch Chapter Zero Mexico and now co-chairs its executive committee, and is an active member of the Governing Board of the Climate Governance Initiative.

He is also a recognised figure in the thought leadership space, having published and spoken about issues ranging from implementing effective corporate climate governance to the importance of nature connection for business, and ESG controversies in Mexico. 

Alongside his role as practice head of Von Wobeser’s environmental and natural resources departments, Edmond Grieger is also a member of the firm’s ESG practice and coordinates the energy and natural resources industry practice group. With over 20 years of experience in environmental law and a dedication to sustainable development and Mexico’s energy transition, he often acts for clients on major project and infrastructure developments as well as in environmental administrative litigation and arbitration. 

Grieger’s commitment is further evident in his pro-bono activities for organisations such as the Nature Conservancy, WWF, and Pronatura. He is also a member of the Mexican Solar Energy Association. 

A frequent speaker on energy transition, environmental and sustainability topics, he has shared his expertise at various national and international conferences and forums, including the ABA/IBA Environmental Summit of the Americas, the International Chamber of Commerce, and the Renewable Academy in Berlin. His articles on environmental and energy law have been published in The Wall Street Journal and Financier Worldwide, amongst others. 

Ramon Varela heads up Morgan & Morgan’s energy and ESG practice groups. With over 25 years of experience, he has vast expertise assisting clients with major infrastructure projects in the energy and transportation sectors with a notable focus on the generation of energy through major hydro, wind, natural gas, and solar projects. His client portfolio includes developers, operators, EPC contractors, investors and government authorities. 

Besides his recognition as having advised the Government of Panama in the drafting and approval of the law establishing the framework regulation for PPP in the country, he also acted for the lenders on one of the largest wind farms in Central America, in Coclé Province, Panama, and assisted AES Corporation in one of the most important hydroelectric plants in the country, the Changuinola project. 

Committed to the promotion of a sustainable future, Varela has also spoken about energy and infrastructure in the country at conferences and workshops, discussing investment needs, the energy transition and sustainable projects in Panama. 

With over 20 years of experience in energy and infrastructure, Brendan Oviedo is an integral member of Hernandez CAA’s projects, and energy and climate change practices. Both domestically and internationally, he advises on the development and financing of renewables and carbon projects, the negotiation of emission reduction purchase agreements and international climate change agreements. 

He participated in the drafting of the first renewable energy resources bill in Peru in 2007, and is currently the president of the Peruvian Renewable Energy Association as well as the representative of the Private Promotion Group before the National Commission on Climate Change. He also led the Peruvian negotiating team on carbon markets and mitigation mechanisms in the negotiations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol, and advised the Peruvian negotiating team in the negotiations under the Paris Agreement. 

His far-reaching thought leadership has featured in major media, and he is a frequent speaker at regional and international events on topics ranging from the contribution of the private sector towards achieving the Paris Agreement goals to the potential of green hydrogen, and the energy transition in Peru. 

Combining his corporate, banking and finance, and energy expertise, Sebastian Ramos at Ferrere has advised multilaterals, funds, and financial institutions on the financing of dozens of infrastructure and energy projects in the public and private sectors in Uruguay. Having increasingly focused his practice around ESG issues, he now co-heads the firm’s ESG practice. 

Committed to furthering a sustainable future in the Americas, Ramos holds the position of Secretary to the Board of Pacto Global Uruguay, the local network of the UN Global Compact. At an event organised by the latter, he recently moderated a panel discussing sustainable value chains. He has also spoken about the role of law firms and legal professionals in the sustainability agenda at the 2023 IBA in Miami, and has been featured in national daily newspaper El País Uruguay in an article about Uruguay’s steps towards a green bond framework.