Southeast Asia 2019 – GC Powerlist
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Southeast Asia 2019

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Adrian Wong

Legal director | Brunei National Petroleum Company

Adrian Wong’s time with Brunei’s national energy operation Brunei National Petroleum Company has been extremely rewarding and, during more than a decade operating in the high-pressure environment of the company,...

Alex Liam

General counsel | Banyan Tree Holdings

Joining in 2017, Banyan Tree Holdings’ general counsel Alex Liam is in charge of a legal department with global coverage across 28 countries and an estimated 11,000 employees, 48 hotels...

Alex Moray

General counsel, Asia Pacific | Exyte Asia-Pacific Holding

Exyte’s modern form has been in operation since August 2018 after a comprehensive reorganisation of its former business entity, M + W Group. Alex Moray has been general counsel of...

Andrew Gale

Director of legal and regulatory | edotco Group

Andrew Gale has achieved a great deal over the course of approximately eight years since moving from private practice into an in-house environment and specialising in telecommunications. Gale’s first in-house...

Ang Kai Hsiang

Director of legal, Southeast Asia, Israel, Japan and India | eBay

Ang Kai Hsiang currently takes on an extremely broad role with eBay, with the legal directorship role for not only Southeast Asia but Israel, Japan and India as well. His...

Anjali Mohan Ramchand

General manager and head, legal and compliance department, Asia Pacific division | Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation

Financials

Joining the company in 1996 as its first in-house counsel, Anjali Mohan Ramchand has developed an extensive level of knowledge of the company’s operations, and has put her legal and...

Antonius Adhitama

Risk, compliance and legal head | PT Finansia Multi Finance

A highly active employment history in the past few years has seen Antonius Adhitama operate in senior legal roles for Nissan Financial Services and Sampoerna Wirausaha before taking on his...

Berenice Lim

Area legal head, Asia Pacific | Takeda Pharmaceuticals

Healthcare

The Takeda Pharmaceuticals area legal head for Asia Pacific position was created in 2015, and was filled by Berenice Lim shortly afterwards. Upon taking over, Lim got to work ‘shaping...

Bernard Liew

Associate general counsel | Aveva Group

‘Being involved in complex cross border transactions have sharpened my focus as a legal professional in that transactions are not merely a matter of legalities but require knowledge and understanding...

Boren Kork

Head of legal and compliance | ANZ Royal Bank (Cambodia)

Financials

Boren Kork has enjoyed professional growth and a precipitous rise through her career path in ANZ Royal Bank (Cambodia), first joining in June 2012 as a middle-ranked manager in the...

Cassie Low

Legal counsel, Asia | Hartree

“A successful private practice career saw Cassie Low initially operate at Drew & Napier before joining Ince & Co in 2009, where she blazed a highly successful trail in the...

Chan Hoe

General manager, legal department | Toyota Motor Asia Pacific

Chan Hoe moved in-house in 2006 with Razer after a period with Rodyk & Davidsons (now renamed Dentons Rodyk) and Rajah & Tann Asia, and describes his first in-house legal...

Christopher Buay

Legal director, building technologies and solutions, Southeast Asia and Australia and New Zealand | Johnson Controls

‘Changes create opportunities, even during the most difficult of times’, says Christopher Buay when recalling his move to in-house lawyering after eight years in private practice as a litigation specialist....

Christopher Lee

Deputy group general counsel and regional general counsel and compliance officer, Asia Pacific | Schneider Electric

Formerly an in-house counsel for Kellogg and Nestlé Australia, Christopher Lee first joined Schneider Electric in 2006 as general counsel and company secretary for Schneider Electric Australia. Now deputy general...

Christopher Stephens

General counsel | Asian Development Bank

Financials

‘Believing that my career should start with the most rigorous and demanding training and work pressure that I could find’, Christopher Stephens began his career with 12 years in the...

Christopher Y. Chan

General counsel and head of government affairs | Lazada Singapore and RedMart

Formerly general counsel of cloud-based platform start-up doxIQ in the Silicon Valley, Christopher Y. Chan joined RedMart in mid-2015 and has established himself as one of the foremost up-and-coming general...

