Career Biography

Hanane Farhane is Head of Legal Department and Senior Counsel, META & France, celebrated for her exceptional leadership, strategic vision, and transformative impact across complex multinational operations. She leads multi-jurisdictional legal strategies for a global organisation at the forefront of innovation and digital transformation, delivering solutions that balance risk, compliance, and business growth.

Fluent in multiple languages and adept at navigating cross-border legal landscapes, she has advised multinational and regional organisations across the Middle East and Europe, guiding them through intricate regulatory challenges while fostering operational excellence and innovation. Her pragmatic yet visionary approach has earned the trust and respect of executives, regulators, and peers alike.

Renowned for her integrity, persuasive communication, and ability to build consensus in challenging scenarios, Farhane has spearheaded major compliance initiatives, structured landmark transactions, and provided strategic counsel that has shaped the trajectory of leading organisations.

Beyond her professional accomplishments, she is passionately committed to mentorship and the development of future legal talent, promoting ethical leadership and excellence across the legal profession. Her work exemplifies a rare combination of rigorous legal expertise, strategic foresight, and inspiring leadership.

Farhane’s inclusion in the Legal 500 GC Powerlist: Middle East 2025 recognises her outstanding contributions to the legal profession, her unwavering commitment to corporate governance, and her enduring impact as a visionary in-house counsel who drives change, champions excellence, and sets new benchmarks for leadership across industries and regions.

What are the key projects that you have been involved in over the past 12 months?

In my role as Senior Counsel covering META and France, I have led projects that demanded both legal expertise and strategic vision. Over the past year, I managed cross-border negotiations across Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, balancing diverse regulatory frameworks while ensuring successful outcomes for the business. I also developed compliance frameworks in response to evolving data protection and digital economy regulations, enabling operations to expand with confidence. Another important part of my work has been guiding the organisation through periods of uncertainty, from regulatory volatility to geopolitical challenges. I resolved sensitive disputes and designed pragmatic solutions that not only protected the organization, but also preserved long-term partnerships. These experiences reinforced my belief that in-house counsel must be more than risk managers. We are strategic partners and architects of resilience, ensuring growth, compliance, and trust go hand in hand.

What do you think are the most important attributes for a modern in-house counsel to possess?

The role of in-house counsel has evolved far beyond technical expertise. Today, exceptional counsel combine leadership, vision and adaptability to drive strategy and safeguard value. Key attributes include: strategic foresight, anticipating regulatory, market, and policy shifts before they become risks. Commercial pragmatism, delivering clear, actionable advice that enables growth without compromising safeguards, is also essential. In-house counsel need cultural fluency – navigating diverse legal systems, languages and stakeholder expectations with confidence – and digital literacy, guiding AI governance, cybersecurity, and data-risk frameworks with authority and insight. Integrity with empathy is also key, being the steady, principled voice in complex or high-stakes situations.

Equally critical is communication, translating complexity into clarity, presenting options with consequences and distinguishing what can be pursued safely versus what requires escalation. The best in-house counsel do more than manage risk: they create momentum, turning legal insight into business advantage. They embody courage and humanity, making difficult decisions while inspiring trust, fairness, and excellence across the organisation.

What is a cause, business or otherwise, that you are passionate about?

Beyond the technical side of law, I am deeply committed to mentoring, diversity, and inclusion. I believe that counsel must not only protect an organisation, but also shape its culture. By supporting young professionals, fostering inclusive teams, and leading by example, I aim to create an environment where legal advice is not only respected, but trusted, and where every voice can contribute to the organisation’s success. I am passionate about widening access to the legal profession and building inclusive, high-performing teams. Across META and France, I create plain-language toolkits so non-legal colleagues can navigate risk with confidence. When we broaden opportunity and demystify the law, organisations make better, more ethical and faster decisions. My driving purpose is to show that the legal function can be both a guardian of integrity and a catalyst for positive change within business and society.