Miami 2025 – GC Powerlist
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Miami 2025

Supported by the Association of Corporate Counsel

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  • Industries

  • Powerlist

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A. Brad Busscher

Chief Administrative Officer, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary | InspereX

Financials

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Adriana Rivera-Montoya

General counsel | Sanitas USA

Healthcare

Alex Tolston

Chief legal officer | TEGNA

Sports & Media

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Andrea Mon

Formerly Ethics and compliance executive and in-house advisor- Latin America and Global Marketing | Rockwell Automation

Information technology

Andres Cedron

Chief legal officer | Orthofix

Healthcare

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Anna Oestereicher

General counsel | Banco de Sabadell, Miami Branch

Financials

Armando J. Martinez Benitez

Executive vice president, deputy general counsel, Head of Global Content and Intellectual Property, Mexico Litigation and Regulatory, and International Distribution | TelevisaUnivision

Sports and media

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Augusto P. Aragone

Executive Vice President, Secretary and General Counsel | Ingram Micro Holding

Information technology

 Augusto Aragone serves as executive vice president, secretary and general counsel for Ingram Micro, a leader in delivering the full spectrum of global technology and supply-chain solutions to businesses around...

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Begoña Guzman Garate

Legal Director | Santander Private Banking International

Financials

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Brian E. Bomstein

General counsel | Bayview Asset Management

Financials

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Carlos I. Cardelle

Senior Counsel - HRO | ADP

Commercial & Professional Services

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Carolina Lambrechts

SVP - Head of legal Latin America | Warner Bros. Discovery

Sports & Media

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Carolina Rincon Cortes

Chief Legal officer | Ontop

Technology

Casey Furman

SVP, Head of Americas Legal & Corp. M&A | Verifone

Information technology

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Catalina Carmona

Senior legal counsel | Spotify

Sports & Media

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Claudia Carballo

Senior Counsel - Litigation | Chegg

Education

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Corey Collins

Associate General Counsel | MasTec

Transport & Infrastructure

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Cristiano Bernarde

Vice President and Regional General Counsel - Latin America and Caribbean | SAP

Information technology

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Curtis Franks

General counsel, FIFA World Cup 2026 | FIFA

Sports & Media

Daniela Rost

General Counsel | Universal Alloys

Materials and mining

Daniela Rost is an accomplished attorney with over a decade of experience as in-house counsel for companies within the same corporate group, including Universal Alloys, Georgian American Alloys, Felman Production,...

Delia C. Reyes

Vice president & associate counsel - compliance and ethics | Southern Glazer's Wines and Spirits

Food, beverages and tobacco

Delia C. Reyes is currently the Vice President-Associate Counsel, Compliance & Ethics at Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits (SGWS )– Central Region. Delia joined SGWS in March 2020 holding Legal...

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Dennise Calderon-Barrera

Assistant general counsel | NextEra Energy Resources

Energy & Utilities

Diana Becerra

Senior Associate General counsel | Visa

Financials

Diana M. Becerra is an international lawyer with over 15 years of experience in-house legal experience in start-ups, private high growth, and public companies. Her extensive expertise spans across various...

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Diana Marietti

Formerly Director legal, senior counsel | Daikin Applied Americas

Materials and mining

Diana P. Abril

Chief Legal Officer | Motivus

Commercial & Professional Services

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Dino Noto

Vice President - Legal Affairs, Export Compliance Officer and Empowered Official | Barfield

Transport & Infrastructure

Edna Falla-Quintanilla

Head of corporate legal | FIFA

Transport & Infrastructure

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Eduardo Hernandez

Executive Vice President and General Counsel | Cisneros Group of Companies

Sports & Media

Effie D. Silva

Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary | Fresh Del Monte Produce

Food, beverages and tobacco

Effie D. Silva has served as the senior vice president, general counsel, corporate secretary since 2022. In this role, Effie leads the company’s legal, risk management, food safety, government affairs,...

