Ireland 2025
Supported by the Association of Corporate Counsel
General Counsel and Director of Legal Services | The Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg)
Associate General Counsel | Spencer Stuart International Ireland Ltd
Ireland Site Lead, International Corporate Director & Assistant General Counsel | Squarespace
Group General Counsel and Company Secretary | Greencore Group plc
Director & Associate General Counsel - Global Corporate | Meta Platforms Ireland Limited
General Counsel | Competitive Capabilities International (CCI)
Head of Product, EU Funds Legal and Deputy Head of the EU Legal Funds Group | Franklin Templeton
General Counsel and Company Secretary | AmTrust International Underwriters DAC
Associate General Counsel and Data Protection/Privacy Officer | Shopify
Head of Legal Ireland, Large Corporates & Institutions (LC&I) | Danske Bank
Associate General Counsel and Head of Asset Servicing EMEA | Northern Trust Corporation
General Counsel and Chief Risk Officer | Deloitte
Head of Legal, Wealth & Insurance Legal Practice Head | New Ireland Assurance Company plc; Bank of Ireland Group
VP, Associate General Counsel and Head of Data Protection | Meta Platforms Ireland
Legal Director | DePuy Ireland UC (part of the Johnson & Johnson group)
Deputy general counsel M&A, VP Development | Cement Roadstone Holding
Group Chief Legal & Regulatory Officer and Company Secretary | Ryanair
Assistant General Counsel – Ireland | Northern Trust Corporation
Senior Corporate Counsel and Head of Irish Product, Legal | Franklin Templeton
General Counsel and Company Secretary | Grafton Group plc
Legal 500 is honoured to announce the launch of the GC Powerlist Ireland: 2025, recognising a stellar cohort of leading in-house counsel in the region.
The role of in-house counsel is becoming ever more critical in today’s fast-paced and rapidly evolving market. ‘A modern in-house counsel plays a far more strategic and integrated role in a company than in the past’, notes John McEvoy, Executive Chairman at Duality Healthcare and SVP, Chief Legal Officer at Poolbeg Pharma Plc.
More often than not, in-house counsel are expected to act as key business partners, rather than just legal advisors. ‘This involves becoming truly embedded in the organisation, gaining a deep understanding of its strategy, objectives, industry landscape, and risk appetite’, says Elizabeth Davis, General Counsel at PwC. It is with this level of involvement that in-house teams are uniquely positioned to provide balanced advice that both protects business interests while enabling growth.
But playing such an integral role requires the ability to adapt and stay ahead of business developments. As Richard Whelehan, Head of Legal – Funds at Abbey Capital Limited, highlights, the ‘ability to embrace change and react in an ever-changing business environment’ is fundamental to success in the role. Miriam Nagle, Group General Counsel at AIB, agrees: ‘agility is more important than ever now, given the rapid pace of change on all fronts, including in the AI space.’
AI, in particular, remains at the forefront of the in-house counsel’s mind. ‘Over the past year, the most significant trend in the legal and business world is obviously the rapid proliferation of the deployment of artificial intelligence,’ observes Eleanor Daly, Director & Associate General Counsel – Global Corporate at Meta Platforms Ireland Limited. And, as Ciara Sharkey, Legal Director at Irish Distillers Pernod Ricard, argues: ‘with the emergence of AI, the role of in-house lawyers will continue to evolve further and at a fast pace’. Agility is, therefore, not just desirable, but also essential.
But as Marlene Connolly, General Counsel at Trinity Biotech plc, rightly points out: ‘a truly impactful GC is agile and principled… able to adapt to shifting environments without compromising integrity’. Balancing these qualities is essential when providing both risk-averse and strategic business advice, especially when navigating the complexities of AI. After all, as Daly reminds us, ‘the true benefits of AI are only realised when legal departments have robust, structured data sources and well-defined processes in place’.
AI has the potential to streamline operations and improve efficiency, especially in an era where ‘businesses continually push their legal teams to do more with less’, as Stephen Hurley, Director and Associate General Counsel at Meta, emphasises. However, in-house counsel must ensure the foundations are in place before introducing AI tools into
their teams: ‘AI tools are only as effective as the data they are fed and the processes they are designed to enhance’, cautions Daly.
So, ‘an in-house counsel wears many hats’, says Mairead McShea, Senior Legal Counsel at Perrigo Company PLC. It is a role that is becoming increasingly multi-faceted, in step with the constantly developing business world.
With that in mind, I would like to congratulate everyone included in this year’s edition of the Powerlist and extend my thanks to all who took part in the research process.
We are honoured to host the GC Powerlist 2025, an esteemed recognition of the outstanding in-house legal talent shaping the future of business.  At Matheson, we believe that the role of the general counsel has never been more important.  In today’s landscape, marked by shifting economic and geopolitical realities, rapid technological advancements, and increasingly complex regulatory environments, the demands on in-house counsel are greater than ever.
In-house legal teams are now key strategic partners, relied upon by boards and senior management for their expertise, insight, and guidance to drive sustained success for their businesses. Our experience working with international clients has shown us that the qualities that set the best GCs apart are their broad skill sets, deep industry knowledge, and commercial acumen – qualities that we see reflected in the individuals recognised in this year’s Powerlist.
At Matheson, we are privileged to collaborate closely with many in-house legal professionals across a multitude of sectors and to witness firsthand the calibre of leadership, innovation, and resilience they demonstrate. Â Supporting these leaders is a responsibility we treat seriously.
The 2025 edition of the Legal 500’s GC Powerlist continues to celebrate those in-house legal professionals who have demonstrated exceptional performance across diverse sectors and organisations.  Inclusion in this list is a true testament to their dedication, skill, and tangible impact, and we are delighted to collaborate once again with the Legal 500 in celebrating its publication.
At Matheson, we are committed to fostering excellence, innovation, and leadership within the legal community.  Our pioneering Digital Services Group—the first of its kind in Ireland—continues to grow and invest in people and technology, enabling us to deliver bespoke digital solutions that empower our clients to stay in control.  Recognised as one of Europe’s Most Innovative Law Firms as of June 2025, we pride ourselves on our collaborative, multi-disciplinary teams that deliver tailored expertise across various fields.  For instance, our ESG Advisory Group guides clients through the rapidly evolving sustainability landscape, while our Digital Economy Group remains at the forefront of technological innovation, ensuring clients’ digital needs are met with precision and foresight. In this highly skilled environment, clients increasingly turn to Matheson for our unique combination of expertise, collaboration, and forward-thinking solutions.
Congratulations to all the honourees and we look forward to supporting your continued success in the future.
Thank you.
Michael Jackson
Managing Partner
Matheson LLP
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.
