ALLY, a LatAm lawyers’ network to promote LGBTQ+ inclusion, launches

The initiative aims to address the low representation, limited visibility, and lack of effective diversity policies in the Latin American legal sector, as well as to provide tools to law firms and legal professionals to promote true inclusion.

The underrepresentation of LGBTQ+ professionals in law firms and corporate legal departments remains an unresolved issue in Latin America. While in recent years various law firms and companies have adopted diversity-related discourses and policies, industry experts warn that barriers persist regarding retention, promotion, and access to leadership positions for LGBTQ+ professionals, especially 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 was launched — a new organization aimed at promoting inclusion policies and greater LGBTQ+ visibilitywithin the legal sector.

ALLY is the result of an initiative that various LGBTQ+ professionals have been developing at various meetings of the International Bar Association (IBA), creating spaces for debate and discussion.

Formally, the launch of ALLY took place during an event titled “Beyond the Closet: Policies and Best Practices for Inclusion in the Workplace,” which brought together representatives from law firms, companies, and organizations focused on diversity and inclusion.

On that occasion, representatives from law firms such as Mattos Filhos (Brazil) and Galicia (Mexico) — firms recognized for best practices in this area — shared their experiences, as well as representatives from companies such as Coca-Cola FEMSA.

ALLY was created with a very clear objective: to move from discourse to the implementation of concrete measures and in response to the need to bring together LGBTQ+ professionals who inspire others and are willing to actively collaborate so that law firms and companies can take a step further in terms of inclusion, promoting truly welcoming environments and leadership opportunities for future generations.

In this regard, ALLY seeks to make an impact, raise awareness, and support professionals within the community so they can thrive as their true selves, focused solely on their professional capabilities, without their sexual orientation or gender identity serving as an obstacle or limiting factor in their careers.

The initiative is led by Jorge Bárcenas, director of positioning and business development at Benites, Vargas & Ugaz (BVU) in Peru; Ignacio Meggiolaro, partner at Martínez de Hoz & Rueda (MHR) in Argentina; and Jaime Chávez Alor, co-executive director of the Cyrus R. Vance Center for International Justice in New York.

The organization aims to serve as a platform for collaboration among law firms, legal departments, and other stakeholders in the sector, with a focus 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 it will roll out 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 specific gaps and needs. Additionally, based on these results, ALLY is coordinating and editing a guide to best practices to serve as a reference for law firms and legal departments throughout the region. The goal, according to its promoters, is for LGBTQ+ inclusion to cease to depend on isolated initiatives and become a sustained policy within the legal industry in the region.