Clemens Selestiyanta

General counsel Indonesia | Coca-Cola Amatil Indonesia

Food, beverages and tobacco

General counsel of Coca-Cola Amatil Indonesia since 2015, prior to which he was head of legal and corporate services with PT MDN for three years, Clemens Selestiyanto’s 24-year career has...

Cristina Reyes

General counsel and business integrity officer | Unilever Philippines

Described as ‘instrumental to Unilever’s success’ by nominating sources due to her ‘elevation of the role of general counsel from a legal advisor to a trusted and valued business strategy...

Dag Ove Solsvik

Head of legal Middle East and Asia Pacific and head of claims and insurance | DNV GL

Beginning his legal career in the public sector with the Norwegian Ministry of Trade, Fisheries and Aquaculture as a legal advisor, Dag Ove Solsvik then took on a role as...

Dagfinn Nygaard

Managing counsel, Asia Pacific | ConocoPhillips Singapore

Boasting an extremely detailed understanding of the company’s operations built up over his long-standing in-house career, having originally joined Conoco in 1989, Dagfinn Nygaard is among the most experienced general...

Darrell Chan

Deputy general counsel | Airbnb Singapore

‘Lawyering for a 21st century company looks very different from what we were taught in law school. It requires lawyers being entrenched in the business, standing shoulder to shoulder with...

David Chiam Joy Yeow

Legal director and company secretary, Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore | Dairy Farm Malaysia

Initially specialising in intellectual property law at reputed law firms Raja, Darryl & Loh and Wong & Partners, David Chiam Joy Yeow followed this with a five-year stint in the...

Dawn Seah

Senior vice president, general counsel and head of compliance | Sivantos Group

Beginning her in-house legal career at Infineon Technologies in 2004, by 2006 Dawn Seah had progressed to an Asia Pacific legal director position with Wyndham Worldwide in which she took...

Diana The

Chief counsel, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa | Aon

Diana The had over ten years of private practice experience – including five years as a partner in the corporate division of David Lim and Partners – and general counsel...

Dimas Nandaraditya

General counsel | Traveloka Group

Responsible for legal, compliance and public policy for the Traveloka Group of Companies worldwide, Dimas Nandaraditya is a key component of the senior management of the company with a major...

Dodjie Lagazo

Group head legal and regulatory | AC Energy

Ayala Corporation’s energy subsidiary AC Energy completed a major milestone in January 2019 with the announcement that it had raised US$225m worth of green bonds, a first for the company...

Doreen Nah

Head of legal and company secretary | China Aviation Oil Singapore

Doreen Nah has been core component of the China Aviation Oil Singapore team for many years, having originally joined the company’s legal team in 2007, and has played an important...

Emily Gebbett

Global head of business and legal affairs | iflix

iflix, headquartered in Kuala Lumpur, is the world’s leading entertainment service for emerging markets. Starting out as a corporate lawyer at Allen & Overy before moving in-house to Sky, Emily...

Erasto Miguel de Guzman Aguila

Legal counsel | Grab

A nominating source points out that Erasto Miguel de Guzman Aguila has been extremely successful in maintaining the high volume of work needed to support the rapid pace of change...

Eugene Phua

Director, legal counsel | BNP Paribas

International finance lawyer Eugene Phua assumed his current position in 2015 and has primary responsibility for BNP Paribas’s active loan capital markets, real estate and supply chain finance groups in...

Eunice Chew

ASEAN general counsel | EY

When discussing her transformation of the EY ASEAN legal department, general counsel Eunice Chew makes it clear that her main objective was to build a high performing team delivering exceptional...

Eunice Lim

Regional legal counsel, Southeast Asia and emerging Asia Pacific | Diageo

Eunice Lim is responsible for legal and compliance across Southeast Asia, emerging Asia Pacific and the prestige luxury business at Diageo. Formerly a government lawyer and deputy public prosecutor with...

