The Bridge Builder

When Gustavo Giay took office as Marval O’Farrell Mairal’s sixth chairman on 9 December 2025, he inherited not only the leadership of Argentina’s most prestigious law firm, but also the responsibility of steering it through the most radical transformation the legal profession has faced in its history.

Unlike his predecessors, Giay comes to the role with a profile that would have been unthinkable decades ago: a specialist in industrial property and artificial intelligence, with a cross-cutting understanding of business law, and the architect of four practice areas that did not exist when he joined the firm in 1995: IP enforcement, technology and data, corporate criminal law and legal operations. His appointment is no coincidence; it is a statement of principles about where corporate law is heading in an era in which technology not only complements legal work, but threatens to redefine it completely.

In this exclusive conversation, Gustavo Giay (chairman) reveals Marval’s strategy for addressing the dilemma keeping leaders of major firms awake at night: how to maintain traditional excellence while adapting to clients who demand technological efficiency; how to train the next generation of lawyers when artificial intelligence can perform much of the work traditionally done by junior associates; and how to build a culture of innovation without losing the institutional essence that led the firm to celebrate its centenary as the undisputed market leader. From his view that Argentina is going through a “virtuous cycle” to his conviction that firms must “adapt to what clients need, and not the other way around”, Giay offers a roadmap for navigating a future in which, in his own words, “difference nourishes us and makes us better”.

LexLatin: You are taking over leadership of Marval at a time of unprecedented change for the legal profession. Yours is not the most conventional path to this role: you have focused on intellectual property, technology, security and privacy. How do you interpret this appointment in light of your three decades at the firm?

Gustavo Giay: It is impossible not to interpret this appointment in light of my specific path at Marval and the current context. It has been a long journey: I have been at the firm for 30 years. I joined right after graduating from law school. I came to Marval without knowing anyone, without any recommendation; I simply left my résumé and was accepted, which says a great deal about the meritocracy that exists at the firm. I was born in a city in the interior called Arrecifes, 180 kilometres from Buenos Aires.

I began working directly with Dr Ernesto O’Farrell, who at the time was chairman of the firm’s board of directors. Ernesto had two specialities: he devoted most of his time to industrial property (trade mark and patent matters), and the other half to corporate and commercial law. I started working with him on the latter.

Very soon afterwards I had the opportunity to go and pursue an LL.M. at Northwestern in Chicago. When I returned in 1997, after studying subjects such as corporate finance, business associations, derivative products and securities regulation, and preparing to assist with the corporate and commercial matters handled by his team, Ernesto asked me to begin working on trade mark matters, not on the registration side but on the transactional and litigation side. I accepted the challenge, but as I had not studied trade marks in depth up to that point, I had to complete a third postgraduate programme, this time in industrial property matters. That is how I trained in the protection of and advice on intangible assets, with a business-oriented perspective shaped by my previous studies.

In 1999, the first internet bubble emerged. At the firm, while I was still an associate, I was appointed a sort of secretary to the internet group, working directly with partners on internet-related projects all the time. That was my first real exposure to technology, and especially to personal data protection. Then, in 2003, I became a partner.

At that point, I began a career in which I always viewed the profession as a means rather than an end. For me, being a lawyer is an excellent means of serving in many areas. With that mindset, I began developing new areas within the firm. Over my 22 years as a partner, I had the opportunity to lead the development of four areas that did not previously exist, three of which today have a partner who once worked with me as an associate.

Throughout my professional career, I have led strategic business projects for numerous top-tier international and domestic clients, both in intellectual property matters and in many other issues in which I was able to contribute my professional perspective and knowledge beyond my specific practice area. That allowed me to work side by side with different partners, understand first-hand how matters are structured and managed in very diverse contexts, and learn from different branches of the law. That path helped me develop a versatile perspective, capable of understanding the particularities of each matter and integrating different legal approaches depending on each client’s specific needs.

One of the areas I developed was the technology practice. That was truly transformative for me because it not only gave me first-hand exposure and led me to train myself in a process of constant change, but also allowed me to lead the firm’s innovation initiatives.

In 2012, I presented a plan to the firm called “Marval 2023”. It was designed to ensure that, by the time of the firm’s centenary in 2023, we would be positioned as the leading firm in the provision of legal services related to technology. The challenge has always been to identify how technology can enhance our practice areas, how the intersection between technology and law could generate business opportunities, and how to capture those opportunities before our competitors, in a context in which we always encourage digital culture and the exchange of best practices.

In that way I came to lead the firm’s innovation initiatives, fostering the development of new areas and creating opportunities with a bridge-builder profile, because that is, in essence, what I am. I also served for several years on the firm’s executive committee and board of directors, which allowed me to gain invaluable knowledge in leadership and firm management, as well as the dynamics of relationships among partners.

I believe that the partners, interpreting the current context, identified that a certain type of leadership is needed at this moment: leadership that is not entirely horizontal, but is based on listening, consensus-building and teamwork, and is grounded in experience advising top-level clients and managing the portfolios of major global clients and first-line companies, as I have done over the last 25 years.

I feel that I have been entrusted with carrying out that role, succeeding Santiago Carregal, who did an excellent job over the past eight years, and taking the reins of a firm that has always been characterised by innovation and by staying one step ahead. I humbly interpret that the partners have seen in the leadership I offer the best way to bring out the best in everyone, while also preparing the organisation for the challenges ahead in a context of profound change, so as to keep Marval at the top, as it has been until now.

With my appointment, Marval is also signalling a path, as it has done before on many other issues. It is a way of anticipating the times ahead, since this style of leadership will likely become more common in law firms in the future.

 

Read the full article: https://lexlatin.com/gestion-lexlatin/gustavo-giay-liderar-marval-era-la