Illinois 2024
Supported by the Association of Corporate Counsel
General counsel and chief administrative officer | CSC Generation Enterprise
Senior vice president, chief legal officer, corporate secretary and chief compliance officer | Ingredion Incorporated
Senior vice president and general counsel | Misumi USA
Managing director, general counsel and corporate secretary | Loop Capital & JLC
Global chief legal officer and corporate secretary | Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL)
Alan K. Tse is the global chief legal officer and corporate secretary of Jones Lang LaSalle, Inc (NYSE: JLL), the Fortune 200 Real Estate Services Company with 105,000 employees worldwide....
Executive vice president, chief legal and people officer | Obama Foundation
Executive vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary | Conagra Brands
Chief legal officer | Tropicana Brands Group
Charles Broll is forming a global legal team from scratch, which includes individuals, processes, templates, law firm relationships, and ways of working. Charles is doing this in Chicago and London...
General counsel, corporate secretary and director of human resources | The Belt Railway Company of Chicago
Executive vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary | Allstate
Vice president, general counsel, secretary and CCO | Brunswick Corporation
Chief legal officer, general counsel and corporate secretary | Zebra Technologies
Executive vice president, chief legal officer and corporate secretary | McDonald's
Senior vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary | Navistar
Chief administrative officer, general counsel, board secretary | Ariel Investments
Vice president and general counsel | Levy Restaurants
Folarin Dosunmu is vice president and general counsel for Levy. Folarin is a business advisor to the senior management team and leads the legal team on all significant matters involving...
Executive vice president, chief legal officer and corporate secretary | Exelon Corporation
Senior vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary | USG
Executive vice president and chief legal officer | TransUnion
Executie vice president, chief legal officer and corporate secretary | Fortune Brands Innovations
Hiranda is executive vice president, chief legal officer and corporate secretary at Fortune Brands Innovations. She joined the company in December 2021 and oversees global legal operations, corporate governance, compliance...
Executive vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary | Regal Rexnord
Senior vice president, general counsel and secretary | Dover corporation
Senior vice president and general counsel | Motorola Solutions
Executive vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary | Albemarle Corporation
Executive vice president, chief human resources officer and general counsel | Treehouse Foods
Executive vice president, general counsel, corporate and legal affairs | Mondelēz International
Laura Stein is Executive Vice President – Corporate & Legal Affairs, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary for Mondelēz International, a global snacking company with 2023 net revenues of approximately $36...
Senior vice president and general counsel | Chicago Fire Football Club
Laura is a seasoned sports executive and chief legal advisor for Chicago’s Major League Soccer team, the Chicago Fire Football Club. In her role as chief legal and administrative officer,...
Global general counsel and corporate secretary | cleverbridge
Lauren K. Schwartz is a dynamic leader, C-suite advisor, and advocate known for her unwavering commitment to problem-solving and enabling business success. With over 15 years of experience in the...
Senior vice president, general counsel, and corporate secretary | IDEX Corporation
Executive vice president, general counsel and secretary | Hyatt Hotels Corporation
Senior vice president, general counsel and chief ethics and governmental affairs officer | Alliant Credit Union
Meredith Ritchie, a Chicago native, graduated from Hamilton College in Clinton, NY and obtained her JD from DePaul College of Law in Chicago. Meredith has had a diverse legal career...
Executive vice president, general counsel and secretary | Cushman & Wakefield
Noelle Perkins is the EVP, General Counsel & Secretary for Cushman & Wakefield (NYSE: CWK), a global leader in commercial real estate services with 52,000 employees in over 400 offices...
EVP, Managing Director, General Counsel for Wholesale Lending and Transaction Banking | HSBC North America
Senior vice president, general counsel and chief compliance and ethics officer | Transdev North America
Senior vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary | CDW
Rick Kulevich is senior vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary of CDW, responsible for the legal, corporate governance, enterprise risk management, and ethics and compliance functions. He joined CDW...
Senior vice president and chief legal officer | United Airlines
Head of legal operatons and chief of staff | Mcdonald's
Talita Ramos Erickson is head of Global Legal Operations & Chief of Staff for the Global Legal and Compliance Department at McDonald’s Corporation, based in Chicago. Before joining McDonald’s in 2023,...