Faris Alsagoff

Senior vice president and general counsel | Marina Bay Sands

Initially joining Marina Bay Sands in 2010, Faris Alsagoff is an integral part of the company’s senior management. He recalls the revolutionary atmosphere around the company when he first joined,...

Faz Hussen

General counsel | McDonald’s Singapore

In line with the company’s ethos of win, lead and serve, Faz Hussen’s legal team at McDonald’s has been concerned with post-deal consolidation following the major S$400m deal for 20-year...

Felix Tse

Vice president, head of legal | Pavilion Energy

An extremely well-regarded lawyer who comes highly recommended by nominating sources, Felix Tse began his legal career in Australia with the Supreme Court of New South Wales before taking on...

Flavio Porro

Group general counsel | KNM

Having dedicated the last 20 years to operating as a specialist lawyer within the energy sector, as well as a company director of businesses located within this area, Flavio Porro...

Gerald Chew

General counsel | Delfi Limited

Gerald Chew has been a major component of Delfi Limited’s success since being installed as its first general counsel, law and corporate affairs all the way back in 2005. While...

Geraldine Lim

Regional legal director | Heineken Asia Pacific

Having been with Heineken since 2001, Geraldine Lim reflects on the journey she has made along with the company in this period. It is fair to say her role has...

Ginney Lim

General counsel, group company secretary and executive vice president, corporate communications and corporate social responsibility | Singapore Press Holdings

Ginney Lim heads the secretariat and legal division and oversees the corporate communications and corporate social responsibility division of Singapore Press Holdings (SPH). She concurrently holds the position of general...

Gladys Chun

General counsel and head of government affairs | Lazada Group

‘As someone who is helping shape Lazada’s company approach to law and regulation, I sit at the convergence of two big themes in the future economy – technology companies and...

Goh Lee Sian

Senior vice president, legal | Genting Group

A historic Malaysian company founded in 1965, Genting Group is one of the largest companies headquartered in the country and has a diverse portfolio based around hotels, leisure, gambling and...

Grace Guang

General counsel | RTI

Grace Guang’s considerable experience in the healthcare, pharmaceutical and telecommunication industries is matched by the broad range of practice areas that she is conversant in, being particularly knowledgeable in matters...

Henry Leong Wye Khong

General counsel, Asia Pacific | GE Gas Power Systems and Power Services

Henry Leong has been a major force among GE’s sizeable in-house legal organisation since 2005, originally taking on a general counsel position with the corporation in 2012 with GE Power...

Iain MacDonald

General counsel for Asia, Middle East and Africa | Lloyd's Register

Joining Lloyd’s Register in 2009 after a period in private practice with Norton Rose and Clyde & Co, Iain MacDonald was transferred to Dubai in 2012 in order to set...

Iain Sharp

Head of legal Asia Pacific | Gunvor

An English-qualified solicitor who trained in London and has practiced in London, Hong Kong and Singapore, Iain Sharp currently heads up the Asia Pacific legal team at international commodities trading...

Ipsita Aggarwal

Group general counsel | Olam International

A legal professional who has proven her skill in both private practice and in-house roles in multiple locations, notably India, Hong Kong, London and Singapore, Ipsita Aggarwal moved to Olam...

James Evans

Director of legal and external affairs, Asia | Linfox International Group

Based in Asia for more than 14 years, James Evans moved from a highly successful private practice career – during which he established a reputation as an IP specialist –...

Janette Loh

General counsel, director and company secretary for legal, intellectual property and regulatory | Canon Singapore

Beginning her current employment with Canon Singapore in 2009, prior to which, she was with Drew & Napier, Janette Loh can look back on a remarkable record of success in...

Jasbender Kaur

Chief counsel and corporate services officer | Manulife Holdings

In place at the company since September 2010, Jasbender Kaur is not only chief counsel and corporate services officer at Manulife Holdings, but also senior vice president and corporate vice...

Jason Eng

General counsel and chief compliance officer | Dymon Asia Capital

Appointed as Dymon Asia’s first ever in-house counsel in 2011, Jason Eng has been at the forefront of multiple noteworthy projects at the alternative investment management firm since then. Among...

