Middle East
Supported by the Association of Corporate Counsel
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
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
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 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
Head of legal and Director, legal and compliance - Middle East | Gartner
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.
