URUGUAY IBA 2026 | Claudia Barrero and Corina Bove lead Women Lawyers Breakfast Session

At the International Bar Association (IBA) conference "Mergers and acquisitions in Latin America — building bridges through business: rethinking M&A in the Americas", held from 23 to 25 March 2026, the Women Lawyers Breakfast Session, organised jointly by the IBA Women Lawyers Committee and the IBA Latin American Regional Forum (LARF), drew a full audience at the Rio de Janeiro Ballroom, confirming its position as one of the most attended and discussed sessions of the programme.

The session was co-chaired by Claudia Barrero, Partner at Philippi Prietocarrizosa Ferrero DU & Uria and Senior Vice Chair of the Women Lawyers Committee, and Corina Bove, Partner at Guyer & Regules and Co-Vice Chair of the Committee, alongside Facundo Ponce de León of the Agencia del Cine y el Audiovisual de Uruguay, who led the moderation and framing of the discussion.

With the room at capacity, the session focused on unconscious bias and gender dynamics in professional environments, examining how certain behaviours continue to shape interactions within legal practice. The format departed from traditional panel discussions, incorporating scripted and staged scenarios designed to reflect real-life situations within law firms and corporate settings.

These scenarios addressed, among other issues, the persistence of gender stereotypes in client negotiations, the impact of informal hierarchies and trust networks on the allocation of opportunities, and the structural challenges faced by women in advancing to senior roles. Additional segments explored topics such as the "glass ceiling," the role of merit versus perceived trust in professional advancement, and the unequal distribution of mental load in balancing professional and personal responsibilities.

The interactive nature of the session, with moderated audience participation following each scenario, generated sustained engagement and discussion among attendees. The level of attendance and the active involvement of participants underscored the relevance of these issues within the Latin American legal community.

Within this context, Claudia Barrero and Corina Bove led the session from the Women Lawyers Committee, while the moderation by Facundo Ponce de León ensured a structured and dynamic exchange. Their combined roles contributed directly to the success of a session that combined technical reflection with practical illustration of challenges that remain embedded in the profession.

The Women Lawyers Breakfast Session ultimately highlighted the continued importance of institutional initiatives led by the Women Lawyers Committee and LARF in advancing the discussion on gender equality within the legal sector, positioning the session as a key forum for reflection within the broader IBA conference.