Jazel Calvo-Cariño

Country head of legal | Sanofi-Aventis Philippines

Initially operating as a corporate law specialist at one of the Philippines’ leading corporate private practice firms, Jazel Calvo-Cariño initially moved in-house with Deutsche Bank Philippines. After doing a brief...

Jeffery Tan

Group general counsel, director of legal and corporate affairs and company secretary | Jardine Cycle & Carriage (JC&C)

Taking on group general counsel, legal and corporate affairs and company secretarial responsibilities for one of Singapore’s largest and most diverse companies is no mean feat, but provides Jeffery Tan...

Jessica Man Hui Sze

Senior legal counsel | AirAsia X

Driven by her ‘keen interest in aviation’, Jessica Man Hui Sze did not hesitate when she was offered a chance to join AirAsia X (AAX) in May 2017. She then...

Johanna Johnson

Employment counsel Asia Pacific | Facebook

The first individual to take on the Asia Pacific employment counsel position at Facebook, Johanna Johnson has ‘made the role her own through deftly balancing the need for sound employment...

Jonathan Wise

Managing director and head of legal, Singapore and Southeast Asia | Nomura Singapore

Jonathan Wise originally joined Nomura in 2008 (when Nomura purchased the Asian and European businesses of Lehman Brothers) and operated in the company’s Tokyo and Hong Kong offices before assuming...

Julien Pochet

General counsel Asia Pacific | Engie

Julien Pochet’s 20 years of legal experience includes ten years accumulated at the ENGIE Group, which allows him to display unparalleled knowledge on the ENGIE Group’s history, experiences, aims, and...

Jyotirmoy Banerjee

Assistant general counsel and senior vice president | Bank of America Merrill Lynch

Financials

As a senior member of the Bank of America Merrill Lynch legal team, Jyotirmoy Banerjee is a trusted adviser to the management for whom he provides strategic guidance on handling...

Kah Hui (Kathryn) Ho

General counsel | Chevron

Kah Hui (Kathryn) Ho originally joined Chevron in 2004 after a private practice career with Wong Partnership and Ashurst Morris Crisp, working as a corporate counsel for a decade before...

Kelly Mahood

Managing counsel for supply and trading, Eastern Hemisphere and downstream, Asia | BP Singapore

Coming in for particularly high praise from nominating sources in the private practice law community for his excellent work on a number of strategic projects for his company, Kelly Mahood...

Kenneth Ho

General counsel | Swire Pacific Offshore

Starting his legal career with JTJB, then a boutique litigation practice based in Singapore, Kenneth Ho recalls that being in a smaller firm ‘meant that youngsters like us were thrown...

Kumarason Thangaratnam

Head of legal | Lukoil

“Kumarason Thangaratnam was formerly Qatar International Petroleum (Tasweeq)’s general counsel based in Doha, where he enjoyed an extremely successful four-and-a-half year period where he was at the centre of a...

Lavin S. Nair

Regional manager, legal and risk department | Juki Singapore

Lavin S. Nair joined Juki Singapore as part of his ‘journey to assist companies in their efforts to conduct business in a manner that upholds compliance and the rule of...

Lijim Lau

Chief counsel, Asia Middle East and Africa | Levi Strauss Asia Pacific

A highly respected and well known senior in-house lawyer within the region as well as one of the most experienced, Lijim Lau’s extremely successful in-house legal career began in 1996...

Lily Ann Twui Siang Tsen

General counsel Amcor Flexibles Asia Pacific | Amcor Flexibles Asia Pacific

Initially working with Amcor as part of its demerger of its Australasia and Packaging Distribution business while practicing privately, Lily Ann Twui Siang Tsen’s excellent performance with the company led...

Lisa Mather

Vice president and chief international counsel | PayPal

Lisa Mather moved into in-house legal work a decade ago and has not looked back, taking on senior roles with Colgate-Palmolive around the world – notably in Sydney, Prague, New...

Loo Hwee Fang

Group general counsel and company secretary | Yoma Strategic Holdings

Loo Hwee Fang has been group general counsel and company secretary of Yoma Strategic Holdings since 2013, prior to which she was a partner in the corporate department of Lee...

