Middle East 2025
Supported by the Association of Corporate Counsel
Chief legal, governance & ESG officer, Corporate secretary | Banque Saudi Fransi (BSF)
Group board secretary and Board governance officer | Bapco Energies
General counsel and Board secretary | Future Investment Initiative Institute
VP and Head of legal services Middle East Africa | DHL Group
Regional legal director | Aramex International Services
Head of legal (APAC, Middle East & Africa) | TikTok & ByteDance
UAE General counsel and Regional general counsel, MENAT | HSBC Bank Middle East Limited
Chief legal officer and General counsel | Qatar Airways
General counsel, Head of legal and compliance and Board secretary | Sela
Group chief legal and risk officer and General counsel | STC
Associate director of legal and compliance – MENA | Nestlé MENA
General counsel (Head of legal) and Corporate secretary | Marafeq Qatar LLC
Deputy chief executive officer, Chief legal officer and Board secretary | Qatar Financial Centre Authority
Managing counsel and Compliance officer | FUJIFILM Middle East & Africa
Group general counsel; General counsel, Head of compliance, risk and MLRO | Dubai Financial Market and Nasdaq Dubai
VP, Executive general counsel, Corporate legal and Company secretariat | DP World
General counsel and Head of the ethics and compliance function | Khazna Data Centers
Head of legal – Middle East, North Africa, Türkiye & Pakistan | J.P. Morgan Chase Bank N.A.
Chief legal officer and Company secretary | QInvest LLC
General counsel | Tadweer - National Environment Recycling Company
Head of legal Middle East and Africa, Policy and regulatory coordination lead EMEIA | Apple
Chief legal, regulatory and corporate governance officer | Ooredoo Group
General counsel and Head of corporate compliance MENA | Danone
General counsel MEA APAC and Deputy general counsel premium midscale and economy division | Accor
General counsel, Head of ethics and business integrity | Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA)
Group chief legal officer | Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC)
EVP, General counsel and Corporate secretary | Saudi Aramco
Chief legal, regulatory and compliance officer and Board secretary | Zain Bahrain
General counsel and Secretary of the international board | Indevco Group
VP, Legal and compliance | Nestlé Middle East & North Africa
Head of legal and Director, legal and compliance - Middle East | Gartner
It is an honour to announce the launch of Legal 500’s GC Powerlist: Middle East 2025. This year’s edition is in association with top independent Saudi practice Omar Al-Rasheed & Partners Law Firm; Bennani & Associés, leading independent business law firm in North, West and Central Africa; Nami Associates, the largest top-tier law firm in Iran; full-service Bangladeshi law firm TANJIB ALAM & ASSOCIATES; IP specialists Audiri Vox; HAS Law Firm, established leading law firm in Dubai; SSQ; tier-one Nigerian firm Olaniwun Ajayi LP; experienced Pakistani firm Liaquat Merchant Associates; and Lebanon-based Alem & Associates.
Once again, Legal 500 is delighted to recognise a leading group of in-house counsel from across the Middle East – from the UAE, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia to Bahrain, Oman, Iran, and Lebanon. This year’s Powerlist celebrates the dedication, commitment and achievements of senior in-house counsel, marking the contribution of this stellar cohort to the region’s legal and business landscape.
Throughout the Middle East, the position of in-house counsel within their organisations continues to develop: ‘the role of in-house counsel has evolved significantly in recent years from a legal gatekeeper to a strategic business partner’, explains Ayed Tadros, Group General Counsel at Aramex. General Counsel are playing an increasingly integrated role, helping to drive business strategy forward.
Such a multi-faceted role, however, is not without its challenges. In-house counsel ‘must bridge the gap between law and business’, points out Bapsy Dastur, Group Chief Legal Officer at Landmark Group. General Counsel must translate between the two functions. ‘In summary, modern in-house counsel must wear multiple hats – legal adviser, risk manager, communicator, and business partner – often all at once’, says Mohammed Majid, Group General Counsel at The Dubizzle Group.
But, as Majid points out, legal teams are also expected to do so in high-pressure environments. ‘There is growing pressure for legal departments to operate more like business units. Being cost-efficient, metrics-driven and collaborative are now key performance indicators that the business looks for’, he says. Dineli Gowribalan, General Counsel at GRIP (DIFC) Ltd agrees: ‘There is also a growing emphasis on efficiency and cost-effective service delivery. Legal departments are expected to do more with less’.
And there is always more to do. In-house counsel continue to navigate various changes and developments across the Middle East. ‘One of those is the pace of new regulation, whether it is in infrastructure, energy diversification, or anti-corruption’, notes Iryna Kovalchuk, General Counsel at ZMI Holdings. She adds: ‘the challenge for in-house lawyers is not just to keep up, but to translate that complexity into clear guidance the business can actually use’.
Among recent developments, artificial intelligence (AI) has arguably had the most profound impact. ‘The accelerated integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in general and AI-led decision systems has been the most transformative trends reshaping the legal and corporate landscape’, highlights Mirza Hashim Baig, Senior Legal at International Holding Company PJSC (IHC).
In-house counsel must be at the forefront of this transformation, balancing AI’s potential benefits with its inherent risks. ‘With companies increasingly adopting AI tools for tasks such as contract review, compliance monitoring and data analysis, this can obviously help to streamline operations and reduce costs’, points out Mark Hultum, Head of Legal – Middle East and Africa at Deutsche Bank. ‘But it also raises issues around accountability, data protection, regulatory compliance and reputational risk’, he warns.
And so, ‘as AI continues to reshape how businesses operate, modern in-house counsel must adapt and lead in this evolving environment’, advises Minkyu Kim, Regional General Counsel MENA at LG Electronics. ‘The ability to anticipate regulation and embed responsible AI practices before they are legally required will distinguish forward-thinking organisations from those that risk enforcement or reputational harm’, agrees Brian Dunn, Group General Counsel at Mojay Global Holding Limited.
The role of the modern General Counsel, therefore, requires ‘rolling up their sleeves and stepping beyond the desk to truly understand the business they serve,’ says Eliana Fonseca, Senior Manager and Head of Legal at Emirates Flight Catering. And, while legal ability is a given, this integrated role demands a broader skillset. ‘In addition to the technical skills and intelligence of a qualified attorney, modern counsel must also possess the personality and emotional maturity to effectively engage with colleagues across diverse roles and functions’, explains Narguiz Birk-Peterson, VP and General Counsel (Growth and Emerging Markets) at Takeda. ‘Emotional intelligence and leadership are central to this role, helping to build trust across teams and manage internal clients diplomatically’, adds Toufic Abi Fadel, Chief Legal Officer and Company Secretary at QInvest LLC.
‘What stands out most is not a case’, concludes Majdoleen Aboudi, Chief Legal Officer at Air Liquide, ‘but a shift in how legal departments are choosing to show up in today’s world.’
Isabel Caine
Legal 500 was delighted to return to Toronto for the launch of the GC Powerlist: Canada 2025, in association with DLA Piper. The event gathered many of Canada’s leading in-house legal professionals for an evening of discussion and networking.
The evening opened with remarks from Russel Drew, Partner at DLA Piper, who offered perspectives on the evolving role of general counsel in the country.
The event concluded with a reception, where guests enjoyed the chance to connect with peers in a relaxed and convivial setting.
We extend our thanks to all our speakers for their valuable contributions, and to DLA Piper for supporting the recognition of Canada’s outstanding general counsel community.
