Speaker Bios

Rebecca L. Sipowicz is Vice President, Assistant General Counsel for Ocwen Financial Corporation, located in West Palm Beach, Florida. Rebecca is Ocwen’s internal employment counsel, regularly advising the Human Resources department in regard to local, state and federal laws and regulations. She is also responsible for the management of complex litigation nationwide such as class actions and residential mortgage litigation, including without limitation, servicing claims, complex contested foreclosures, complex contested evictions, adversary complaints, and affirmative actions. In addition, Rebecca oversees back-office functions and processes, including the legal department’s intake and billing functions. Her back-office oversight includes working on projects affecting the law department in its interactions with other business units and co-managing a team of intake analysts offshore. Rebecca has been a member of NAWL since 2018, participating as a member on the host committee for the 2018 and 2021 Mid-Year Meetings, as co-chair of the Sponsorship Committee for the 2022 Mid-Year Meeting, and as co-chair of the NAWL Moms affinity group since 2022.

Ruchi Kaushal has been the General Counsel of Cable & Wireless Communications, a leading telecommunications operator in the Caribbean and Latin America, since January 2017.  Prior to joining Cable & Wireless, Ms. Kaushal was a Vice President at Liberty Global, the world's largest TV and broadband company, for four years, and an Assistant General Counsel at Virgin Media, the U.K.'s largest cable operator, for six years.  Ms. Kaushal trained in the U.S. capital markets group of Shearman & Sterling LLP in Toronto, Canada and London, England.  She has a B.A. in Economics, a LL.B and a MBA.  She currently lives in Miami with her husband and two young children.

Janna Maland currently serves as Associate General Counsel at Banco Santander International, which is part of the Spanish Grupo Santander’s Private Banking business. At Santander, Janna focuses on advising internal clients on structuring the bank’s investment products and drafting and reviewing documentation for credit transactions, as well as providing guidance regarding business development, marketing, third-party-agreements and corporate governance.  Prior to joining Santander in 2018, Janna spent her career at Shearman & Sterling LLP in New York City, where she practiced in the general corporate and finance groups.

Originally from Germany, Janna obtained her LL.B. degree from Bucerius Law School in Hamburg, Germany, and her J.D. from Fordham Law School in New York City, and is licensed to practice in Germany, New York and Florida.

Zamira Zapata Valdés is currently the Vice President and Associate General Counsel for Mergers and Acquisitions, Americas. In such role, Zamira is accountable to provide pro-active, fit for purpose legal advice and deal execution for all global business development activity across North America (“NA”) and Latin America and the Caribbean (“LAC”), delivering outcome-orientated solutions while appropriately mitigating legal risk and protecting our reputation. Key enabler of Diageo´s inorganic agenda.

Prior to this role she was the VP & General Counsel of Diageo’s Central America, Caribbean, Free-trade zone and Border business, and in addition to overseeing corporate security and brand protection, she led the company’s compliance team in this region. During this period, she also played a relevant role on the CCA Executive Committee and the Executive Committee for the Zacapa business, which is key for Diageo, especially in markets such as Italy, the US, and Mexico. 

Zamira started her journey in Diageo in 2011 as VP and General Counsel for the Mexican business. During her assignment in Mexico she led the legal team, as was a key member of the Executive Committee and Secretary of the Board of Directors of the Mexican companies. One of her most significant contributions was playing a key role in the acquisition and integration of tequila Don Julio and the negotiation of the return of the Smirnoff brand with no major risk for the business and implemented according to business case allowing normal operation as of day on and expanding our portfolio.

Before joining Diageo she was the Legal Corporate Director in Genomma Lab, a leading public Mexican company in the pharmaceutical and personal care products segment in Mexico with an increasing international presence in the U.S.A. and Latin-America. I led the acquisition of different brands such as Teatrical, Micotex, Nasalub, Ossart, Sante, Vanart, Pomada de la Campana, Nordiko, Alert, Wildroot, and X-L3 which became relevant assets to the company.  

Zamira has also worked for Mexico’s´ federal government, first in President Felipe Calderon’s staff and then as Head of the Unit for Promotion of Trade and Investment in the Ministry of Economy, she coordinated Project "tuempresa.gob.mx", a one stop shop created by the Federal Government to facilitate the establishment and implementation of business by simplifying federal procedures. Also, she participated in the development of alternatives and processes that improve the regulatory framework for enhancing productivity and competitiveness.

From 2002 to 2007, she was an associate at Law Firm White & Case, in both Mexico and New York offices, where she represented several multinational clients in corporate and financial matters, especially for cross-border transactions (Mergers & Acquisitions, Securities, Co-Investments and Project Financing). Zamira has given lectures as a professor at the Law Faculty of Mexico´s National University (UNAM) for the subjects Business Law, and Banking and Securities law.

Ms. Zapata has been featured in a couple of magazines like Modern Counsel and Abogado Corporativo from Thomson Reuters and has been considered for the last four years as one of the one hundred most powerful women in business by the Mexico CNN Grupo Expansion magazine.

