The Latin American Corporate Counsel Association, which brings together in-house counsel with responsibility for Latin America, is holding its third regional meeting, in São Paulo on 11th March. 

Law firms in Mexico say their clients are forcing them to be much more competitive - while general counsel note that budgets for external lawyers are going nowhere but down, and they have little choice but to insist on value. In this excerpt from the Latin American Corporate Counsel Association meeting in Mexico, we look at how to bridge the gap 

Guillermo Ucha, Citigroup’s chief legal officer for Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay, talks to David Thorley about his work in the region and the challenges of retaining talent. 

Members of the Latin American Corporate Counsel Association in Mexico said that what they want most from law firms is spending real time getting to know their business - and not billing for that. 

Maria Rita de Carvalho Drummond, who heads up the M&A activities of Brazilian sugar and ethanol producer Cosan's in-house legal team, talks to David Thorley about her department. 

Catalina Gaviria Ruano, in-house counsel to life insurer Alico in Colombia, talks to Sebastian Perry about keeping up with compliance in an ever-innovating sector 

In the latest focus on pro bono work, David Thorley looks at Hogan & Hartson LLP’s involvement with a case concerning the rights of Texas-born Mexicans to US passports. 

Working in Banco Crédito del Perú’s 80-lawyer legal department, Héctor Calero leads the team dealing with corporate finance matters. He talks to David Thorley about the challenges of working in Peru’s banking sector. 

José María Rivas, general counsel of Harvest Vinccler in Venezuela, talks to Sebastian Perry about working under Venezuela's ever-changing legal framework 

José Luis Cárdenas, legal affairs manager at Laboratorio Chile, talks to Sebastian Perry about the importance of a multidisciplinary approach