Hong Kong 2024
Supported by the Association of Corporate Counsel
Managing director and general counsel, APAC | Christie’s Hong Kong
Head of legal and compliance, Asia | Bouygues Construction Group
Head of group legal and company secretary | The Hong Kong and China Gas Company
Regional general counsel for Asia Pacific | G4S
Chief compliance officer, head of legal and compliance | China International Capital Corporation
General counsel and company secretary | COSCO SHIPPING Ports
Senior director, APAC legal | Viavi Solutions (Greater China)
Global tax and legal services director, risk and quality | PwC
Legal director - Asia | TI Fluid Systems
Stanley Lui, a seasoned legal and compliance professional, brings extensive expertise across diverse industries. Currently serving as Legal Director for Asia at TI Fluid Systems, Stanley oversees supply contracts, product...
Group general counsel and company secretary | PCCW Limited/HKT Limited
Director, general counsel and company secretary | Hang Lung Properties
General counsel and chief compliance officer | TF International Securities Group
Vice president and general counsel | Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong
Head of legal and compliance; managing director | Greater Bay Area Homeland Investments
Senior deputy group general counsel | China Resources Holdings
Senior vice president, general counsel Asia Pacific | Colgate-Palmolive
Global head of legal and general counsel Asia Pacific | Allianz Global Investors
Delia Lang is the Global Head of Legal and General Counsel Asia Pacific at Allianz Global Investors (AllianzGI). Based in Hong Kong, Delia is responsible for the firm’s global legal...
Legal and company secretarial manager | Henderson Land Development
Legal director | Hong Kong Tourism Board
Eddie Chan is the Legal Director at Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB), a statutory body with a core function to promote Hong Kong globally as a leading international city in...
Head of Corporate and regulatory legal | Tencent
Elizabeth joined Tencent Legal in 2013 and currently heads the Corporate and International Regulatory Legal Center. Elizabeth is responsible for a diverse range of workstreams outside of China, each comprised...
APAC general counsel | BNP Paribas
Eoin Gillen is APAC General Counsel at BNP Paribas, based in Hong Kong. Eoin leads a team of approximately 140 legal professionals based in 12 jurisdictions across APAC supporting BNP...
Managing director - head of APAC global banking legal and head of APAC | UBS
Group general counsel, head of compliance | CK Hutchison Holdings
General counsel and company secretary | Shangri-La
Headquartered in Hong Kong, Iain Seow leads the Shangri-La Group’s Legal Department which oversees the Group’s legal and regulatory affairs in over 24 countries. Shangri-La Group is primarily listed in...
Senior legal counsel | Luk Fook Holdings Company
Ms. Irene Cheung received her BA from the University of Toronto and her LLB from Osgoode Hall Law School. Ms. Cheung was qualified as a solicitor, barrister, and notary public...
Chief compliance officer, general manager, and head of the legal and compliance department | Shanghai Pudong Development Bank
Iris Kwok is currently the Chief Compliance Officer, General Manager, and Head of the Legal and Compliance Department of Shanghai Pudong Development Bank (SPDB) Hong Kong Branch. She has over...
General counsel, strategy director and company secretary | Bupa
Jonty is General Counsel, Strategy Director, and Company Secretary at Bupa Hong Kong. In his current role, he leads the provision of legal advice, strategic development, and company secretariat support...
Head of legal | Great Eagle Company Group
Keith Hung was admitted as a Solicitor in Hong Kong in 1996 and holds Master’s Degrees in Law from the University of New South Wales and the University of Hong...
Group head of legal and managing director | CITIC CLSA
As Group Head of Legal at CITIC CLSA, Marco oversees the legal function globally, covering all 14 jurisdictions where CLSA has offices. In addition to leading the Legal Team at...
General counsel | Giordano International
Mark Loynd took up the position of General Counsel at Giordano International in 2013 and has since expanded his responsibilities to include Company Secretary, Head of Overseas Market Development and...
Executive director and general counsel, APAC and EMEA | Lenovo
Senior managing director and general counsel Asia Pacific | Blackstone
Richard Blair is Senior Managing Director and General Counsel Asia Pacific. He sits on a number of boards including those of The Blackstone Group (Hong Kong) Limited and Blackstone Singapore....
Head of legal | Hong Kong Disneyland
Rita Tang is the Assistant Chief Counsel and Head of Legal at Hong Kong Disneyland and has been with the company since 2009. Having established a career in the legal...
