Denmark 2025
Supported by the Association of Corporate Counsel
Senior vice president and group general counsel | GN Store Nord
Senior vice president, general counsel and ESG | Adform
Vice President, Corporate Legal, IP & Business Ethics and Compliance | Ambu
Vice president, group general counsel | Royal Unibrew
Group general counsel, head of global legal, IPR and compliance | LEO Pharma
Group general counsel, vice president, legal, compliance and risk management | Milestones System
Chief legal counsel, Denmark and counsel for Europe region projects | G4S Security Services
Global general counsel, vice president, legal, brand protection and indirect procurement | Bang & Olufsen
Global general counsel | Scan Global Logistics
Legal lead, Northern Europe Region | Wipro Technologies & Designit
Vice president, head of legal and compliance | Danske Commodities
Chief legal officer, head of group legal | Velliv, Pension & Livsforsikring
Senior vice president, group legal and compliance, general counsel | SimCorp
Chief legal officer and head of corporate affairs | ATP Ejendomme
Senior manager, development and legal | NCC Property Development
Director, group general counsel and board secretary | Faerch Group
General counsel and head of corporate affairs | A.P. Møller – Mærsk
Vice president, head of legal, deputy general counsel | A.P. Møller – Mærsk
General counsel and head of legal, private markets | PensionDanmark
Head of legal, group operations and compliance | Eurowind Energy
General counsel and chief human resources officer | Copenhagen Business School
General counsel, head of governance, risk and compliance | Dagrofa
Senior vice president, general counsel, legal, risk and compliance | Pandora
Head of legal data, IP and marketing | Grundfos
Group vice president, chief legal officer, head of M&A and compliance | DLG Group
On behalf of Legal 500, it is our pleasure to warmly welcome you to the GC Powerlist: Denmark 2025.
Following the success of last year, this year’s publication maintains its focus on the outstanding Individuals who continue to elevate the in-house legal profession across Denmark. We are proud to spotlight the most committed and accomplished corporate lawyers in the country, celebrating their remarkable achievements over the past year.
This edition honours an exclusive group of general counsel, heads of legal, and other key in-house legal professionals, whose expertise, leadership, and dedication to excellence stand out within the business and legal communities. From integrating cutting-edge legal technology and navigating complex political and economic landscapes to championing diversity and inclusion and shaping executive-level decisions, these individuals exemplify what it means to lead with impact.
Inside, you’ll find in-depth profiles and exclusive interviews with some of Denmark’s most influential in-house lawyers, representing a diverse range of industries. Their ability to craft legal strategies, manage risk, and guide business decisions is a testament to the increasingly strategic role that legal departments now play within their organisations.
The research and interviews behind this publication brought forward key insights, including the resilience of in-house teams amid ongoing European political and economic uncertainty, and the growing – and necessary – integration of technology, especially artificial intelligence, into their daily work. Another key theme is the expanding influence of in-house counsel at the C-suite level, underscoring their critical role in driving business success.
Through this edition, we delve into the unique challenges and opportunities shaping Denmark’s legal landscape and share the stories of the individuals redefining what it means to be a modern in-house lawyer. Our goal is to offer a compelling snapshot of the sector’s evolution and the enduring value of legal teams within today’s corporate environment.
We extend our sincere thanks and congratulations to all the featured lawyers for their generous contributions and for sharing their insights and experiences. It is a privilege to present this distinguished list of Denmark’s most outstanding, dedicated, and forward-thinking in-house legal professionals.
Finally, our heartfelt thanks go to EY Denmark for partnering with us once again and for hosting the official launch event. Your continued support is greatly appreciated.
Francisco Castro | Research Editor | GC Powerlist series
Legal 500 was proud to host the second edition of the GC Powerlist: East Africa 2025 in Nairobi, honouring the top General Counsel, Chief Legal Officers, Legal Directors, and senior in-house legal professionals across Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Rwanda. This year’s reception brought together over 100 of the most influential and innovative corporate counsel from the region, and was an unrivalled success, cementing Legal 500’s role as the leading voice in recognising in-house legal excellence across Africa.
