Japan 2024
Supported by the Association of Corporate Counsel
Executive officer, head of general affairs and legal | Sumitomo Corporation
Director, member of the board, executive officer, group general counsel | Panasonic Holdings Corporation
Head of Japan/JPBU ethics and compliance, global ethics and compliance | Takeda Pharmaceutical Company
Chief legal and risk officer, executive general manager of compliance and information security division | Benesse Holdings
Legal director (Johnson & Johnson MedTech Japan & South East Asia) | Johnson & Johnson
Chief legal officer, executive officer | The Gibraltar Life Insurance Company
Executive officer, general counsel, managing director | Citigroup Global Markets Japan
Director of the corporate planning and legal department | Fukuoka SoftBank HAWKS Corporation
Group legal and compliance director | LVMH Moët Hennessy-Louis Vuitton Japan
Senior executive officer and general manager of legal division | Nitori Holdings
Director, legal and compliance | Nippon Otis Elevator Company
Corporate executive officer, EVP and general counsel | Fujitsu
General manager, group governance, legal and compliance unit | Tokyo Electron
Executive officer, general manager, legal division | ITOCHU Corporation
General manager, legal and intellectual property | Bandai Namco Entertainment
Compliance manager and legal manager in charge of consumer health | Bayer
Rising Star
Managing director of legal and intellectual property division | SEGA Sammy Holdings
Managing director and market unit contracting lead, legal | Accenture
Rising Star
Representative executive officer and general counsel | Unilever Japan Holdings
Chief legal and compliance officer and executive vice president | LIXIL
Corporate officer, group chief legal officer and group compliance officer | SoftBank Group
General manager, legal department, administration headquarters | Konoike Construction
Director, member of the board and chief legal officer | Funds, Inc.
Rising Star
Executive officer in charge of legal, intellectual property and government relations | SECOM
Executive managing officer, general counsel and executive committee member | Mitsui & Co.
Director, executive officer and head of legal Japan | Societe Generale Securities Japan
Chief risk management officer, general manager of legal and risk management department | freee
Member of the Board of Novo Nordisk Pharma Ltd., General Counsel and VP Legal, Ethics & Compliance | Novo Nordisk
Corporate vice president and general manager of legal division | FUJIFILM Holdings
Chief legal officer, SaaS business and head of risk management | Uzabase
Rising Star
Managing executive officer, corporate communications division | ITOCHU
Corporate officer, general manager of intellectual property, legal and compliance | Gunze
Executive vice president, legal and intellectual property | Chugai Pharmaceutical
Senior vice president, legal, compliance and privacy | Sony Group Corporation
Vice president, deputy head of global legal | Fujitsu
Rising Star
Vice president, general counsel, chief compliance officer, intellectual property, internal control | Eisai
General manager, legal department, legal and corporate affairs division | Chiyoda Corporation
Department manager, legal department, legal and intellectual property division | Nikon
On Tuesday, Legal 500 had the pleasure of welcoming this year’s cohort to the GC Powerlist Spain 2026 launch event in Madrid: an evening celebrating the country’s in-house excellence shaping the legal landscape of today and tomorrow.
The evening, hosted in partnership with DLA Piper, brought together at Club Matador some of the most renowned names in the Spanish in-house legal market. This year’s reception welcomed senior in-house professionals from across industries, representing some of the most prominent companies in the country.
Carmen Godoy, lead editor of this edition of the GC Powerlist: Spain at The Legal 500, opened the evening by addressing more than 100 corporate legal professionals in attendance. In her remarks, Godoy highlighted how the research revealed Spain’s in-house legal community to be increasingly strategic and forward-looking. General counsel are evolving into key business partners, embracing innovation with pragmatism while providing resilience and stability in uncertain environments. With a strong focus on governance, compliance, sustainability, and leadership, these findings reflect a community that is strategic, innovative, and deeply human.
Following Godoy, Francisco Cerezo and César Herrero, managing partners of DLA Piper and hosts of the evening, addressed the audience, highlighting the importance of promoting spaces for exchange and recognition within the in-house legal community shaping modern business.
After their remarks, Carmen Godoy and David Freeman, on behalf of The Legal 500, proceeded with the certificate ceremony, during which each Powerlister was invited to the stage to collect their certificate.
This year’s GC Powerlist event in Madrid served as an excellent opportunity for awardees to connect and exchange reflections with their professional peers and the Legal 500 team.
On behalf of the entire team at The Legal 500, we extend our warmest congratulations to all those included in this edition of the GC Powerlist: Spain. You stand as an example of the talent, leadership, and vision driving the evolution of the general counsel role in the country.
We would also like to take this opportunity to express our sincere gratitude to DLA Piper, our sponsor, for joining us in recognising the exceptional talent driving progress across Spain’s legal profession. And, of course, to each of the honourees who shared their time and insights with us. It has been a privilege to share your stories and celebrate the enduring impact you make every day.
