France 2023
Supported by the Association of Corporate Counsel
Senior legal manager, real estate and infrastructure, EMEA | EQUINIX
General counsel, reservoir performance division | Schlumberger
General counsel and senior vice president, corporate M&A | TotalEnergies
Executive vice president, legal affairs and internal audit | Bureau Veritas Group
Group general counsel | LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton
Group general counsel and secretary of the advisory board | Groupe BPCE
Group general counsel, vice president legal, risks and compliance, company secretary | Colas Group
Group general secretary and general counsel | Expleo Group
Vice president legal - general counsel region Northern Europe | Saint-Gobain
Executive vice president and general counsel | Veolia Environnement
General counsel, Europe and global head of legal watch, regulatory and ESG | Crédit Agricole CIB
General corporate secretary and secretary of the board | Rexel
President of the AFJE (Association rançaise des Juristes d'Entreprises) | Association rançaise des Juristes d'Entreprises
General counsel and member of the management board in charge of legal, compliance, sustainability, and regulatory affairs | Natixis
General counsel and corporate secretary, member of the Airbus executive committee, chairman of Airbus UK | Airbus
Global head of competition law and general counsel, France | ArcelorMittal
Executive vice president legal, secretary of the board | Groupe SEB
Chief legal officer, secretary to the board of directors, member of the Renault Group’s leadership team | Renault Group
General counsel for EMEA, for IP/IT and global vendors | Ipsos
Vice president, group general counsel and company secretary | Dassault Systemes
Executive director legal and compliance, audits and risks, professional interaction excellence | Roche
Group corporate social responsibility director and general counsel | Verallia
On behalf of The Legal 500, I am truly delighted to introduce the GC Powerlist: France 2023. This edition celebrates the remarkable talents and achievements of France’s leading in-house counsel, and gives insight on the roles they play in contributing to the growth and development of the companies and industries in which they operate, while navigating unprecedented changes in the legal environment.
The second edition since the Covid-19 pandemic, this compilation explores how in-house legal professionals continue to adapt to and manage crises, especially in the face of other major events that have had global unprecedented impacts on regulatory environments, industries, and the very role of the legal function.
It also showcases the impressive cases and transactions spearheaded by these individuals, alongside their views on various phenomena impacting the legal sector, such as the evolving role of the general counsel, and the emergence of novel technologies that have transformed the work they do.
On this, Jean-Michel Orion, Radio France states, “[i]n the face of digital transformation, legal directors will have to continue to adapt to the rapid evolution of technology. This means managing the legal challenges associated with data protection, cybersecurity and the use of artificial intelligence in the legal field.”
According to, Maï Novello, group deputy chief legal and compliance officer at SCOR, they will need “[a]gility and versatility, as well as an appetite to push the boundaries of their traditional way of working in a fast-changing environment.”
As general counsel take on this challenge, they will be aided by the imminent acknowledgement and implementation of legal privilege, a welcome development that will no doubt, support advice issued by general counsel, and allow them to better secure the interests of their company.
In line with the seemingly endless crises the world has been experiencing, this edition contains various strategies these esteemed counsel employ to mitigate risks and protect their companies. While it is an unspoken rule to pre-empt and manage potential challenges, it is also equally (if not more) important to have a crisis management plan in place – especially one that all team members can follow cohesively.
Manuel Mesquita, head of legal corporate at Auchan Retail International says it best: “The worst thing that can happen in a time of crisis is when each member of the team takes isolated initiatives because actions may conflict and lead to an increase in workload.” Sharif Abousaada, group general counsel at Maurel & Prom adds, “I truly believe that we are stronger together and that it is important to leverage the experience and creativity of all members of the team in a crisis situation.”
Echoing the widely accepted view that the legal function should double as business partners, the approaches also include extensive engagements with stakeholders and business leaders, such as the CEO.
The interviews in this edition of The GC Powerlist: France 2023 also provide extensive views on widely popular trends that the legal industry is currently experiencing – contract automation, increased focus on ESG strategies – and how these highly skilled professionals are leveraging their roles in driving these developments and making positive contributions, while remaining conscious of operating within ethical, compliance and regulatory parameters.
We would like to congratulate and express our heartfelt thanks to everyone who featured in this edition, and graciously contributed their time and insights to make this year’s rundown on France’s elite in-house counsel a success.
Funke Olufon| Research Analyst The Legal 500 GC Powerlist Series
The Legal 500 was proud to host the third edition of the GC Powerlist: Japan 2025 at the Capitol Hotel Tokyu, honouring the top General Counsel, Chief Legal Officers, Legal Directors, and senior in-house legal professionals operating at the highest level of Japan’s corporate legal landscape. Held in Tokyo, this year’s reception welcomed around 100 of the most respected and senior corporate counsel from across Japan. It was an unrivalled success, and cements Legal 500’s status as the leading force in legal media supporting the achievements of in-house counsel in Japan. The GC Powerlist: Japan 2025 marks the continuation of our commitment to recognising excellence in-house, and this year’s edition represents the most competitive and selective list to date.