Beatriz Jaramillo is Senior Counsel at Humana Inc. She works in the Law Department’s Litigation & Investigations Group, where she manages a diverse case portfolio. Beatriz’s cases include both arbitration and litigation matters, primarily involving disputes with healthcare providers, pharmacies, and members. Beatriz also handles pre-litigation disputes where she advises her internal business client on risk mitigation strategies and assists them during negotiations. Beatriz has a successful track record mediating cases and negotiating favorable settlements for her client. Beatriz is a member of the Law Department’s Diversity Committee, where she focuses on improving the hiring and retention of minority owned law firms.

Prior to working at Humana, Beatriz was an attorney with the international law firm Squire Patton Boggs, where she practiced primarily in the areas of complex commercial litigation, products liability defense, and international arbitration. She was a member of the firm’s Latin America Task Force. Beatriz was selected to participate in the Pathfinder Program for the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity in 2017.

Beatriz received her J.D. from the University of Miami School of Law, where she graduated summa cum laude and Order of the Coif. She received her B.A. in Management & International Business from Florida International University.

Prior to law school, Beatriz worked many years in the automotive industry

Delia Reyes joined Bacardi North America Corporation in June 2018 as Corporate Counsel/ Consultant and in her role,  she oversees the legal operations of the company in areas such as global procurement, marketing and innovation, distributor arrangements, trade practice and regulatory compliance, real estate and corporate communications. Prior to joining Bacardi as a consultant Delia served a Sr. Procurement Counsel at SBAMiller, Inc., the world’s second largest brewer, and was successfully responsible for developing and strengthening procurement legal support levels, standards and systems throughout the Latin America Region. She was also a Member of the Latin America Procurement Leadership. 

Prior to that, Delia was a Corporate Counsel at Grupo Phoenix, a Minority Owned Business specializing in rigid packaging with operations in Latin America and US. Before joining Grupo Phoenix, Delia served as Legal Director for the Latin America Region at Burger King Corporation and as an attorney in Venezuela. 

Delia is currently a member of the Bacardi Women’s in Leadership Workplace Engagement Committee and Mentoring Program.

Delia is a Venezuelan attorney with a US Master of Laws degree from the University of Miami and is qualified to practice in State of New York and in Florida as an Authorized in- House Counsel.

Executive legal and risk management adviser adept at evaluating commercial operations and corporate business transactions, identifying risks and resolving issues. Specialize in motivating and influencing counter parties and staff through effective communications. My passion is to continue developing and lead Women empowerment programs and Diversity and Inclusion projects because I believe inclusion is a way of living and the success of a company.

Ana Salas Siegel serves as Executive Vice President, General Counsel for NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises and oversees all legal resources, including the division’s Business & Legal Affairs team. As a key member of the senior leadership team, she is responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of the legal department and supervising all legal and business affairs issues impacting the group. In addition to overseeing strategic and complex commercial agreements, Salas Siegel works closely with NBCUniversal’s corporate legal resources on transactional, litigation and employment law, as well as intellectual property, labor relations and compliance matters.

Salas Siegel has been in the media and entertainment industry for almost 20 years. Previously, Salas Siegel worked at Fox Latin America Channels for 12 years, most recently serving as Senior Vice President & General Counsel, Business and Legal Affairs. In that role she was responsible for all legal matters relating to their pay TV channels, and production and sports facilities in Latin America, in addition to managing and developing the legal department. During her tenure, she also served as Senior Vice President & Deputy General Counsel for Fox International Channels. Prior to that, Salas Siegel served for four years as the Director of Business & Legal Affairs at Universal Studios Networks Latin America Inc.

In her spare time, Salas Siegel sits on the United Way of Miami’s Women’s Leadership Council. She is also a member of the Florida Film and Entertainment Advisory Council as well as a board member of the Coral Gables Arts Cinema (non-profit independent art house cinema). As an alumna of Amherst College, she has served on the Presidential Selection Committee as well as the Alumni Trustee Nominating Committee.

Salas Siegel holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Amherst College in Massachusetts, a law degree from Harvard Law School and is a member of the American Bar Association as well as The Florida Bar and The D.C. Bar. In addition, she holds a Certificate in International Business Management from Georgetown University and a U.K. Solicitor’s Certificate from Oxford University.

Sira Veciana-Muiño is Vice President, Business Affairs at Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) where she advises the company’s television networks and digital platforms on business strategy and a broad range of legal and business issues including the development, production, licensing and acquisition of content, regulatory compliance, employment, guild and labor union matters, strategic alliances and other general corporate matters.  Sira is also the founder of the South Florida Women In-House Counsel Group (SFWIHCG), an organization boasting more than 225 members, for which she received the 2019 Daily Business Review Award for Promoting Diversity and Inclusion in In-house Legal Departments.  The SFWIHCG is an organization created and run by and for female in-house attorneys with the mission of promoting networking, mentoring and the building of skills that will help women in house attorneys further their careers and their personal lives.