Lope Del Rosario Manuel

Vice president for legal, labour and corporate affairs and chief compliance officer | Pepsi Cola Products Phillipines

Food, beverages and tobacco

Formerly a public sector lawyer, Lope Del Rosario Manuel played a significant role in the design and execution of landmark public policy agendas in the Philippines’ IP community. Moving to...

Lyndon Arnall

Vice president legal | BHP

An extremely highly-regarded lawyer who came in for particular praise from nominating sources, Lyndon Arnall has been a technology-focused commercial in-house lawyer since 1999, having worked in eight countries across...

Lynette Lim

Senior vice president and assistant general counsel, Asia Pacific | Hilton

Lynette Lim has had a profound effect on the legal department that she has taken over since joining hotel giant Hilton over a decade ago: ‘When I joined Hilton in...

Maniko Lim

Head of legal, Southeast Asia and Japan | BT

‘Every day at BT, an active player in the fast-moving ICT industry, brings new challenges that urgently need resolving and I spend most of my time finding innovative and proactive...

Maree Myerscough

General counsel | Conergy

Following a successful private practice career encompassing roles in London, Sydney and Singapore, including a lengthy stretch at Latham & Watkins in Asia (which she joined in 2007), Maree Myerscough...

Maria Rowena Ramos Espiritu

Legal affairs director | Huawei Technologies Philippines

Maria Rowena Ramos Espiritu has been afforded the chance to live out her ideal professional role with Huawei Philippines since taking on her role as legal affairs director for the...

Maria Teresa Fabiola

Head of corporate legal and compliance | Kalbe Farma

‘As the head of legal and compliance of Kalbe Group, a pharmaceutical company based in Indonesia and having presence across Asian and African countries, Maria Teresa Fabiola is continuously encouraging...

Mark Hwang

Head, legal and compliance, ARA Private Funds | ARA Asset Management

The head of legal and compliance for ARA Private funds at ARA Asset Management, Mark Hwang considers himself extremely fortunate to be part of a ‘high calibre and driven team’,...

Massimiliano Talli

Chief legal officer Asia | Louis Dreyfus Company

Over the course of almost a decade with the Fortune top-200 ranked Louis Dreyfus Company, Massimiliano Talli has risen through the ranks and found success in a number of roles....

Mei Chel Tan

Corporate counsel, Asia Pacific | 500 Startups

As the first Asia Pacific counsel for Silicon Valley-based venture capital firm 500 Startups since its founding, Mei Chel Tan has carved out an impressive reputation since taking on oversight...

Melissa Chia

General counsel Malaysia and Singapore | L’Oréal Malaysia

Appointed as the first general counsel of L’Oréal Malaysia in 2014, Melissa Chia is now part of the company’s senior management committee, and significantly increased the scope of her role...

Mui Hiang Tan

General counsel, group corporate services | S P Setia

‘My present position at one of the top listed property developers in Malaysia is the icing on the cake of a career that has spanned more than 20 years’, says...

Nathaniel Mangunsong

Group general counsel | Go-Jek

“Over the two-and-a-half years since taking on the role as the group general counsel of GO-JEK, Nathaniel Mangunsong has successfully led the adoption and integration of good corporate governance in...

Nicholas Poa

Deputy director | Land Transport Authority

Nicholas Poa leads LTA’s legal (public transport and infrastructure) division, which advises LTA across a broad spectrum of areas relating to the construction of public infrastructure, regulation of public transport...

Oliver Khaw

Head of legal and senior foreign counsel | PT Bayan Resources Tbk

When discussing his career, it is clear that Oliver Khaw has enjoyed an extremely rewarding experience virtually throughout the almost 22 years he has had as a lawyer. ‘I don’t...

Patience Bin

General counsel and chief compliance officer, Asia Pacific | Avon

Currently in charge of a ten-lawyer team, having been made general counsel and chief compliance officer for the region in April 2017, Patience Bin was a private practice lawyer specialising...