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Enrique Miguez

General counsel | Carnival Corporation

Hotels, restaurants and leisure

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Erico Narchi

Chief Legal officer | Itaú Private Bank International and Itaú USA

Financials

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Erika Lucas

General counsel | Mediapro U.S.

Sports & Media

Esteban Mancuso

Central America and Caribbean Sub-Cluster Legal Head and Senior Counsel for Banking & International Legal | Citibank

Financials

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Estibaliz Diez

Associate general counsel | China Telecom Americas

Information technology

Eve Perez-Torres

Senior Attorney | FedEx

Transport & Infrastructure

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Fatima Wolff

General Counsel, Legal & Compliance, Latin America & Canada | Boston Scientific

Healthcare

Florencia Ortiz Freuler

Head of legal US | Greening USA

Energy & Utilities

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Gabriela Regojo Balboa

Managing General Counsel for the Americas | ACS Infrastructure

Transport & Infrastructure

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George Arnett III

General counsel | Insigneo Financial Group

Financials

Giannina Marin

VP & General Counsel, LatAm | American Tower

Transport & Infrastructure

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Guilherme Bill Carvalho

Chief Legal and compliance officer | CONCACAF

Sports & Media

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Heileen Bell

Associate General Counsel | Burger King

Hotels, restaurants and leisure

Helen Warner

General Counsel, North America, Caribbean & Asia | LATAM Airlines Group

Transport & Infrastructure

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Horacio Medal

Senior Vice President and chief legal officer | GSI Management

Commercial & Professional Services

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Ines Bahachille

SVP, Chief counsel, North America | Mondelēz International

Food, beverages and tobacco

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Inga Fyodorova

Vice President and General Counsel | OneSpaWorld

Healthcare

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Jaime Garcia-Nieto

General counsel, latin america & carribbean | Airbus

Transport & Infrastructure

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James Sharkey

Latin america general counsel | Chubb

Financials

Jeannine Acevedo

General counsel | Atlas Renewable Energy

Energy & Utilities

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Jessica Arias Fierman

General Counsel & Legal Director, Latin America | Bupa

Insurance

Jessica Camuffo

Legal director, payments and risks (Americas) | Uber Technologies

Information technology

Jessica has over 25 years of legal experience.  She is currently Uber’s Director of Payments Legal, covering payments-related matters for the Americas.  Jessica began her legal career as a corporate...

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Jill Granat

General counsel | Restaurant Brands International

Food, beverages and tobacco

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Joanna Romano

Legal director | Telefónica Global Solutions

Telecommunication services

Jorge Meneses

General Counsel Latin America & Caribbean | Marsh Mclennan

Financials

Jorge serves as the General Counsel for Marsh McLennan in the Latin America & Caribbean (LAC) region. In this role, he is responsible for ensuring compliance with legal and regulatory...

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Jorge Reynardus

General Counsel, Americas | Amadeus

Information technology

Josefina Eizayaga

Chief legal officer | OCP Tech

Information Technologyy

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Juan M. Rincon-Cortes

LATAM Cluster General Counsel | Citibank

Financials

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Karen Luna

Head counsel LAC | Subway

Food, beverages and tobacco

Karen Salas-Morales

VP, General Counsel Corporate & Global Chief Privacy Officer | Millicom International

Telecommunications services

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Larissa Zagustin

Senior Vice President, General counsel | ViacomCBS

Telecommunication services

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Laura Hillman

Director, senior counsel | Kyndryl

Information technology

Laura Paredes

Vice President, Chief Ethics & Compliance Officer | Laureate Education

Education

Laura Paredes is an internationally educated lawyer, licensed in Colombia in 2003 and also in the State of Missouri, USA in 2020. Additionally, she is a registered and authorized in-house...

