Alumni Spotlight: Enrique Campusano, LL.M. ’24
The 2023–24 GBLI Fellow shares how the fellowship impacted his personal growth and professional success.
Enrique Campusano, LL.M. ’24 fondly recalls the day he saw an advertisement for a fellowship position at the Global Business Law Institute (GBLI).
Hailing from Viña del Mar, a coastal city in Chile, Campusano had always been attracted to business law. Following a Bachelor of Laws degree from Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, that attraction drew him to the Tax Law LL.M. program at the Ƶ, where he met professors Scott Schumacher and Ramón E. Ortiz-Vélez, who oversee the Federal Tax Clinic and serve as co-directors of GBLI. Their conversations piqued Campusano’s interest in an international perspective on business law, which led him to the GBLI Fellowship program, an experience that proved decisive for his career.
Today, Enrique is associate counsel for Indirect Tax at Tesla, where he offers advice on a wide range of indirect tax matters across North America, from sales and use taxes to excise taxes. He supports multiple business lines — including vehicles, energy, AI and robotics, automation and charging infrastructure — by structuring transactions, reviewing contracts and crafting compliance strategies that mitigate tax risks and support innovation.
Campusano flourished at Ƶ, taking rigorous courses and forming close relationships with faculty, particularly GBLI Co-Director and Affiliate Professor Matt LeMaster, whom he credits with making his education feel personal and meaningful. He also had the opportunity to connect deeply with his mentor, Jeff Dickerman, Senior VP and General Counsel at Expeditors, who supported him every step of the way in his career journey.
As part of the GBLI Fellows program, Campusano visited Mexico City, where he and his cohort engaged with global business leaders from top law firms, met with faculty and students from the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) and toured organizations like TikTok’s Latin America headquarters.
“What stood out most,” Campusano recalls, “was the team’s agility and cross-border collaborations, which was an eye-opening reminder of how global and interconnected legal work has become. In today’s world, moving fast and getting it right is essential. These are key lessons I carry with me in my role as in-house counsel at Tesla.”
Challenging courses, enriching mentorship and unique experiential learning opportunities were all formative experiences for Campusano. But meeting retired Washington Supreme Court Justice Faith Ireland at a GBLI event had an outsized influence on his personal and professional growth. Campusano credits Justice Ireland with the best life coaching he has received, highlighting the power of aligning intention with integrity, helping him to reset his aims and get through tough times.
“I started as a part-time intern at Tesla while in school, then transitioned to full-time as I finished my LL.M.,” Campusano says. “It wasn’t easy, but that advice gave me clarity, and, in the end, I walked away with a diploma and a full-time offer that I’m really proud of. If you reach out with intention and a clear plan, you’ll often find that others are more than willing to help you get where you want to go.”
And it’s not just about integrity and good intentions, Campusano says. “It’s also about the power of fully committing to what you do. That’s how you make an impact. Success isn’t a one-off achievement. It’s something you build every day. The real test is to consistently add value in a fast-paced environment. That kind of commitment brings out the best in you and helps you and your company grow.”
“Through hard work and dedication, Campusano was able to take advantage of the many opportunities Ƶ and the GBLI Fellowship have to offer,” Schumacher says. “I am delighted that he was able to land his dream job, and we couldn’t be prouder of him.”