New York 2026
Supported by the Association of Corporate Counsel
Associate General Counsel | McKinsey & Company
Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary | PepsiCo
Vice President and Counsel | Crédit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank
Director of Regulatory (Mobility & Delivery) and Antitrust Litigation | Uber Technologies
EVP, businnes affairs and chief legal officer | BROOKLYN SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT
VP legal affairs and general counsel North America | Hugo Boss
SVP, General counsel, Chief administration officer andamp; Corporate secretary | Unisys
Chief People Officer, Chief Legal Officer & Corporate Secretary | Edgewell Personal Care
Chief Legal Officer, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary | Spencer Stuart
Associate general counsel business and legal affairs, international | Roku
General counsel, corporate secretary and head of regulatory affairs | Supergoop!
Chief legal officer, chief ethics officer and secretary | Paychex
Executive vice president, chief legal officer and corporate secretary | Gartner
Executive vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary | Toshiba
Senior vice president, general counsel and secretary | PBF Energy
Executive vice president, co-general counsel and corporate secretary | TelevisaUnivision
Executive vice president, chief legal officer, corporate secretary | Progress Software
Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Chief Administrative Officer | Fiserv
Senior Director - Head of Legal Corporate | Patria Investments
Senior vice president, general counsel and chief labour relations officer | NYC Health + Hospitals
General counsel and secretary | The New York Public Library, Astor, Lenox and Tilden Foundations
Managing director, chief legal officer and general counsel | General Atlantic
Executive vice president, chief legal officer and compliance officer. | Avantor
Deputy commissioner, baseball administration and chief legal officer | Major League Baseball
Executive vice president and general counsel and chief compliance officer | Embraer
Chief administrative officer and assistant corporate secretary | Primo Brands
Executive Vice President, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary | Charter Communications
Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary | International Flavors and Fragrances
Director, counsel | Natixis Corporate and Investment Banking – Americas
Senior vice president, deputy general counsel and business and legal affairs | Icahn Enterprises
Chief Legal Officer & SVP of Talent | ICSC
Senior director, LATAM counsel, ethics and compliance correspondent | Christian Dior
Chief legal officer, chief ethics officer and secretary | Anheuser-Busch
Vice president, assistant general counsel and corporate secretary | The New York Times
Senior vice president, deputy general counsel, business and legal affairs | Warner Music Group
Partner and chief administrative, legal and compliance officer | Palladium Equity Partners
Senior executive vice president, chief legal and financial officer | Atlas Strategic Assets
General counsel and chief adminstrative officer | PwC US
New York City has always been a place where ambition meets opportunity. Defined by its energy, diversity and relentless momentum, it is a city shaped not only by its skyline, but by the individuals who lead within it.
The Legal 500 New York Powerlist 2026 celebrates those individuals within the legal community — the general counsel and senior in-house lawyers whose work continues to influence one of the world’s most dynamic commercial centres.
New York occupies a unique position within the global legal landscape. As a hub for finance, innovation and international commerce, the city presents organisations with both remarkable opportunities and increasing complexity. In this environment, the role of in-house counsel has never been more vital. Today’s legal leaders are not only responsible for safeguarding compliance and managing risk, but are also strategic advisers helping to guide their organisations through transformation, growth and uncertainty.
The lawyers recognised in this edition exemplify the evolving nature of the modern legal function. Their influence extends far beyond the traditional boundaries of legal practice. Through technical excellence, commercial awareness and thoughtful leadership, they play a central role in shaping corporate strategy, fostering responsible governance and supporting innovation within their businesses.
Across industries and sectors, these professionals demonstrate that the power of in-house counsel lies not merely in legal expertise, but in the ability to build trust, provide clarity in moments of complexity and help organisations move forward with confidence. The Powerlist series aims to recognise those individuals whose contributions are driving businesses forward and strengthening the wider legal community.
Compiling this edition once again highlights the extraordinary depth of talent within New York’s in-house legal market. From established leaders to rising voices within the profession, those featured here reflect the determination, expertise and forward-thinking mindset that continues to define the city’s legal community.
To everyone included in the NYC Powerlist 2026, congratulations on this well-deserved recognition. Your leadership is a reminder that the true power of the legal profession lies not only in navigating complexity, but in helping shape the future of business itself.
Margherita Birri
Research Editor
The Legal 500
The recent news that elite US firm Sullivan & Cromwell had apologised to a judge over AI hallucinations in a court filing prompted a collective wince from the legal profession.
But while some lawyers remain wary of AI, others are striking a more open-minded note, and at the LexisNexis AI Forum hosted this Wednesday (20 May) by Legal 500 and Legal Business, panelists argued that the risks are far outweighed by the opportunities.
Barbara Zapisetskaya, principal technology counsel at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, made the case that hallucinations and other potential pitfalls can be overcome with a shift in mindset.
‘What makes a difference,’ she said, ‘is empowering your lawyers to take responsibility for AI output – helping them become active AI operators, not just passive AI users. You have agency to decide whether you agree with the output or not.’
Zapisetskaya was among a line-up of leading in-house figures speaking on two panels, which covered everything from practical steps for AI implementation to the key decisions GCs need to be making in the coming months.
Financial Times general counsel Dan Guilford began by stressing the importance of building the right culture for AI adoption. In addition to proactively upskilling himself, Guilford talked about how he had implemented a voluntary weekly ‘show and tell’ meeting for team members to share successful use cases – or an exercise that became a gratifying measure of progress.
Other panelists discussed how increased in-house productivity is altering the dynamic with their external counsel.
While some see the use of AI by law firms as a precursor for reduced fees, Russell Davies, head of global operations for legal and compliance at Dentsu, said that faster results – however they are delivered – are something to be valued.
GSK assistant general counsel Anthony Kenny agreed, saying that while there was an expectation that external counsel would be utilising AI, the focus should be on the value of the output, rather than an overemphasis on identifying AI use as a justification to reduce fees.
Speaking on the second panel, MUFG EMEA general counsel James Morgan stressed the critical importance of education, noting that educating the C-suite on the advantages and risks of AI is just as important as enabling large in-house teams to use these tools.
Shanthini Satyendra, vice-chair of the AI Committee, Society for Computers & Law, CEO and founder of Manisain, offered a reminder of the importance of making the connection between tasks and the purpose behind them, extolling the virtues of identifying use cases for AI that can solve a meaningful problem.
Zapisetskaya concurred, adding that one of the most important tasks for GCs across the next six to twelve months is to create AI playbooks and templates, noting that ‘it is easy for lawyers to see problems – much harder for lawyers to see opportunities.’
There was also broad agreement among panellists that GCs should focus on upskilling their junior lawyers on AI, rather than – as some may expect – cutting back their workforce. As Satyendra summarised: ‘Some people are replacing human capital with AI without thinking about what’s required to make AI work. Retain your people and train them up.’
The panels were moderated by Emma Millington, head of the UK Lexis+ Finance Group, and LexisNexis director of segment management Stuart Greenhill.
