France 2024
Supported by the Association of Corporate Counsel
Executive Vice-President for Legal, and General Counsel | MicroportÂ
Legal Director and Compliance Officer for Western Europe  | Colgate-Palmolive
Directeur Juridique, Conformité et Risques – Secrétaire du Conseil d’Administration / Group General Counsel & Chief Compliance Officer – Company Secretary | Colas
General Counsel and Member of the Executive Board in charge of legal, compliance, information security and regulatory affairs | Natixis
General Counsel and Head of Public Affairs, Corporate Secretary and UK Chairman; Member of the Airbus Executive Committee | Airbus SE
Global Head of Competition Law & General Counsel France | ArcelorMittal 
General counsel, EMEA, lead attorney for IP/IT contracts and global vendors | IPSOS
Group general counsel and secretary of the board of directors – member of the executive committee | Vallourec
Senior Director for Legal Affairs, Europe | Ivanhoe Cambridge
GC/Executive Director Legal, Compliance, Audit Risks, Professional Interaction excellence | Roche
Chief legal officer of renewables global business unit of ENGIE VP Excom member of global energy management and supply (in charge of legal, ethics and compliance) | ENGIE
Senior Legal Manager - Real Estate & Infrastructure, EMEA | EQUINIX
General Counsel / Directeur Juridique Groupe | TSG Solutions
SVP General Counsel/ I&C Officer France & Northen Europe | The Adecco Group
Executive vice president, legal affairs and internal audit | Bureau Veritas Group
Directeur général juridique, conformité | Nestlé France
Group general counsel | LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton
SVP Corporate Legal Affairs | Airbus
Edouard Eltvedt, SVP Corporate Legal Affairs at Airbus, has over 20 years of experience in international business law, both in law firms and in house. He spent ten years working...
Group VP Legal - Litigation& Disputes Resolution | Thales
Group Director Of Legal Affairs, and President of AFJE | LACTALIS
General counsel - risk, compliance and operations | Schindler
Group General Counsel & Corporate Secretary | Séché Environnement
Vice president, group general counsel and company secretary | Dassault Systemes
Vice-président exécutif pour les affaires juridiques et Directeur juridique | Tetra Pak
Vice President and General Counsel France | Schneider Electric
Directeur des affaires juridiques holding Total SA | Total Exploration & Production
Deputy General Counsel in charge of compliance and organisation | SNCF Réseau
On behalf of The Legal 500, I am delighted and honoured to present the GC Powerlist: France 2024.
This edition celebrates the exceptional general counsel and in–house lawyers who continue to make significant contributions in one of the region’s most complex and influential legal markets. Our research has given us the privilege of engaging with some of France’s finest legal professionals, uncovering their innovative strategies, strong leadership, and commitment to excellence.
In a rapidly changing market with complex regulations, France’s general counsel are redefining their roles. They are no longer confined to traditional legal tasks but play a vital part in shaping their companies’ strategies, building resilience, and managing challenges such as economic uncertainty, technological advances, and evolving regulations. The professionals featured in this year’s Powerlist are distinguished not just by their legal expertise but by their ability to guide their organisations through an era of significant change.
The GC Powerlist: France 2024 is dedicated to those driving business success, embracing innovation, and upholding the highest standards of integrity. From leading digital transformation and strengthening governance to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion, these general counsel are setting new benchmarks for legal leadership. Alice Flacco, Executive vice-president legal, and general xounsel at Microport puts it: ‘Operating amid instability is not always easy, but these are moments in which opportunities emerge. Seeing our collective efforts pay off reinforces my belief that adaptability and open communication turn crises into pathways for progress. My approach focuses on building supportive relationships across the organisation. By fostering a culture of accessibility and trust, we encourage the legal team to be involved from the outset of any initiative. This early engagement helps us to be present, ask thoughtful questions, anticipate potential risks, and collaboratively develop solutions that make business smoother and safer.’
The GC Powerlist: France 2024 celebrates the remarkable achievements of these legal trailblazers. We are proud to share their stories and insights, showcasing their role in shaping the future of legal practice in France.
Allan Cohen – Senior Research Editor
On 26 February, Legal 500 returned to Lagos to launch the latest edition of the GC Powerlist: Nigeria, hosted at the exclusive Metropolitan Club and attended by more than 100 senior in‑house lawyers from across the country. The evening brought together many of Nigeria’s most influential corporate counsel for a programme that blended recognition, thought leadership and high‑level networking in a setting that reflected the prestige of the series. Honourees were celebrated for the impact they have made within their organisations, their contributions to the wider legal ecosystem and their ability to drive innovation and strategic value across sectors ranging from finance and energy to technology and consumer markets.
The event opened with remarks from David Freeman, Global Business Development Manager at Legal 500, who spoke about the significance of the GC Powerlist in Nigeria and the evolving role of in‑house counsel as strategic leaders. He highlighted the growing influence of general counsel in shaping governance, regulatory engagement and business transformation, setting a purposeful tone for the evening.
The programme continued with insights from two distinguished speakers. Adedoyin Afun, Partner at Bloomfield, offered a forward‑looking analysis of Nigeria’s regulatory and transactional landscape, noting the increasing pressures and opportunities facing in‑house teams as they navigate compliance shifts, cross‑border transactions and the expectation to operate as commercial partners. He was followed by keynote speaker Angela Omo‑Dare, retired General Counsel of Stanbic IBTC Group, whose reflective address on leadership, ethics and the long‑term development of legal teams resonated strongly with the audience. Drawing on her extensive career, she underscored the GC’s role as an ethical steward, culture‑shaper and trusted adviser to senior leadership.
After the formal proceedings, guests enjoyed dinner and continued discussions on emerging trends shaping the Nigerian legal landscape, from regulatory reform and investment flows to legal operations and talent development. The atmosphere remained warm and engaged throughout, reinforcing the sense of community that has become synonymous with the GC Powerlist.
Overall, the GC Powerlist: Nigeria 2026 launch event ultimately reaffirmed Legal 500’s commitment to celebrating and elevating the work of general counsel in one of Africa’s most dynamic markets. With its combination of high‑calibre speakers, strong industry representation and meaningful recognition, the event stood out as a defining moment in the 2026 calendar and further strengthened the platform’s role as a convening force for leadership and professional excellence within Nigeria’s in‑house legal community.
Legal 500 extends its sincere thanks to Bloomfield Law for its invaluable support of this year’s publication.