Joe Boswell, lead editor of the GC powerlist publication at The Legal 500, opened the evening with an introduction that reflected on the growing prestige of the Japan list. He emphasised how the Powerlist has grown stronger each year, both in scope and quality, making the task of selection more difficult. This year’s honourees emerged from a deeply competitive field, making their recognition even more meaningful.
Boswell extended heartfelt congratulations to all honourees and acknowledged the critical support of key partners and sponsors who made the evening possible. Special thanks were given to Anderson Mori & Tomotsune, Morrison Foerster, iManage, JustLegal, and SS&C Intralinks for their generous sponsorship and ongoing collaboration.
In a moment of reflection, Joe paid tribute to Tim Mackey, chief legal officer at SoftBank, who sadly passed away unexpectedly earlier this year. Tim had contributed to the Powerlist in each of its three editions and was known not only for his exceptional legal acumen but also for his warmth and generosity.
The evening featured insightful remarks from distinguished speakers representing our partners and the broader legal community: Mischa Mulligan, Japan Director at SS&C Intralinks; Hiroki Kodate, Partner and Management Committee Member at Anderson Mori & Tomotsune; Jeremy White, Global Co-Chair of M&A for Morrison Foerster; and, representing those awarded in the Powerlist, Naoki Hamada, General Counsel for Japan at HSBC.
Each speaker provided reflections on legal innovation, leadership, and the evolving role of in-house counsel in Japan’s corporate landscape. Their remarks added valuable context to the achievements celebrated throughout the evening.
The formal awards segment celebrated this year’s GC Powerlist honourees. With assistance from long-time collaborator Isaac Uchiyama who read out awardees’ names, recipients were invited to collect their certificates, pose for photographs, and be formally recognised by their peers.
Certificates were presented on stage by Hiroki Kodate or Anderson Mori & Tomotsune and Jeremy White of Morrison Foerster, whose participation further underlined the deep support of the Japanese and international legal communities.
The GC Powerlist: Japan 2025 reception reaffirmed Legal 500’s commitment to spotlighting the very best of in-house legal talent. With record levels of interest and unmatched quality among candidates, the Japan edition continues to solidify its place as one of the most respected publications in the global GC Powerlist series.
We extend our sincere congratulations to all honourees and thank our partners, sponsors, and speakers for making the evening a success.
We look forward to returning to Tokyo again next year. As a parting gift, you can view Naoki Hamada’s excellent keynote address below, where he touches on a lot of issues and themes that many other GC, whatever country they operate in, will recognise:
‘Good evening, everyone. I am Naoki Hamada of HSBC. I am very pleased to be here speaking to you today. It is a great pleasure and honor, and at the same time, I feel a bit overwhelmed being surrounded by the busiest and most expensive lawyers in the industry—even if I know that nobody will be charging us for their time. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Legal 500 for organizing such a great event, and Anderson Mori & Tomotsune, Morrison Foerster, iManage, SS&C Intralinks, and Just Legal for sponsoring and supporting it. And, huge congratulations on the recognition each of you is receiving, which is truly a great accomplishment and the result of your hard work and the accumulated trust the entire industry has placed in you.
It must be emphasized that this award is given only to general counsels. Being a general counsel means a lot more than just being a subject matter expert. You are a most reliable strategic partner for the business, and I am sure that you have distinguished yourself from the crowd by your ability to identify underlying risks, devise legal solutions, ensure the right processes and governance for corporate decisions, influence others, and educate the next generation of lawyers. This is what you are being recognized for.
Looking back on my career, I have been hugely helped by lawyers in other companies through various industry communities. When I joined the in-house world 12 years ago from a Japanese law firm, large international banks were all struggling with a huge wave of regulatory reform. Back then, I was relatively new to that particular area of finance, and my hiring was somewhat potential-based. Nonetheless, I was assigned to lead the regulatory reform efforts locally. My predecessor had left the bank before I joined, there was no sufficient handover, and I was completely lost as to what to do. What helped me most were the industry peer group discussions, where in-house counsels from major banks would get together to discuss common issues. I learned so much from what was discussed there and absorbed as much as I could. Without that network, I am sure that I wouldn’t have survived that time.
However, our situation today is far more difficult. The changes in the landscape we face today are unprecedented. Technological developments and the corresponding shifts in geopolitical and industrial landscapes are completely unpredictable, and the speed at which they happen is far faster than before. We might face a time that requires us to pivot, forcing us to redefine how we add value and rebuild the way we work. That is somewhat intimidating. But, I am confident that a way forward will be found through the collective wisdom and effort of the people in this room. I would like to be a part of that, and this network of people is enormously valuable and truly priceless.
Finally, let’s have a drink and celebrate our achievements for now – before your CEO calls asking you to join a call! Thank you so much.’