Group general counsel and company secretary | Melco International Development Limited
Melco is a dynamic company that continues to explore new opportunities, and the previous years have been a transformational phase for the Group. I have been working closely with the...
Regional compliance officer and head of business ethics, Asia Pacific | Chanel
Wendy is the Head of Business Ethics for Asia Pacific at Chanel. She is the first regional compliance officer in APAC region and has established and led the team since...
On behalf of The Legal 500, I am delighted and honoured to present the GC Powerlist: Hong Kong 2024.
This edition is a tribute to the exceptional general counsel and in-house lawyers who have made, and continue to make, significant strides in one of the most influential and complex legal landscapes in the region. Our research journey has allowed us the opportunity to engage deeply with Hong Kong’s foremost legal professionals, uncovering their pioneering strategies, transformative leadership, and unwavering dedication to excellence.
In a market characterised by rapid evolution and intricate regulatory challenges, Hong Kong’s general counsel are redefining their roles. No longer confined to traditional legal functions, these leaders are integral to the shaping of their companies’ strategic directions, fortifying organisational resilience, and adeptly navigating the complexities of economic fluctuations, technological advancements, and evolving regulations. The powerlist candidates featured in this year’s list are not only distinguished by their legal expertise but also by their pivotal contributions to guiding their organisations through an era of extraordinary change and challenges.
The 2024 powerlist is dedicated to those who are at the forefront of driving business success, embracing innovation, and upholding the highest standards of integrity. From leading groundbreaking digital initiatives and establishing robust governance frameworks to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion, these general counsel set new benchmarks for legal leadership.
As Benjamin Chan, vice president legal and SSC director for Asia Pacific at HUGO BOSS Hong Kong, aptly observes: ‘In times of instability, managing legal issues requires a flexible and proactive approach. For our fashion and retail business, which is inherently impacted by changing trends and economic fluctuations, a robust legal strategy is essential for both immediate risk management and long-term stability’.
The GC Powerlist: Hong Kong 2024 celebrates the remarkable achievements and distinctive contributions of these legal trailblazers. We are proud to share their stories and insights, showcasing their commitment to redefining the role of in-house counsel and shaping the future of legal practice in Hong Kong.
Congratulations to all the distinguished general counsel and in-house lawyers selected in 2024’s GC Powerlist: Hong Kong.
Allan Cohen| Lead Editor – The Legal 500 GC Powerlist Hong Kong 2024
All of us at Jones Day are delighted to be a part of the 2024 edition of the GC Powerlist Hong Kong, together with the General Counsels recognised. We extend our heartfelt congratulations to each and every one included in the GC Powerlist: Hong Kong 2024. Your achievements and contributions to the corporate and legal ecosystems in Hong Kong and beyond are truly commendable.
Having had the privilege of working with many of you, we are thrilled to see your efforts being recognised. In particular, we extend a special welcome back to those of you who were recognised in the previous editions of the GC Powerlist Hong Kong.
As the dominant commercial hub in Asia, Hong Kong is home to the regional headquarters of the world’s top business organisations and serves as the base from which leading businesses run their regional and global operations. In this vibrant and evolving landscape, General Counsels like yourselves play an indispensable role in shaping the future of their organisations. Your contributions extend well beyond traditional legal advisory functions; you are essential to the strategic direction and operational success of your organisations. As General Counsels, you navigate complex legal frameworks across multiple jurisdictions and diverse legal systems, all while balancing commercial priorities and minimising legal risks. Your ability to adapt to the relentless pressures of ever evolving global issues not only enhances resilience of your organisation but also positions it for sustainable growth.
At Jones Day, we understand the challenges you face. As one of the first US law firms to expand into Asia, we have witnessed various business cycles since the opening of our Hong Kong office in 1986 and have been proud to support our clients in Hong Kong and throughout the region through our offices worldwide.
As one of the world’s largest and most geographically comprehensive law firms, Jones Day is synonymous with responsive and dedicated client service. Spread over five continents, Jones Day has more than 2,400 lawyers in 40 offices based in key cities and financial centres, working together as “One Firm Worldwide”, providing our clients with seamless access to a full spectrum of practice areas. When client matters have an interdisciplinary dimension, we are proud to offer our unique blend of talent and service across specialties and jurisdictions.
Jones Day’s partners hold a core set of common values, with a unity of purpose in providing unparalleled service and quality to our clients, reflecting Jones Day’s deep-rooted set of shared professional values, which can be traced to our beginnings in 1893.
