Andrea Carolina Pineda Aguilar

Tell us about your journey to IE Law School.

At the start of my professional career, I worked for a Spanish law firm called Cremades & Calvo-Sotelo, who have an office in Bogota, where I’m from. While I was working there I decided that if I could pursue a master’s degree abroad, Spain would be my country of choice.

With seven years of experience in Colombia across law firms, the financial sector and notary, I began providing legal advice to companies on commercial and corporate issues, real estate law, legal regulation in business and also in alternative dispute resolution methods.

Currently, I’m working in LegalTech matters at Bird & Bird, where I’m part of the commercial data protection team. This has been a great opportunity to apply my knowledge on European regulations regarding data protection and the ever-evolving law surrounding new technologies. Focusing my career on this new field has been amazing, as it’s the future of a globalized world.

What made you decide to enroll in the Master of Laws?

I decided to enroll as I was sure it would be the right step in my learning journey to join a prestigious European institution, and a way to expand my professional career abroad.

The Liquid Learning methodology offered an innovative way to learn, considering the difficult circumstances brought about by the pandemic. The program content especially was remarkable. It introduced trending topics from the real business world from a legal perspective, with expert professionals in their fields teaching us, which meant this particular program had all the things I was looking for.

How did you grow professionally through the Master of Laws?

There were several benefits to this experience. The knowledge I acquired in different business areas made me broaden my horizons, open up my perspective of the legal world and understand more about specific, globalized fields such as IP Law and LegalTech, which is what I’m now pursuing at work. Additionally, it gave me a broad and interdisciplinary perspective of law, recognizing the important role of attorneys, as well as the need to explore today’s business needs. I also gained essential skills such as communication, customer experience, leadership and teamwork. I grew a lot from the experience, not only from a professional perspective, but from a personal one, too.

What’s your favorite memory from the Master of Laws?

I really enjoyed attending classes. For me, meeting people from different places around the world and having this multicultural experience with my classmates, teachers, and the IE University team showed me how diverse different cultures can be. It was interesting to be gathered together in a single space, share our knowledge and communicate in English, even though it wasn’t a first language for the majority of us. For me, it was a challenge that was totally worth it, and I enjoyed every single opportunity I had to learn more about my classmates and their ways of life.

Can you tell us the most valuable piece of advice you gained in the Master of Laws?

“Embrace the uncertainty” was something I kept in mind from the welcome speech and I kept repeating it to myself throughout my experience. Even though I completed the Master of Laws during one of the most difficult times in the pandemic, when strict restrictions were imposed in Madrid, I was amazed at how IE University organized Liquid Learning and we were able to carry out our program in the best way possible. Hard times can be challenging, but with consistency, resilience and the ability to accept change, this experience allowed me to develop different skills and I enjoyed the entire journey.