The evening was opened by Joe Boswell, lead editor of the GC Powerlist publication at Legal 500, who highlighted the growing prestige of the East Africa edition and the increasing challenge of selecting honourees from such a deep (and rapidly growing) pool of talent.
Guests were then treated to some particularly relevant insights from distinguished speakers. Rachel Musoke, Head of ENS Uganda, delivered a thoughtful welcome that reflected on the importance of collaboration between private practice and in-house teams. This was followed by a powerful keynote from Habil Waswani, Company Secretary & Director Legal Services and Regulatory Compliance at Kenya Airways, who shared reflections on leadership, regulatory stewardship, and the evolving role of corporate counsel in East Africa.
The highlight of the evening was the certificate ceremony, where this year’s honourees were formally recognised. Certificates were presented by senior representatives of ENS, including Désiré Kamanzi (Head of Rwanda), Rachel Musoke, Nigel Shaw (Head of Kenya), Donald Nyakairu (Executive, Uganda), Dieudonne Nzafashwanayo (Executive, Rwanda), Rahema Nakirya Ssemyalo (Executive, Uganda) and Binti Shah (Executive, Kenya) whose participation underlined the depth of the firm’s support for the GC Powerlist initiative.
The GC Powerlist: East Africa 2025 reaffirmed The Legal 500’s commitment to shining a spotlight on the region’s most talented in-house lawyers. With an even stronger field of candidates, this year’s edition stands as a powerful testament to the influence and expertise of East Africa’s legal leaders. Habil Waswani’s excellent speech, which got a raucous reception from those in the room, is reproduced below with his permission:
‘My name is Habil Waswani, and I have been an inhouse legal practitioner for the past 21 years in different sectors (having done law-firm practice for 2 years before that). Tt is indeed a true privilege and honour for me to be here tonight, surrounded by the sharpest legal minds and calmest crisis-handlers the East African corporate world has to offer.
First, let me thank the Legal 500 and ENSAfrica teams, for organising such a fantastic event and for bringing us together in such style. Congratulations to each of tonight’s honourees. You represent the very best of general counsel in this very dynamic corporate space the businesses we support operate in. Strategic, ethical, resilient, and, let’s be honest, often underappreciated leaders of industry.
I am so happy that this evening is not about contracts, or compliance checklists, or board packs. Tonight is about celebrating you, the people behind all of that. The steady hands guiding companies through complexities, uncertainties, and ensuring that the opportunities that lie within those difficult circumstances are lawfully realized.
We all know the role of GCs has evolved. We are no longer tucked away at the end of a corridor marked “Legal” or labelled the proverbial “cost centres”. These days, the GCs sit at the big table – helping drive corporate strategy, shaping desired culture, providing leadership and safeguarding business reputations. We have become indispensable partners to businesses, interpreters, navigators, protectors… and on some (many) days, therapists with law degrees. And yet, we mostly do it all so quietly. No victory laps, no press releases. Often, success for us means the expected disaster didn’t happen.
But tonight, we break that rule. Tonight, we raise a glass to the GCs who’ve blazed the trail courageously, with clarity, conviction, and tremendous resilience that only matches the expectations of the Leadership Guru John Maxwell when he said, “resilient leaders don’t wait for the storm to past — they learn to dance in the rain”. You have managed to balance growth and governance, risk and reward regularly. And, of course, always managed to deal with those 10pm messages: “Hey, just a quick question…Are you able to talk right now…?”
Let this evening serve as a reminder that you are not just experienced legal advisors. You are leaders — spear heads and enablers of execution — and without a doubt critical pillars of business strategy.
To all the honourees, congratulations once again for the well-deserved recognition. This is for the heavy lifting that you do, the standards you uphold, and the impact you make – quietly, consistently, and brilliantly so. You’ve earned this spotlight.
