Illinois 2024 – GC Powerlist
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Illinois 2024

Supported by the Association of Corporate Counsel

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  • Industries

  • Powerlist

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Adrienne Banks Pitts

Managing director, general counsel and corporate secretary | Loop Capital & JLC

Financials

Alan K. Tse

Global chief legal officer and corporate secretary | Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL)

Industrials and real estate

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....

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Alfreda Bradley-Coar

Executive vice president, chief legal and people officer | Obama Foundation

Nonprofit

Amy J. Peña

General counsel | The Chicago Community Trust

Public sector

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Andrew Stevens

Global general counsel | IMC Trading

Financials

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Andrew Oppenheimer

Chief legal officer | Ferrara

Food

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Anne-Marie Wieland D’Angelo

Executive vice president, general counsel | Hilton

Hotels

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Ayesha Ahmed

General counsel | Nexus Pharmaceuticals

Healthcare

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Beth Shapiro

General counsel | Abt Electronics

Consumer products

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Bradley Burd

General counsel | GoHealth

Healthcare

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Brenda Lang

Head of legal, US | AXA Partners

Insurance

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Brett Scharback

General counsel | Chicago Cubs

Sports and media

Bryan L. Perry

Vice President, general counsel | Northern Illinois University

Education

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Carey Bartell

Executive vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary | Conagra Brands

Food

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Cary Pumphrey

Group vice president, legal | Walgreens

Consumer products

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Catherine Levitt

Executive vice president and general counsel | Astellas Pharma

Healthcare

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Charles Broll

Chief legal officer | Tropicana Brands Group

Food

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...

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Chris Steinway

General counsel, corporate secretary and director of human resources | The Belt Railway Company of Chicago

Transport and infrastructure

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Christine DeBiase

Executive vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary | Allstate

Insurance

Christopher Mermigas

Head of legal | RSA Security

Information technology

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Christopher Dekker

Vice president, general counsel, secretary and CCO | Brunswick Corporation

Industrial and real estate

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Corey Grauer

Chief legal officer | LRS

Commercial and professional services

Cristen Kogl

Chief legal officer, general counsel and corporate secretary | Zebra Technologies

Information technology

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Darren Zeidel

Executive vice president general counsel and company secretary | AON

Financials

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David J. Mulvihill

Senior vice president and managing counsel | Wells Fargo

Financials

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David Rosenbloom

Senior vice president and general counsel | Baxter International Inc

Healthcare

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Deborah Friedman

Director of legal affairs | TDS

Telecommunication services

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Deborah Solmor

General counsel | Gateway Foundation

Healthcare

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Desiree Ralls-Morrison

Executive vice president, chief legal officer and corporate secretary | McDonald's

Food

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Divya Mehta

Senior vice president law and general counsel | KONE

Industrials and real estate

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Eileen Tierney

General counsel and corporate secretary | EVRAZ North America

Materials and mining

Eleanor Cabrere

Senior vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary | Navistar

Industrial and real estate

Elizabeth Sheyn Brown

General counsel and chief administrative officer | CSC Generation Enterprise

Financials

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Emma Rodriguez-Ayala

Chief administrative officer, general counsel, board secretary | Ariel Investments

Financials

Folarin Dosunmu

Vice president and general counsel | Levy Restaurants

Hotels

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...

Francesco Paolino

General counsel, Americas | Avanade

Information technology

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Frank R. Jimenez

General counsel and corporate secretary | GE Healthcare

Healthcare

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Gayle Littleton

Executive vice president, chief legal officer and corporate secretary | Exelon Corporation

Energy and utilities

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Georgia Vlamis

Senior vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary | USG

Materials and mining

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Heather Russell

Executive vice president and chief legal officer | TransUnion

Information technology

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Hiranda Donoghue

Executie vice president, chief legal officer and corporate secretary | Fortune Brands Innovations

Materials and mining

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...

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Hugo Dubovoy Jr.

Executive vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary | Regal Rexnord

