The underrepresentation of LGBTQ+ professionals in law firms and corporate legal departments remains a significant gap in Latin America. While several law firms and companies have incorporated diversity policies and discourse in recent years, industry experts warn that barriers persist to retention, advancement, and access to leadership positions for LGBTQ+ professionals, particularly in law firms.
In this context, during the Latin American regional forum of the International Bar Association (IBA), held in Punta del Este in March 2026, Ally, a new organization aimed at promoting inclusion policies and greater LGBTQ+ visibility within the legal sector, was presented.
Ally is the result of an initiative developed by various LGBTQ+ professionals at different meetings of the International Bar Association (IBA), creating spaces for debate and discussion. The formal launch of Ally took place within the framework of an event entitled “Beyond the Closet: Policies and Best Practices for Inclusion in the Workplace,” which brought together representatives from law firms, companies, and organizations linked to diversity and inclusion. At this event, representatives from law firms such as Mattos Filhos (Brazil) and Galicia (Mexico), firms recognized for their best practices in this area, shared their experiences; as did representatives from companies such as Coca-Cola FEMSA.
Ally emerged with a very clear objective: to move from rhetoric to the implementation of concrete measures. Ally also arose as a response to the need to bring together LGBTQ+ professionals who inspire and are willing to actively collaborate so that law firms and companies take a further step in terms of inclusion, promoting truly welcoming spaces and leadership opportunities for new generations. In this sense, Ally seeks to make a difference, raise awareness, and support LGBTQ+ professionals so they can thrive as who they are, focusing solely on their professional abilities, without their sexual orientation or gender identity representing an obstacle or limitation in their careers.
The initiative is driven by Jorge Bárcenas, director of positioning and business development at Benites, Vargas & Ugaz (BVU) -Peru-, Ignacio Meggiolaro, partner at Martínez de Hoz & Rueda (MHR) -Argentina-, and Jaime Chávez Alor, co-executive director of the Cyrus R. Vance Center for International Justice in New York -United States-.
The organization aims to serve as a platform for collaboration among law firms, legal departments, and other stakeholders in the sector, with an emphasis on creating safe spaces, promoting visible leadership, and establishing best practices in the workplace. To this end, Ally has planned various activities and initiatives that will be disseminated throughout the year.
As part of its initial actions, Ally launched a regional survey on diversity and inclusion in the Latin American legal sector, targeting professionals from various countries to identify gaps and specific needs. Furthermore, based on these results, Ally is coordinating and editing a best practices guide to serve as a reference for law firms and legal departments throughout the region.
The goal, its promoters say, is for LGBTQ+ inclusion to stop depending on isolated initiatives and become a sustained policy within the region’s legal business.
