The Chambers Latin America Guide 2026 is here, looking at the top law firms and lawyers across 19 jurisdictions, from Mexico to Chile, and including the Caribbean. It’s essential reading if you want to know who’s on top when it comes to legal expertise in Latin America.
What’s new this year
The 2026 guide reflects the region’s evolving legal landscape:
- Chile sees new rankings in Environment: Water Rights and Compliance, and new individual rankings in TMT: Data Protection.
- Mexico gets fresh attention in General Business Law (Querétaro), Banking & Finance: Regulatory, TMT: Data Protection, and multiple Energy & Natural Resources areas, including Power, Oil & Gas, and Mining.
- Corporate M&A in Mexico now has Elite and Highly Regarded individual rankings, which includes some of the most high-profile lawyers in the region.
Overall, the guide features 806 ranked firms, 2,268 departmental rankings, and 4,988 individual lawyers.
A rising generation
This year, Chambers continues to highlight top associates. The guide lists 652 “Associates to Watch” and “Star Associates”, with a slightly more equal gender balance than previous years: 52% women. That’s progress, even if there’s still work to do in some jurisdictions.
Gender diversity: a slow but steady climb
The Dominican Republic tops the league for the proportion of women ranked, while Chile and Mexico show both room for improvement and encouraging signs in specific practice areas.
Chile has gender parity in Life Sciences and Data Protection, whilst in Mexico, women account for 43% of rankings in Data Protection, and 27% across Intellectual Property, Labour & Employment, and Arbitration.
What the researchers are looking for
According to the Chambers Latin America research team, lawyers who make it into the guide aren’t just technically strong. They also:
- Understand the client’s business and sector inside out.
- Can handle complex, multi-jurisdictional matters without breaking a sweat.
- Play well with others (yes, even in highly competitive markets).
The Chambers team is thorough. They’re talking to clients, stakeholders, and peers, digging deep into the actual work lawyers are doing. So it’s not enough to be well-known, you also need to be well-regarded.
Next steps
Submissions for the Chambers Latin America 2027 Guide are open, with the next key deadline on 4 September 2025. You can view the full research schedule here.
If you’re thinking “where do I even start”, don’t panic. A little planning, and a bit of guidance from a team that really knows the ropes, can make all the difference.
At ELE, we help law firms and chambers navigate the submission process, maximise rankings potential, and highlight the lawyers who deserve to be recognised. Because, let’s face it, your hard work deserves to be seen, recognised, and ranked.
