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
The official launch celebration for The GC Powerlist: Austria 2026 took place on Wednesday, 17 June 2026, at the prestigious BelEtage premises of corporate law firm CERHA HEMPEL, in Vienna. Representing the fifth consecutive year that the firm has supported the event as the exclusive Austrian partner to The Legal 500. The gathering welcomed the elite of the corporate legal sector to celebrate the country’s most influential and innovative in-house legal counsel in an elegant, celebratory atmosphere.
The ceremony commenced with an opening address by Margherita Birri, Research Editor at The Legal 500, followed by a warm welcome from CERHA HEMPEL Managing Partner Clemens Hasenauer. The official keynote address was then delivered by Martina Wachernig, Head of Legal at VERBUND, who focused on the evolving demands placed on modern corporate legal teams and emphasized that today’s general counsel must blend strict risk mitigation with proactive commercial agility.
Throughout the evening, narrative and debate centred on the strategic hurdles facing Austrian businesses, specifically regarding the adoption and ethical implementation of artificial intelligence inside corporate legal workflows. Corporate leaders also addressed the challenges of navigating strict EU competition law, data protection, and modern cybersecurity protocols, whilst simultaneously driving compliance forward within expanding environmental, social, and governance frameworks. Attendees gathered for a lively evening reception featuring drinks and canapés, allowing the newly recognised honourees from the energy, financial services, tech, and manufacturing sectors to connect, benchmark, and celebrate their collective achievements.
Ultimately, the 2026 edition successfully cemented the vital importance of the in-house community to the Austrian economy, proving that after five years of continuous collaboration between The Legal 500 and CERHA HEMPEL, the event remains the premier national benchmark for legal excellence.