Our dedication to client service has not gone unnoticed. We have earned a Number 1 ranking in the Client Service A-Team report 14 times, including six consecutive years atop the list, by BTI Consulting Group, based on unprompted responses from in-depth interviews with in-house legal counsel from Fortune 500 organisations. Securing the Number 1 ranking 14 times is an unprecedented achievement for any law firm.
We are honoured to celebrate the recognition of the General Counsels on their well-deserved inclusion in this 2024 edition of the GC Powerlist: Hong Kong. As we celebrate your recognition, let us also look ahead to the exciting possibilities that await us. Together, we as legal practitioners can make a meaningful difference in the communities we serve. We look forward to many more years of close partnership with each of you.
On 26 March, Legal 500 partnered with Portuguese law firm PLMJ to bring its renewed sustainability‑focused conference series to Lisbon with the ESG Forum: Portugal 2026. The half‑day event gathered senior leaders from the legal, financial, energy and sustainability spheres for a concentrated programme hosted at PLMJ’s offices. Throughout the sessions, speakers explored the regulatory, governance and enforcement forces reshaping ESG strategy in Portugal, offering a clear cross‑sector perspective on how organisations are adapting to an increasingly complex and fast‑moving landscape.
The event opened with some welcome remarks from Legal 500 editor Francisco Castro, who emphasised the value of events that bring the in‑house community together to learn, exchange experiences and build meaningful professional networks. In his welcome address, he highlighted the growing complexity of ESG obligations across Europe and the increasing pressure on organisations to adopt integrated, business‑wide approaches to compliance, risk management and strategic planning. By underscoring the need for practical, grounded discussion rather than abstract theory, he set the tone for a programme designed to deliver actionable insight and foster collaboration among practitioners navigating a rapidly evolving ESG landscape.
Followed an opening brief delivered by PLMJ’s Managing Partner, Bruno Ferreira, who provided a concise yet comprehensive overview of the ESG priorities defining Portugal in 2026. He outlined the expanding influence of EU regulatory frameworks on corporate reporting, due diligence and governance, noting how these requirements are reshaping expectations around data quality, transparency and accountability. His remarks positioned ESG not as a peripheral concern but as a central driver of corporate behaviour, capital flows and long‑term competitiveness in the Portuguese market.
The first panel, moderated by João Marques Mendes, Partner at PLMJ and joined by Cláudia Teixeira de Almeida of Banco BPI, Nuno Moraes Bastos of GALP and Diogo Graça of REN, explored how corporate governance and sustainable finance are shaping Portugal’s energy transition. The discussion examined how boards and executive teams are adapting oversight structures to manage transition‑related risks and how legal, compliance, sustainability and procurement functions are increasingly intertwined in project governance. Panellists described the growing influence of financing structures on project execution, noting that lenders’ expectations around ESG metrics, contractor performance and transparency now shape governance decisions from the earliest stages. They also addressed the operational constraints that continue to challenge Portugal’s transition ambitions, including permitting timelines, grid capacity limitations and delivery risk. While acknowledging the complexity of EU‑level frameworks, speakers emphasised that these standards also present strategic opportunities to harmonise practices, unlock investment and strengthen Portugal’s competitive position in the energy transition.
Following a short break, the second panel turned to litigation, liability and the emerging enforcement era surrounding sustainability claims. Moderated by Raquel Azevedo, Partner at PLMJ and featuring contributions from Carla Góis Coelho of PLMJ, Carlos Martins Ferreira of Jerónimo Martins, Filipa Rodrigues Carmona of Caixa Geral de Depósitos and Céline da Graça Pires of NOVA, the session examined the rapid rise of ESG‑driven disputes, investigations and regulatory actions. Panellists discussed the typical trigger points for scrutiny, ranging from sustainability reports and corporate websites to marketing materials and investor presentations, and highlighted how these touchpoints are increasingly tested by regulators, competitors, consumers and NGOs. They analysed recent case law developments and their implications for Portuguese organisations, noting the emergence of more stringent evidentiary standards around disclosures and due‑diligence obligations. The panel concluded that sustainability claims can no longer be treated as aspirational messaging; they now carry the weight of binding legal obligations, requiring more rigorous internal validation and cross‑functional coordination.
The forum concluded with closing remarks from Francisco Castro, after which attendees were invited to continue their conversations over a light lunch, providing a relaxed setting to deepen connections and reflect on the themes explored throughout the morning.
Legal 500 extends its thanks to PLMJ for its collaboration in bringing this conference format to Portugal’s in‑house legal community. The team looks forward to returning soon for the launch event of this year’s GC Powerlist: Portugal.