Paul Fredrick

General counsel - East Asia and Japan | Schneider Electric

One of the most prominent general counsel in the Asia Pacific region, Paul Fredrick has been a leading figure of the in-house legal community in the region for more than...

Paul Lanzone

Vice president Asia legal and worldwide lead transactions, governance and technology | DXC Technology

Responsible both for DXC Technology’s Asia legal team and its worldwide transactions, governance, IP and technology team, Paul Lanzone has many opportunities to demonstrate his significant legal and business talent,...

Peangpanor Boonklum

Group general counsel | PTT PCL

Formerly a partner with White & Case and head of capital markets and M&A with Weerawong, Chinnavat & Partners (the former Bangkok office of White & Case), Peangpanor Boonklum moved...

Peradach Patanachan

Executive vice president legal | B.Grimm Power

Peradach Patanachan enjoyed an extremely varied career prior to joining B.Grimm Power in 2007, operating in a public sector role with the House of Representatives and the National Legislative Assembly,...

Peter Hopp

General counsel, commercial | Rio Tinto

Joining Rio Tinto in January 2018 as general counsel – commercial, Peter Hopp brings more than 20 years of global legal experience to the company. In his prior roles, Hopp...

Phawana Niemloy

General counsel, first executive vice president | Bank of Ayudhya

Financials

As general counsel and first executive vice president of Bank of Ayudhya, Phawana Niemloy heads one of the largest legal functions in Southeast Asia, comprising approximately 240 lawyers, and has...

Ping Lee

Regional counsel, Asia Pacific | Control Risks Group

Ping Lee joined Control Risks Group in 2017 after an approximately seven-year stint with aircraft leasing company BOC Aviation, and more than five years with Air Liquide’s subsidiary, Air Liquide...

Rhonda Hare

General counsel Asia Pacific | AccorHotels

Originally admitted as a lawyer in 1995, the meteoric trajectory of Rhonda Hare’s career was set early on, and she rose to the level of partner with Blake Dawson just...

Ritankar Sahu

General counsel and head of compliance | Maxpower Group

An engineering and construction projects sector legal expert, Ritankar Sahu also excels in anti-corruption investigations and management of distressed assets. He serves on the board of directors of the Maxpower...

Rohit Kumar

Global general counsel | UPL

Formerly a Herbert Smith Freehills lawyer based out of Melbourne, Rohit Kumar joined UPL in 2010 and was made the company’s global general counsel in 2014, having successfully leveraged the...

Sabine d’Angély Lavail

Head of management and development department | Total

Sabine d’Angély Lavail has been making waves in the Total legal department for over a decade, originally joining the oil “supermajor” in 2006. Formerly head of the management and development...

Sai Choy Low

Director group legal and compliance | Far East Organization

Sai Choy Low is an experienced Cambridge-trained lawyer. Prior to joining Far East Organization, Low was vice president legal for Singapore Airlines from 2001 to 2006 and senior vice president...

Saswata Mukherjee

General counsel Malaysia, Singapore, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and M&A for South East Asia and Australasia | Unilever

Saswata Mukherjee has been involved with Unilever since 2002 when he took on a legal manager role with Hindustan Unilever in Kolkata, moving through a number of positions in the...

Son Tran Vo Quoc

General counsel and head of legal and compliance | Samsung Electronics Vietnam

Assuming his role with Samsung Electronics Vietnam SAVINA in 2017, Son Tran Vo Quoc amassed a decade of experience as general counsel and head of legal with Heineken Vietnam, five...

Sonia Ong

Senior legal counsel South ASEAN | Kimberly-Clark Malaysia

Responsible for all legal matters for Kimberly-Clark Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia and its Asia Pacific shared services organisation, Sonia Ong received high praise from nominating sources on the back of her...

Stephan Engelmann

Senior corporate counsel | Palo Alto Networks

Formerly Asia Pacific legal director for Juniper Networks, in February 2018 Stephan Engelmann took on a demanding new role with Palo Alto Networks, being the regional counsel and tasked with...

Stephen Chojnacki

Chief commercial officer and general counsel | Minor International

As leader of the Minor International legal function for over a decade, originally joining in 2007, Stephen Chojnacki’s corporate and M&A specialist skills built during a private practice career with...