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Lindsay Shain

Vice President & Associate General Counsel (Regional General Counsel, Americas) | Japan Tobacco International

Food, beverages and tobacco

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Lucia Benabentos

Senior vice president, senior counsel - corporate, m&a, public company | New Fortress Energy

Energy & Utilities

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Luciana Ferri Sobrosa

Senior counsel, corporate legal | Sony Pictures Entertainment

Sports & Media

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Luis Alfonso Batres

Lead legal counsel | FedEx

Transport & Infrastructure

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Luis Francisco Aparicio

General counsel | Ricoh Latin America

Information technology

Marc Weinroth

Senior Director, Assistant General Counsel | Miami Dolphins and Hard Rock Stadium

Sports & Media

Marc Weinroth is Senior Director, Assistant General Counsel for the Miami Dolphins and Hard Rock Stadium, where he is responsible for all legal matters, risk management, and government affairs. Marc...

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Marco Santori

Chief Legal officer | Kraken Digital Asset Exchange

Financials

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Maria Fernanda Font

Vice president, customs & regulatory affairs, DHL Express Americas | DHL Express

Transport & Infrastructure

María Trinidad Cifuentes Silva

VP of Legal | Fz Sports

Sports & Media

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Mariana Seixas

Director, Senior Counsel | SoftBank Investment Advisers

Financials

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Marilia Mayaki Hamar

General counsel | Americaribe

Transport & Infrastructure

Marisol Mateos

VP & Senior Counsel, Latin America and Caribbean | Marriott International

Hotels

Marisol Mateos is an international bilingual attorney who has worked in the hospitality industry since 1992, having worked in Europe and Latin America. She has experience in hotel development agreements,...

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Martin Lythgoe

Deputy General counsel | I Squared Capital Advisors (US)

Financials

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Michael James

Vice President, Assistant General Counsel | Primo Water

Energy & Utilities

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Michael Sirgado

Regional Employment Law Head Latam | Citibank

Financials

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Michelle M. Pelletier

Vice president, Issues, Events & Remediation, Control Management (Operational Risk) | American Express

Financials

  The work I am currently supporting is heavily impacted by regulatory scrutiny of the operational risk and related control environment at American Express as the company grows to become...

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Myles Pistorius

Senior Vice President, general counsel | Miami Dolphins, Hard Rock Stadium, F1 Miami Grand Prix

Sports & Media

Nilo Jorge Barredo

Head of Legal, Wealth Americas Banking & Lending; Director, Associate General Counsel | Citigroup

Financials

Nilo Barredo is the Head of Legal for Citi Wealth’s Banking and Lending businesses in the Americas. In this role, Nilo supports Wealth’s diverse banking and lending products in North...

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R. Alexander Lake

SVP, Chief Legal Officer & Secretary | Royal Caribbean Group

Transport & Infrastructure

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Rey delCastillo

Regional General counsel, Latin America & Carribbean | Bacardi

Food

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Richard Siegel

General counsel and chief compliance officer | H.I.G. Capital

Financials

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Robert D. Fatovic

Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Board Secretary | Ryder System

Transport & Infrastructure

Robert Hesketh

Director, legal (North America) | Verifone

Information technology

Robert serves as Director for North America Legal at VeriFone, Inc, where he structures complex commercial partnerships and enterprise merchant agreements with major global payments partners. His strategic deal-making has...

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Rodrigo Medina

Vice president legal - Canada and Latin America | Medtronic

Materials and mining

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Ruchi Kaushal

General counsel | Cable & Wireless Communications

Telecommmunications Services

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Sally Pendleton

Assistant General Counsel | Hertz

Transport & Infrastructure

Salvador Escalón

Chief Legal and Compliance Officer | Millicom International

Telecommunications services

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Santiago Rabassa

Vice president, compliance officer, latin america | Zimmer Biomet

Healthcare

Sira Veciana-Muiño

VP Business & Legal Affairs | Great American Media

Sports & Media

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Stephen Irick

VP and general counsel | Seaboard Marine

Transport & Infrastructure

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Tobias Meyer

General Counsel Corporate | Avolta

Consumer products

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Tracy M.J. Colden

Executive Vice President and General Counsel | Playa Hotels & Resorts

Hotels

Valeria Isabel Plastino

Executive vice president and general counsel | Cirion Technologies Solutions

Information technology

Ms Plastino has 25+ years of experience in the technology and telecom industries, as well as in multinational investments in Latin America. She is currently based in Miami, FL and...

