María Carolina Pardo Cuéllar

Biography

Carolina Pardo joined Baker McKenzie in 1994 and is a Partner of the Firm since 2008. She is currently a member of the Global Steering Committee for the Firm’s TMT industry group and of the Global Steering Committee for the Firm’s Investigation, Compliance and Ethics Group. She was a member of the Global Steering Committee for the Firm’s Global Antitrust and Competition from 2016 and until 2020 and is currently a member of the Latam's Antitrust Steering Committee.

She graduated as a lawyer and a specialist in International Contracts Law from Universidad de los Andes in Bogotá. She obtained a LL.M. with emphasis in International Private Law and Competition Law from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Over 25 years, she has advised major national and international clients on matters related to compliance with data protection, competition and consumer law rules. She has represented clients in investigations and submissions related to data protection and competition matters in Colombia and has successfully coordinated and prepared white paper proposals to national authorities on behalf of major industrial groups in Colombia.

In 2016 Global Competition Review selected her as one of the 100 most influential women in antitrust. The last two Superintendents of Industry and Commerce have selected Carolina as a Non-Governmental Advisor to the Colombian Antitrust Regulator.

Practice Focus

Carolina has more than 25 years' experience in Competition Law, and her practice focuses mainly on antitrust regulations, compliance, IT and privacy matters.

Representative Legal Matters

Acted as a member of the legal team that advised the Peruvian government on the privatization of ports and airports in Peru.
Advised Colombian and multinational clients on antitrust, data protection matters, e-commerce, consumer protection and data protection matters as well as in connection with compliance structures – including anti-money laundering and anti-bribery. Has lead investigations and merger control cases undertaken by the Colombian competition regulator and has successfully coordinated cases in the Latin American region.

Professional Honors

Chambers Latin America has ranked her in TMT and Antitrust (leading practitioner) in Colombia
Legal 500 has recognized her as a leading practitioner in TMT and Antitrust in Colombia
LACCA has recognized her as leading individual for Compliance and Antitrust matters

Professional Associations and Memberships

ACDC - Asociación Colombiana de Derecho de la Competencia - Member
ADAPRI - Asociación de Datos y Privacidad - Member

Admissions

Colombia (1995)

Education

The London School of Economics and Political Science (LL.M. International Law) (2001)
Los Andes University (Master's Degree International Contracts) (1997)
University de Los Andes (J.D.) (1995)

Languages

English
French
Spanish

Carolina has authored articles for Global Competition Review and Global Compliance and Investigations related to antitrust matters and anticorruption matters. She has been a professor of undergraduate and postgraduate studies at Universidad de los Andes as part of the Competition Law subject, and has also been a visiting professor of the same subject at Colegio Mayor de Nuestra Señora del Rosario in Bogota.

Moderator in the conference ‘Implicaciones de la Sentencia en plataformas tecnológicas similares’, at the Forum 'Verdades, Mitos y Consecuencias del Caso Uber', organized by Asociación Colombiana de Derecho de la Competencia. – February 2020.

Round table panelist on the topic ‘Abuso de la posición dominante en el marco de la crisis económica y sanitaria’, organized by Asociación Colombiana de Derecho de la Competencia. – April 2020.

Moderator in the panel ‘Principales retos del Derecho Andino de la Competencia’, at the ‘V Congreso Anual de la Asociación Colombiana de Derecho de la Competencia’ – ACDC y Legis – July 2020.

Panelist on the topic ‘Antimonopolio Panel América Latina’, at the ‘XXVI Seminario de Defensa de la Competencia Internacional’, organized by Instituto Brasileño de Estudios de la Competencia, el Consumo y el Comercio Internacional – November 2020.