Sira is a legal and business executive known for being a strategic negotiator and business advisor who is attracted to solving complex problems and challenging endeavors. Throughout her legal career, she has maintained a diverse corporate background overseeing legal and business affairs for international companies and entertainment conglomerates and has been continuously recognized for having sound business judgment, building trusted relationships, and leveraging a deep understanding of businesses to give insight into the best processes, procedures, and efficiencies for profitable outcomes and mitigation of risk.  Sira is an aficionado of all things tech and a Web 3.0 and blockchain enthusiast.

Ms. Veciana-Muiño began her career as a corporate attorney in the Latin American Practice Group of White & Case LLP, representing U.S. and Latin American companies in mergers & acquisitions, securities offerings and credit agreements.  In 2000 she joined MTV Networks Latin America, Inc. as Counsel, Business and Legal Affairs, where she developed a diverse entertainment and corporate law background.  In 2008, Ms. Veciana-Muiño joined Sony Pictures Entertainment.

Sira graduated a Harlan Fiske Scholar from Columbia Law School in 1999 and graduated with Honors and Distinction in Comparative Areas Studies from Duke University in 1994.  Ms. Veciana-Muiño also graduated Beta Gamma Sigma and received an M.B.A. from the University of Florida Warrington College of Business in 2005, has a Certificate in Venture Capital from Berkeley Law School and is pursuing a Certificate and Designation as a Legal Mergers & Acquisitions Expert from the Institute for Mergers, Acquisitions & Alliances (IMAA). 

Felipe Jaramillo serves as Commercial Counsel at Stripe where he supports the go to market team in deal negotiations. As part of his role he leads negotiations with some of Stripe's largest platform and enterprise users, and helps support several of Stripe's leading products. 

 Prior to joining Stripe, Felipe spent 5 years at Ingram Micro working in a variety of corporate roles in the US and abroad, including his most recent role based in Barcelona, Spain, where he led the legal team for Southern EMEA and vendor negotiations for all of Europe. His experience abroad also includes working with Latin America both at Ingram Micro and at Anixter (now Wesco) where he served as the leading attorney for all corporate, commercial and litigation matters in the region. 

 Felipe holds a J.D. from University of Florida, Levin College of Law, and a B.A. in Finance from Florida International University. 

Lauren Brunswick serves as Corporate Counsel for The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals® (ASPCA®), where she provides legal support to multidisciplinary teams across the organization.  She joined the ASPCA after spending nearly 15 years in private practice in Boston and Miami with an international law firm and a boutique law firm.  She is a former Director of the Miami-Dade Chapter of the Florida Association for Women Lawyers (MDFAWL), and currently serves on the Board of the MDFAWL Foundation and as Co-Chair of MDFAWL’s Mentoring Committee.  She received her bachelor’s degree from Brown University (A.B., 2001), and her law degree from University of Pennsylvania (J.D., magna cum laude, Order of the Coif, 2004) where she was Senior Editor of the University of Pennsylvania Law Review.

Lara Bueso Bach is the Senior Vice President of Litigation at TelevisaUnivision, the leading Spanish-language media and content company in the world. The Company’s portfolio includes 36 Spanish-language cable networks—including Univision and UniMas—59 television stations in the U.S., 57 owned or operated U.S. radio stations, and a new streaming platform, ViX. Lara oversees and manages all company-wide litigation from defamation and copyright to commercial disputes and employment matters. She provides pre-litigation strategic advice and leadership to all areas of the business.

Prior to joining TelevisaUnivision, Lara spent over a decade in the complex commercial litigation group at Weil, Gotshal & Manges.  Lara is a graduate of the University of Michigan Law School and currently serves on the on the board of the MDFAWL Foundation which focuses on empowering and advancing women in the law.

Shelly Northover is the former Vice President of Risk and Compliance, Risk and Compliance Officer and Privacy Officer for Orlando based Holiday Inn Club Vacations Incorporated (formerly Orange Lake Resorts), where she was responsible for corporate Ethics, risk management, Compliance, Privacy and restructuring and entrenching the Enterprise Risk Management Program into the organization.  She specializes in management of Risk Committees and working collaboratively with both Executive teams and business units to establish best practices, effective and efficient controls and processes, and corporate and departmental policies that support Compliance with legal and regulatory matters to ensure a compliant culture within organizations.

Shelly has spent over 24 years in the Insurance industry crafting unique coverage forms, working with state agencies and supporting product management in various roles.  For over 12 years Shelly has brought her experience as a litigator and depth of experience, practical skills, and knowledge in risk, privacy and compliance to companies like Nationwide Insurance, Kemper Property & Casualty (formerly Unitrin Specialty), in Texas, and Esurance, in California, before moving to Florida.

Shelly has an undergraduate degree from Rice University and a JD from South Texas College of Law, in Houston Texas, and is a former Prosecutor with the City of Houston also in Texas.