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Victor A. de Diego

Chief legal officer | Banco Santander International

Financials

Victoria Meni Battaglia

Associate general counsel - Product SSA Latam | Airbnb

Industrials & Real Estate

Victoria´s background includes operating in fast-paced legal departments supporting the business and managing efficiency and simplification of in-house legal departments for over 20 years. Victoria is experienced in multi-country environments with varied...

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Violeta Longino

Chief Legal Officer | Caban Energy

Energy & Utilities

Violeta Longino, an internationally recognised executive leader, is the chief legal officer for Caban Energy, an energy infrastructure provider, offering end-to-end solutions for the largest telecom companies in the world....

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Yamina Sara Chekroun

Senior legal counsel | Ramp Network

Financials

Zamira Zapata

Vice president & Associate general counsel, global M&A, Americas | Diageo

Consumer products

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Legal 500 is thrilled to announce the third edition of the GC Powerlist Miami 2025, recognizing the outstanding senior in-house counsel who continue to lead the way in the legal profession. Each year, we have the privilege of celebrating the impressive achievements of individuals who are driving legal excellence, and this year, as we gather in Miami, we’re reminded of the city’s dynamic role as a global business hub where innovation and opportunity intersect.

As we enter 2025, the strategic priorities guiding in-house teams reflect both evolving challenges and transformative opportunities. As one general counsel shared, “Heading into 2025, our legal team’s priorities are grounded in technology and digital transformation, compliance, business integration, risk mitigation, and talent development. Legal technologies streamline workflows, improve contract management, and enhance data analysis.” Another noted the growing role of AI, stating, “Internally, we will continue to test and adopt the AI tools that empower our legal team to work more effectively and responsibly, as well as enhance our due diligence framework and body of precedents to reflect the evolving implications AI adoption, both by the fund and by our portfolio companies.” Sustainability also continues to shape legal strategies, with many prioritising ESG initiatives, “sustainability and ESG initiatives continue to shape our legal strategy, ensuring that environmental, social, and governance considerations are embedded in business operations.”

Legal 500 is incredibly grateful for the engagement of the in-house community, whose leadership continues to set the bar for excellence in the legal profession. We are honored to showcase these exceptional individuals and their teams, whose work drives lasting impact.

We would also like to extend our deepest gratitude to Winston & Strawn for their continued partnership and support, making this celebration possible. We look forward to recognizing the remarkable contributions of Miami’s top in-house counsel and the exciting developments shaping the legal landscape in the city.

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Supported by

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GC Powerlist Japan 2025

The Legal 500 was proud to host the third edition of the GC Powerlist: Japan 2025 at the Capitol Hotel Tokyu, honouring the top General Counsel, Chief Legal Officers, Legal Directors, and senior in-house legal professionals operating at the highest level of Japan’s corporate legal landscape. Held in Tokyo, this year’s reception welcomed around 100 of the most respected and senior corporate counsel from across Japan. It was an unrivalled success, and cements Legal 500’s status as the leading force in legal media supporting the achievements of in-house counsel in Japan. The GC Powerlist: Japan 2025 marks the continuation of our commitment to recognising excellence in-house, and this year’s edition represents the most competitive and selective list to date.

Joe Boswell, lead editor of the GC powerlist publication at The Legal 500, opened the evening with an introduction that reflected on the growing prestige of the Japan list. He emphasised how the Powerlist has grown stronger each year, both in scope and quality, making the task of selection more difficult. This year’s honourees emerged from a deeply competitive field, making their recognition even more meaningful.

Boswell extended heartfelt congratulations to all honourees and acknowledged the critical support of key partners and sponsors who made the evening possible. Special thanks were given to Anderson Mori & Tomotsune, Morrison Foerster, iManage, JustLegal, and SS&C Intralinks for their generous sponsorship and ongoing collaboration.

