Ireland
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
Director & Associate General Counsel - Global Corporate | Meta Platforms Ireland Limited
General Counsel | Competitive Capabilities International (CCI)
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
Head of Legal, Wealth & Insurance Legal Practice Head | New Ireland Assurance Company plc; Bank of Ireland Group
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
On Tuesday 23rd June, Legal 500 returned to Tokyo to launch the GC Powerlist: Japan 2026, in partnership with AMT, Morrison Foerster and Just Legal.
This year’s Powerlisters gathered at the Roppongi Hills Club for an evening of celebration, set against scenic views over the city. Leading in-house counsel from across the country came together in recognition of the vital role GCs play in today’s legal landscape, and to mark their achievements over the past year.
The evening opened with a welcome address from Isabel Caine, editor – corporate counsel at Legal 500, who spoke about the increasingly multi-faceted role of in-house counsel and how the modern GC is called upon to act as legal adviser, business partner and risk manager.
Ryu Umezu, co-managing partner at AMT, then took to the stage to congratulate nominees. In a nod to Japan’s recent World Cup success, he compared the position of in-house counsel to that of football manager, highlighting how legal teams guide their organisations through periods of uncertainty to successful outcomes.
Jeremy White, co-head of Morrison Foerster’s Asia M&A/PE practice, closed out the evening’s speeches. Focusing on the excellence in the room, he spoke to the qualities that distinguish the modern GC – and this year’s Powerlisters.
The certificate presentation then began, with honourees taking to the stage to collect their award and have their official photograph taken. Umezu was joined by Keiko Kaneko, chair of AMT’s management committee, to present the first half of the certificates, before Morrison Foerster partners Adam Harris and Takahiro Nonaka took over for the second half of the presentation.
The evening then gave way to lively conversation, providing attendees with ample opportunity to network and exchange ideas and experiences.
Legal 500 would once again like to thank AMT, Morrison Foerster and Just Legal for partnering with us to bring this event to life and congratulate all those who were included in the GC Powerlist: Japan 2026.