Industrials and real estate

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Ivonne Cabrera

Senior vice president, general counsel and secretary | Dover corporation

Industrial and real estate

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James Niewiara

Senior vice president and general counsel | Motorola Solutions

Telecommunication services

James P. Kelly

Legal director, North America | HOERBIGER

Materials and mining

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Janice Hamblin

Senior vice president, general counsel | Cramer-Krasselt

Sports and media

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Jennifer Hamilton

Chief legal officer | Exterro

Information technology

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Jennifer Manning

General counsel | Levi, Ray & Shoup

Information technology

Jessica Bahr

Vice president, deputy general counsel | Constellation Brands

Food

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Jodi Caro

General counsel, chief risk and compliance officer | Ulta Beauty

Consumer products

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Joe Blasko

General counsel and corporate secretary | LanzaTech

Information technology

John Curtin

General counsel and corporate secretary | Martin Brower

Consumer product

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John Corvino

Vice president and general counsel | Chicago White Sox

Sports and media

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Jonathan Romick

General counsel | Linden Partners

Financials

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Julie Musselman

Vice president, legal and regulatory | Peerless Network

Telecommunication services

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Karla Mitchell Gowen

General counsel | City Colleges of Chicago

Education

Keith E. Horton

General manager and general counsel | Camelot Illinois

Consumer products

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Kristin Coleman

Executive vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary | Albemarle Corporation

Materials and mining

Kristy N. Waterman

Executive vice president, chief human resources officer and general counsel | Treehouse Foods

Food

Kyle Hermanson

Vice president and deputy general counsel | Invenergy

Energy and utilities

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Laura Stein

Executive vice president, general counsel, corporate and legal affairs | Mondelēz International

Food

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...

Laura Warren

Senior vice president and general counsel | Chicago Fire Football Club

Public sector

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,...

Lauren K. Schwartz

Global general counsel and corporate secretary | cleverbridge

Information technology

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...

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Lisa Anderson

Senior vice president, general counsel, and corporate secretary | IDEX Corporation

Industrials and real estate

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Luke Valentino

General counsel and secretary | Transformco

Consumer products

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Margaret Egan

Executive vice president, general counsel and secretary | Hyatt Hotels Corporation

Hotels

Matthew Robert Campobasso

General counsel, corporate secretary | Enfusion

Information technology

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Melvin F. Williams

Chief legal officer | Chicago Trading Company

Financials

Meredith Ritchie

Senior vice president, general counsel and chief ethics and governmental affairs officer | Alliant Credit Union

Financials

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...

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Michael Hatfield

General counsel | ofi

Food

Michelle Belew

General counsel | Sphera

Information technology

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Michelle Clatfelter

Chief legal officer | Springfield Clinic

Healthcare

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Nancy Berardinelli-Krantz

Senior vice president, chief legal officer | Grainger

Consumer products

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Noelle Perkins

Executive vice president, general counsel and secretary | Cushman & Wakefield

Industrial and real estate

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...

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Paul Rios

General counsel | Nitel

Telecommunication services

Paul Fichter

Executive vice president, chief legal officer | Credit union 1

Financials

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Paula Ferguson

EVP, Managing Director, General Counsel for Wholesale Lending and Transaction Banking | HSBC North America

Financials

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Perry Siatis

Executive vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary | AbbVie

Healthcare

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R. Lee Allen

Executive vice president and chief legal officer | BRANDT

Food

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Ram Padmanabhan

Chief operating officer and general counsel | Chicago Bulls

Sports and media

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Randall Lewis

Senior vice president, general counsel and chief compliance and ethics officer | Transdev North America

Transport and infrastructure

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Regina Bynote-Jones

Senior vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary | ADM

Food

Rick Kulevich

Senior vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary | CDW

Information technology

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...

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Robert Chernoff

General counsel, Americas | Renishaw

Materials and mining

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Robert S. Rivkin

Senior vice president and chief legal officer | United Airlines

Transport and infrastructure

Rozan Simoni

General counsel, North America | COFCO International

Food

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Sean Martin

Chief legal officer and general counsel | Generate Biomedicines

Healthcare

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Susan C. Levy

Executive vice president and general counsel | Northern Trust Corporation

Financials

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Susan Stone

Executive vice president, general counsel | CNA insurance

Financials

Tajanae Mallett

General counsel | Arjo

Materials and mining

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Talita Ramos Erickson

Head of legal operatons and chief of staff | Mcdonald's

Food

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,...

Tanya M. Jaeger de Foras

Senior vice president, chief legal officer, corporate secretary and chief compliance officer | Ingredion Incorporated

Food

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Tejal Vakharia

Seior vice president, general counsel | Allscripts

Information technology

Theresa R. Shea

Executive vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary | Utz Brands

Food

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Tom LaFrance

Executive vice president, chief legal and human resources officer, corporate secretary | Hub Group

Transport and infrastructure

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Trisha Cole

Chief operating officer and general counsel | Medtelligent

Information technology

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Walter Hazlitt

Vice president, general counsel and secretary | Illinois Institute of Technology

Education

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William D. Abbott

Senior vice president and general counsel | Misumi USA

Industrials and real estate

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Zachary Raimi

General counsel, Americas | HH Global

Commercial and professional services

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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!

GC Powerlist Japan 2025

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.’