In a moment of reflection, Joe paid tribute to Tim Mackey, chief legal officer at SoftBank, who sadly passed away unexpectedly earlier this year. Tim had contributed to the Powerlist in each of its three editions and was known not only for his exceptional legal acumen but also for his warmth and generosity.

The evening featured insightful remarks from distinguished speakers representing our partners and the broader legal community: Mischa Mulligan, Japan Director at SS&C Intralinks; Hiroki Kodate, Partner and Management Committee Member at Anderson Mori & Tomotsune; Jeremy White, Global Co-Chair of M&A for Morrison Foerster; and, representing those awarded in the Powerlist, Naoki Hamada, General Counsel for Japan at HSBC.

Each speaker provided reflections on legal innovation, leadership, and the evolving role of in-house counsel in Japan’s corporate landscape. Their remarks added valuable context to the achievements celebrated throughout the evening.

The formal awards segment celebrated this year’s GC Powerlist honourees. With assistance from long-time collaborator Isaac Uchiyama who read out awardees’ names, recipients were invited to collect their certificates, pose for photographs, and be formally recognised by their peers.

Certificates were presented on stage by Hiroki Kodate or Anderson Mori & Tomotsune and Jeremy White of Morrison Foerster, whose participation further underlined the deep support of the Japanese and international legal communities.

The GC Powerlist: Japan 2025 reception reaffirmed Legal 500’s commitment to spotlighting the very best of in-house legal talent. With record levels of interest and unmatched quality among candidates, the Japan edition continues to solidify its place as one of the most respected publications in the global GC Powerlist series.

We extend our sincere congratulations to all honourees and thank our partners, sponsors, and speakers for making the evening a success.

We look forward to returning to Tokyo again next year. As a parting gift, you can view Naoki Hamada’s excellent keynote address below, where he touches on a lot of issues and themes that many other GC, whatever country they operate in, will recognise:

‘Good evening, everyone. I am Naoki Hamada of HSBC. I am very pleased to be here speaking to you today. It is a great pleasure and honor, and at the same time, I feel a bit overwhelmed being surrounded by the busiest and most expensive lawyers in the industry—even if I know that nobody will be charging us for their time. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Legal 500 for organizing such a great event, and Anderson Mori & Tomotsune, Morrison Foerster, iManage, SS&C Intralinks, and Just Legal for sponsoring and supporting it. And, huge congratulations on the recognition each of you is receiving, which is truly a great accomplishment and the result of your hard work and the accumulated trust the entire industry has placed in you.

It must be emphasized that this award is given only to general counsels. Being a general counsel means a lot more than just being a subject matter expert. You are a most reliable strategic partner for the business, and I am sure that you have distinguished yourself from the crowd by your ability to identify underlying risks, devise legal solutions, ensure the right processes and governance for corporate decisions, influence others, and educate the next generation of lawyers. This is what you are being recognized for.

Looking back on my career, I have been hugely helped by lawyers in other companies through various industry communities. When I joined the in-house world 12 years ago from a Japanese law firm, large international banks were all struggling with a huge wave of regulatory reform. Back then, I was relatively new to that particular area of finance, and my hiring was somewhat potential-based. Nonetheless, I was assigned to lead the regulatory reform efforts locally. My predecessor had left the bank before I joined, there was no sufficient handover, and I was completely lost as to what to do. What helped me most were the industry peer group discussions, where in-house counsels from major banks would get together to discuss common issues. I learned so much from what was discussed there and absorbed as much as I could. Without that network, I am sure that I wouldn’t have survived that time.

However, our situation today is far more difficult. The changes in the landscape we face today are unprecedented. Technological developments and the corresponding shifts in geopolitical and industrial landscapes are completely unpredictable, and the speed at which they happen is far faster than before. We might face a time that requires us to pivot, forcing us to redefine how we add value and rebuild the way we work. That is somewhat intimidating. But, I am confident that a way forward will be found through the collective wisdom and effort of the people in this room. I would like to be a part of that, and this network of people is enormously valuable and truly priceless.

Finally, let’s have a drink and celebrate our achievements for now – before your CEO calls asking you to join a call! Thank you so much.’