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!
On 3 September, after the success of the Kenya launch, Legal 500 hosted the second official launch event for the GC Powerlist: East Africa 2026, in partnership with ENS. Held at the Sheraton Hotel in Kampala, Uganda, the evening brought together many of the region’s leading in-house lawyers, with a particular focus on celebrating the strength and contribution of Uganda’s legal community.
The event commenced with welcoming remarks from Giulio Tomassi Galanti, Business Development Manager at Legal 500, who highlighted the dynamic growth and increasing sophistication of the East African legal market. He also reflected on the rigorous research and selection process behind the GC Powerlist series, congratulating this year’s honourees for their outstanding contributions to both the legal profession and the organisations they serve.
Giulio was followed by Rachel Musoke, Head of ENS Uganda, who addressed the audience and applauded the exceptional achievements of those recognised in the 2026 edition.
Following the formal certificate presentation ceremony, Candy Wekesa Okoboi, Head of Legal at Stanbic Bank Uganda, was invited to speak on behalf of the honourees. She reflected on the significance of being recognised by the publication and emphasised the importance of bringing together East Africa’s in-house legal community to celebrate shared achievements, strengthen professional connections, and support the continued development of the profession across the region.
The Kampala launch of the GC Powerlist: East Africa 2026 proved a fitting celebration of the region’s outstanding in-house legal talent. The evening showcased the depth of expertise, leadership, and innovation present across East Africa’s corporate counsel community, while reaffirming Legal 500’s commitment to recognising and championing its achievements. We extend our sincere thanks to everyone who contributed to this year’s research process, and to ENS for once again partnering with Legal 500 to provide a platform that honours these exceptional legal professionals.
