Canada 2025
Supported by the Association of Corporate Counsel
General Counsel and Corporate Secretary | Investment Management Corporation of Ontario (IMCO)
Chief legal officer and corporate services officer | Draganfly
General counsel, executive vice president and corporate secretary | Coca-Cola Canada
On behalf of Legal 500, I am delighted to introduce the GC Powerlist: Canada 2025.
This edition recognises the general counsel and in-house legal teams who play a crucial role in shaping Canada’s corporate and legal landscape. Through our research, we met with professionals who not only provide expert legal guidance but also influence strategies, drive transformation and help their businesses thrive.
Across Canada, general counsel are stepping well beyond traditional roles. They are central to the navigation of complex regulations, enabling innovation, advancing sustainability and governance priorities, and supporting their organisations through rapid change. The GC Powerlist: Canada 2025 celebrates those who combine deep legal expertise with leadership, vision and purpose.
As Agostino Lucarelli, Head of Legal Affairs at Helios Group, puts it: ‘Our team works closely with the top management to ensure that legal strategies directly support our business objectives. I play an integral role in shaping the company’s direction.’
Many emphasise partnership as the foundation of success. Alexa Abiscott, Chief Legal Officer and Secretary at ApplyBoard, explains ‘We truly are an enabling function with our business and strategy teams across the organisation. We maintain extremely high trust relationships throughout the company and are included early in many new initiatives, not as an afterthought.’
Innovation and transformation are equally central. Fernando Garcia, Chief Legal and People Officer at Opta Group, reflects ‘Legal departments must evolve from being reactive to becoming proactive and integrated business partners, using technology to anticipate risks and accelerate outcomes.’
Joshua Kane, Vice President, Legal and General Counsel at STEP Energy Services, adds ‘Our philosophy is that it’s not about saying no to risk, it is about ensuring our business group understands the risk they take in exchange for the expected reward.’
The spirit of collaboration also runs deep across Canada’s legal community. Empowering people to lead and thrive is a strategic imperative: when individuals flourish, so do their organisations.
These insights reflect a broader shift within Canada’s legal community: from risk management to value creation, from technical advice to strategic influence, and from individual expertise to collective impact.
We are proud to present this year’s GC Powerlist: Canada, a celebration of legal professionals who are redefining the future of corporate law and connecting local insight with global impact.
Legal 500’s 2025 edition of the GC Summit Taiwan 2025 at the Mandarin Oriental Taipei raised the bar for GC-focused, content led events for corporate counsel in Taiwan. The event provided an invaluable opportunity for the in-house legal community in this dynamic and globally respected market to explore the challenges and opportunities shaping their profession in an increasingly complex global landscape.
Opening remarks were delivered by Joe Boswell, Global Editor of The Legal 500’s GC Powerlist series, who welcomed attendees and highlighted the Summit’s central theme of in-house lawyers leading with agility and foresight in a rapidly changing world. Boswell emphasised the strength and dynamism of Taiwan’s legal community, setting the tone for an afternoon of thoughtful and practical dialogue. He then introduced Lois Lin, Chief Legal Officer of Wiwynn Corporation, who officially opened the day’s proceedings with remarks on innovation, collaboration, and leadership within Taiwan’s corporate legal sector, particularly in regards to utilising AI and legal tech tools within a modern legal department.
The first panel Powering Digital Growth: Challenges and Opportunities in Taiwan’s Data Center Landscape, examined the infrastructure driving Taiwan’s digital expansion. Ken-Ying Tseng, Lily Kuo, and Chi Lee of Lee and Li discussed how legal teams can balance rapid technological growth with compliance, sustainability, and innovation, offering practical insights into the evolving regulatory environment surrounding data centres.
The second session, U.S. Tariffs, Export Controls, and Sanctions Under the New Administration: Implications for Taiwan’s Exporters, featured Winston Y. Chan and Matthew S. Axelrod, Partners at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP. Drawing on their experience as former U.S. government enforcement officials, they provided a compelling analysis of shifting U.S. trade policies under the new administration and their implications for Taiwan’s exporters.
Following this, Winning in the Federal Circuit: Recent Case Studies brought James Lin and Matthew Wawrzyn, Partners at FisherBroyles, to the stage for a fascinating discussion on Federal Circuit litigation strategy. Sharing lessons from cases they personally argued and won, the panellists provided attendees with practical takeaways on managing cross-border IP disputes.
The final session, AI for In-House Legal Teams: Evolution or Revolution?, explored the realities of AI adoption within corporate legal departments. Jolie Shu Chun Liao, Hsiao Wei (William) Tsai, Christine Yang, and Sabrina Chang shared insights into how technology is reshaping workflows, decision-making, and the role of legal teams across industries.
The event concluded with closing remarks from Joe Boswell, followed by drinks and canapés, where attendees continued the discussion in a relaxed setting. The GC Summit Taiwan 2025 reaffirmed The Legal 500’s commitment to providing a platform for Taiwan’s in-house counsel to share experiences, gain insights, and shape the future of the legal profession.
