Malaysia 2023
Supported by the Association of Corporate Counsel
Legal manager, indirect procurement AMEA | Kellogg Company
Group general manager, group legal and regulatory affairs | Media Prima
Director of legal affairs and general counsel | Asian Football Confederation
Head of legal, secretarial and corporate affairs division | Projek Lintasan Kota Holdings (PROLINTAS)
Group company secretary and head of corporate services | KNM Group
Senior manager, legal and property management | Eco World
Head of legal, Malaysia, Australia and Philippines | OSRAM Opto Semiconductors
Legal and compliance | Panasonic Appliances Air-Conditioning Malaysia
Tan Ming Hong has spent 15 years as an advocate and solicitor of the High Court of Malaya, handling dispute resolution matters from the first instance court to the supreme...
Assistant head division of corporate services | Penang Port
General counsel and chief strategy officer | OCR Group
Director, legal and compliance and company secretary | Carlsberg Brewery Malaysia
Senior vice president, group legal and group general counsel | Petronas
Senior general manager, legal, corporate secretarial and compliance | Malaysia Marine & Heavy Engineering Holdings
Associate general counsel - global labour and employment APAC | JABIL
Head, group legal, compliance and risk management | Warisan TC Holdings
Legal executive | Projek Lintasan Kota Holdings (PROLINTAS)
Chief legal officer and company secretary | AmGeneral Insurance
Executive director, general counsel, company secretary and head, corporate and support services | Khazanah Nasional
Vice President and general counsel, Asia Pacific | Emerson Automation Solutions
Assistant manager, legal | Projek Lintasan Kota Holdings (PROLINTAS)
Senior counsel, global operations | Ansell
A dedicated, experienced and well-regarded corporate counsel with close to 21 years of experience across a number of prominent companies in a diverse range of industry sectors. Shalinee Fernandez graduated...
Director of legal affairs and general counsel | Network Innovations
As one of the brightest lights on the Southeast Asia business scene, boasting some of the most prominent companies supported by highly qualified and distinguished legal teams, it is an honour to be able to launch this first-ever Malaysia-only edition of the GC Powerlist after so many years of the GC Powerlist being in circulation.
Through the Southeast Asia edition of the GC Powerlist, our research team has become well-acquainted with the hugely talented general counsel, chief legal officers and other high-ranking in-house legal leaders in Malaysia. What was excellent about this standalone Malaysia edition, however, was that we got to delve deeper into the in-house legal community of this wonderful market and speak to people we had not had the pleasure of interviewing before.
The results we, as always, extremely interesting, and gave light to a number of trends. Fintech and the new possibilities that it brings continues to loom large in the minds of many general counsel in Malaysia, but perhaps not quite as large as the spectre of AI. While some were sceptical of its benefits in recent years, many more are now looking towards it with great interest for the potential time-saving it heralds.
Congratulations to all the talented in-house lawyers who made it in to this first Malaysia- edition of the GC Powerlist series. From a long list of over 400 nominees, you are the highly qualified individuals who remain. We look forward to seeing how your careers progress going forward!
Joe Boswell
Global Editor, GC Powerlist Series
The Legal 500
On October 2, Legal 500 returned to Copenhagen to host the highly anticipated GC Summit: Denmark 2025 at the Radisson Collection Royal Hotel. The event brought together prominent voices from the legal and business communities to explore the evolving role of in-house counsel in a rapidly shifting global landscape.
The day began with opening remarks from Legal 500’s editorial lead, Francisco Castro, who welcomed attendees and set the tone for the summit. He emphasised the importance of convening the corporate counsel community to engage in meaningful dialogue around the pressing challenges – and emerging opportunities – facing legal teams today.
The first panel delved into crisis management strategies for legal departments. Hanne Marthine Frederiksen, partner at Poul Schmith, and Søren Søndergaard, director at Rud Pedersen, shared practical insights on early risk detection, cross-functional coordination, and post-crisis recovery planning. The discussion underscored the growing expectation for legal teams to lead during periods of uncertainty and equipped attendees with actionable tools to enhance organisational resilience.
The second panel focused on regulatory reform, specifically the EU’s Digital Omnibus proposal and anticipated changes to the GDPR and NIS 2 Directive. Marlene Winther Plas and Christian Wiese Svanberg from DLA Piper Denmark, joined by Heidi Warm from the firm’s Brussels office and Tina Dorthe Nielsen, senior legal counsel at FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies, offered a practitioner’s perspective on navigating evolving data protection and cybersecurity legislation. The panel highlighted areas where simplification could benefit businesses and improve compliance outcomes.
After a short coffee break, the conversation turned to the insurance industry’s response to emerging global risks. Medea Solevad Plesner, legal director at Kennedys, Anja Deleuran, senior insurance manager at Carlsberg, Thomas Brenøe, director at Insurance and Pension Denmark, Lars Søhøj, financial lines underwriter at Zurich, and Jonas Spangsberg Svensson, attorney at The RiskPoint Group, explored how climate change, geopolitical instability, and the rise of consumer-led class actions are reshaping corporate risk profiles. The panel examined implications for claims handling and the future of insurance solutions across cyber, product liability, property, and D&O.
The final panel of the day addressed how legal teams can position themselves as strategic business partners. Moderated by Francisco Castro, the session featured John F. Kuckleman, group general counsel at Novo Nordisk, and Pia Ullum, legal vice president at Dell Technologies. Both speakers shared compelling examples of how in-house counsel can align more closely with business objectives, demonstrate measurable value, and build influence across the C-suite. The discussion highlighted the shift from reactive legal support to proactive leadership and commercial insight.
To close the event, Francisco Castro thanked all speakers and attendees for their contributions and engagement throughout the day. He reaffirmed Legal 500’s commitment to supporting the in-house legal community through high-impact events and thought leadership. Guests were then invited to enjoy refreshments and informal networking, providing a relaxed setting to continue conversations and forge new connections.
