Germany 2025
Supported by the Association of Corporate Counsel
General counsel, chief compliance officer and chief people officer | Nikon SLM Solutions
Head of regulatory, IT and data privacy law | Aachener Grundvermögen
Rising Star
General counsel DACH, Nordics, CEE | Jones Lang LaSalle
General counsel and managing director | DDB Germany Group of Companies
General counsel, head of legal, chief compliance officer and proxy holder | Mainova
Head of legal (vice president) | Jack Wolfskin Ausrüstung für Draussen
Assistant general counsel - catalyst technologies | Johnson Matthey
Chief legal officer and chief procurement officer (ad interim) | BVG
Senior legal director - Germany, A, CH, BeNeLuX, CEE, UK&IE, Nordics | Google
Senior associate vice president, principal legal counsel at Group Corporate and Commercial Legal | Deutsche Börse
Rising Star
Group general counsel and chief compliance officer | Securing Energy for Europe - SEFE
Group general counsel - senior vice president legal and audit | HARIBO Holding
Vice president legal, ethics, compliance and quality | Novo Nordisk Pharma
Group general counsel, senior vice president legal and chief compliance officer | HUGO BOSS
General Counsel, head of legal and group compliance, managing director | FMS Wertmanagement
General counsel, head of insurance and chief compliance officer | Progroup
General counsel and chief compliance officer | TAKKT AG
Rising Star
General counsel, corporate secretary and compliance officer | Toshiba Railway Europe
Group general counsel and chief compliance officer | Leica Camera
Group general counsel and chief legal officer | Unternehmensgruppe Theo Müller
In-house counsel | Stadtbahn Entwicklung und Verkehrsinfrastrukturprojekte
Rising Star
General counsel and CCO, head of legal and corporate governance | Hyundai Motor Europe Regional
Director legal and compliance | Condor Flugdienst
Head of legal and compliance Central Europe | Atos Information Technology
Head of legal, compliance and data protection | Burger King Deutschland
Head of legal AFFAIRS | Konica Minolta Business Solutions Deutschland
Head of legal continental Europe | PGIM Real Estate Germany
Head of global compliance and integrity animal health | Boehringer Ingelheim Corporate Center
Group general counsel, head of legal and governance Germany and international | Kaufland
Senior contact counsel | McKinsey
Rising Star
Associate general counsel | McKinsey & Company
General counsel and head of compliance | Hottinger Brüel & Kjaer
Vice president legal and corporate compliance, general counsel | Vetter Pharma-Fertigung
General counsel and vice president people and culture | WorkMotion Software
In-house counsel | Die Autobahn des Bundes, Niederlassung West
Rising Star
Group Vice President Legal, Audit and Data Protection | Amadeus FiRe AG
Vice President Global Field Legal Regional General Counsel Middle and Eastern Europe Head of Legal Department SAP Deutschland SE & Co.KG | SAP Deutschland SE & Co.KG
Senior legal counsel | Carrier Global Corporation
Rising Star
Commercial and trademark attorney | W. L. Gore & Associates
Rising Star
It’s been a true honour to work on the GC Powerlist Germany 2025 which celebrates the outstanding achievements of in-house legal professionals across a broad spectrum of industries in Germany. As part of our prestigious GC Powerlist series, The Legal 500 is proud to once again highlight the strength and expertise of the German in-house legal market. This publication showcases the remarkable abilities of legal professionals who are navigating complex regulatory environments while strategically supporting their businesses.
In an era of rapid technological advancements, regulatory shifts, and economic fluctuations, these legal leaders continuously demonstrate innovation, adaptability, and resilience. They are not only ensuring compliance and risk mitigation but also actively shaping corporate strategies.
The influence of these legal professionals extends far beyond Germany. Many play a critical role in facilitating their companies’ expansion across Europe and into global markets, expertly navigating diverse legal frameworks and cross-border challenges. Their ability to blend legal acumen with commercial insight makes them indispensable players in today’s interconnected business landscape.
Beyond their corporate responsibilities, many of the professionals featured in this edition are dedicated to fostering legal education, mentoring emerging talent, and driving initiatives that promote diversity and inclusion within the profession. Such contributions reflect the profound and lasting impact these legal leaders have both within and beyond their organisations.
It has been our privilege to keep researching and engaging with this dynamic market. We extend our heartfelt congratulations to all the distinguished professionals featured in the GC Powerlist Germany 2025. Your dedication and expertise set a benchmark for excellence in the global in-house legal community, and we are delighted to celebrate your success.
Sara Maggi Deputy Editor – The Legal 500 GC Powerlist Series
Margherita Birri Research Editor
The recent news that elite US firm Sullivan & Cromwell had apologised to a judge over AI hallucinations in a court filing prompted a collective wince from the legal profession.
But while some lawyers remain wary of AI, others are striking a more open-minded note, and at the LexisNexis AI Forum hosted this Wednesday (20 May) by Legal 500 and Legal Business, panelists argued that the risks are far outweighed by the opportunities.
Barbara Zapisetskaya, principal technology counsel at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, made the case that hallucinations and other potential pitfalls can be overcome with a shift in mindset.
‘What makes a difference,’ she said, ‘is empowering your lawyers to take responsibility for AI output – helping them become active AI operators, not just passive AI users. You have agency to decide whether you agree with the output or not.’
Zapisetskaya was among a line-up of leading in-house figures speaking on two panels, which covered everything from practical steps for AI implementation to the key decisions GCs need to be making in the coming months.
Financial Times general counsel Dan Guilford began by stressing the importance of building the right culture for AI adoption. In addition to proactively upskilling himself, Guilford talked about how he had implemented a voluntary weekly ‘show and tell’ meeting for team members to share successful use cases – or an exercise that became a gratifying measure of progress.
Other panelists discussed how increased in-house productivity is altering the dynamic with their external counsel.
While some see the use of AI by law firms as a precursor for reduced fees, Russell Davies, head of global operations for legal and compliance at Dentsu, said that faster results – however they are delivered – are something to be valued.
GSK assistant general counsel Anthony Kenny agreed, saying that while there was an expectation that external counsel would be utilising AI, the focus should be on the value of the output, rather than an overemphasis on identifying AI use as a justification to reduce fees.
Speaking on the second panel, MUFG EMEA general counsel James Morgan stressed the critical importance of education, noting that educating the C-suite on the advantages and risks of AI is just as important as enabling large in-house teams to use these tools.
Shanthini Satyendra, vice-chair of the AI Committee, Society for Computers & Law, CEO and founder of Manisain, offered a reminder of the importance of making the connection between tasks and the purpose behind them, extolling the virtues of identifying use cases for AI that can solve a meaningful problem.
Zapisetskaya concurred, adding that one of the most important tasks for GCs across the next six to twelve months is to create AI playbooks and templates, noting that ‘it is easy for lawyers to see problems – much harder for lawyers to see opportunities.’
There was also broad agreement among panellists that GCs should focus on upskilling their junior lawyers on AI, rather than – as some may expect – cutting back their workforce. As Satyendra summarised: ‘Some people are replacing human capital with AI without thinking about what’s required to make AI work. Retain your people and train them up.’
The panels were moderated by Emma Millington, head of the UK Lexis+ Finance Group, and LexisNexis director of segment management Stuart Greenhill.