Executive vice president, chief legal and human resources officer, corporate secretary | Hub Group
Vice president, general counsel and secretary | Illinois Institute of Technology
The Legal 500 is excited to present the second edition of the GC Powerlist Illinois 2024. Building on the previous edition, this year’s Powerlist once again highlights outstanding in-house counsel in Illinois, chosen for their exceptional skill, impact, and dedication.
When speaking with The Legal 500, many general counsel emphasised the importance of integrating the legal function more closely with business operations. For example, Tanya Jaeger de Foras, SVP and chief legal officer at Ingredion, noted that her team “developed a vision and mission statement that we are one global team, working together to be recognized for adding value by driving outcomes that advance the strategy and protect the company.”
William Abbott, general counsel at Misumi, also shared his approach to supporting company goals, explaining, “We send a personal response to each customer within 24 hours of receipt, then follow up to better understand their expectations, aiming to exceed them whenever possible.”
In a shifting economic and regulatory landscape, general counsel in Illinois are addressing challenges from employment issues like non-compete clauses and data privacy to interest rate changes by the Federal Reserve. Summing up the role of general counsel in these times, Christopher Mermigas, general counsel at RSA Security says, “By involving legal expertise early in the project lifecycle, we can guide teams through potential obstacles and help them navigate complex regulatory issues, enabling smoother processes and increasing chances of success.”
Congratulations to all honorees in this year’s GC Powerlist Illinois. We appreciate their contributions and insights shared during our research for this edition!
Set against one of Europe’s most inspiring backdrops, the GC Summit Italy 2026 brought together senior in-house counsel and legal leaders for an afternoon defined by thoughtful discussion, strategic insight and meaningful connection. Designed as a space for reflection as much as exchange, the event offered general counsel a valuable opportunity to step away from daily pressures and engage with peers on the challenges and opportunities shaping modern legal functions.
Opening remarks set the tone for a programme centred on collaboration, shared experience and practical insight. The first panel, held in association with Advant Nctm, explored the role of the general counsel in the new era of tax governance. The discussion focused on the Cooperative Compliance regime and its impact on the relationship between taxpayers and authorities, highlighting how increased transparency is driving the need for stronger internal governance structures. Speakers emphasised the growing strategic responsibilities of in-house legal teams, particularly in relation to risk management, internal controls and cross-functional collaboration.
The second session, in association with LCA, examined the intersection of artificial intelligence, antitrust and corporate governance. Against the backdrop of the evolving European regulatory framework, including the AI Act, the Digital Services Act and the Digital Markets Act, panellists discussed the necessity of integrated governance models that bring together legal, compliance, IT and business functions. The conversation also addressed the competitive implications of data and algorithm-driven decision-making, noting the potential for both innovation and regulatory scrutiny.
Following a delicious coffee break, the programme continued with a session hosted in association with Hogan Lovells, focusing on the finance of the future. This discussion explored developments such as dematerialisation, EU green bond standards and hybrid instruments, and their implications for in-house legal teams. Participants reflected on how these changes are reshaping required skill sets and internal processes, as well as the importance of adaptability in responding to a rapidly evolving financial and regulatory environment.
Attention then turned to sustainability in a session in association with Chiomenti, which addressed the implementation of the new EU regulatory framework on green claims. The discussion highlighted increasing compliance obligations and enforcement activity, alongside the growing risk of litigation linked to misleading environmental statements. Panellists explored how recent guidance and emerging case law are shaping expectations around transparency and accountability, underlining the importance of robust verification processes and clear communication strategies.
The final session of the day, held in association with DiliTrust, took the form of a fireside chat on the impact of artificial intelligence and contract lifecycle management on modern legal departments. The discussion explored how AI-powered solutions are transforming contract processes, improving efficiency and enabling more effective risk management. At the same time, it was noted that successful adoption requires organisational alignment and a shift towards more data-driven legal operations.
Once again, the GC Summit Italy 2026 successfully combined substantive legal analysis with practical insight, offering attendees the opportunity to exchange perspectives, deepen their understanding of key developments and build meaningful professional connections in a setting that balanced substance with inspiration.