Stephen Drake

Senior legal director, Asia legal | Micron Technology

A key fixture in the Micron Technology legal department for over a decade, and in the position of senior director for Asia legal since May 2018, Stephen Drake came in...

Su Puay Leng

Head of legal department | Maxis Group

Possessing an almost unparalleled knowledge and understanding of Maxis Group operations, having served in the company’s legal team for approximately 15 years, Su Puay Leng was made head of the...

Suit Mae Choo

Group general counsel | Sime Darby Property

One of the most experienced in-house counsel in the region, Suit Mae Choo has made a major mark on the Southeast Asian legal community. Not only did she have an...

Supaporn Wonganan

Corporate secretary | Wind Energy Holding

During her decade-long career in trading, real estates, renewable energy and environmental industries, Supaporn Wonganan has handled a myriad of highly significant litigation cases and disputes between former and current...

Surabhi Agarwal

Legal director, South Asia | AkzoNobel

Formerly Heidelberg Cement’s legal and compliance head, Surabhi Agarwal now takes on legal directorship responsibilities for the whole of South Asia (covering 15 countries in the Southeast Asia Pacific region)...

Surabhi Madan

Senior global legal counsel | ASM

An international lawyer who understands the intricacies of legal functions at a multinational companies who has the experience to provide mitigating, practically workable solutions to the business while remaining within...

Tan Gim Boon

Group general counsel and risk officer | Axiata Group

An extremely highly experienced general counsel, Tan Gim Boon has been group general counsel of Axiata Group since 2008 (he was previously group general counsel of predecessor company TM International...

Theresa Low

General counsel | Sentosa Development Corporation

Theresa Low’s appointment as general counsel and company secretary of the Sentosa Development Corporation Group of Companies comes after successful in-house periods with Dairy Farm International Holdings’ South Asia office...

Tom Thomas

General counsel | Agoda

Originally assuming a role with Agoda in 2009, Tom Thomas had previously been operating in an in-house capacity with Huntsman Corporation in Europe and Asia, prior to which he was...

Tony Dent

Assistant general counsel international operations | Harley-Davidson Motor Company

“Tony Dent was initially taken on board by Harley-Davidson in 2011 as Latin American legal counsel, being subsequently tasked with a legal directorship role for Asia Pacific in January 2016...

Tricia Feng

Head of legal, Southeast Asia | Schroders

Tricia Feng’s rise in the legal profession over a career spanning two decades is testament to her skill, work ethic and legal and commercial talent. Qualifying in 1999, Feng, a...

Trisula Dewantara

General counsel and vice president of legal | Tokopedia

Moving from private practice to in-house work taught Trisula Dewantara how ‘the legal world is implemented in the corporate practice’, a lesson which he learnt very quickly and which allowed...

Tuyen Mai Xuan

General counsel | Thanh Thanh Cong Group (TTC Group) Vietnam

Tuyen Mai Xuan’s highly successful career has encompassed a legal directorship position with Masan Group subsidiary Masan Nutri-Science and a period as general counsel of Mercedes-Benz Vietnam – being promoted...

Veronica Lai

General counsel and chief corporate officer | Starhub

General counsel of the StarHub Group since 2004 and chief corporate officer of the company since October 2018, with an expansion of her portfolio beyond a legal role to include...

Veronica Selvanayagy

General counsel | AIA

As general counsel and corporate secretary at AIA, Veronica Selvanayagy has a key role at the organisation in both the legal and business domains. Reporting directly to the CEO, she...

Wallaya Kaewrungruang

Senior executive vice president, chief legal and control officer | Siam Commercial Bank

Financials

An in-house lawyer for over 30 years, Wallaya Kaewrungruang is one of the most well-known and successful in-house lawyers in Southeast Asia and is head of The Siam Commercial Bank...

Wan Kwong Weng

Group chief corporate officer and group general counsel | Mapletree Investments

Joining Mapletree in 2009 when it was a fledgling real estate developer and capital management firm with S$10bn of assets under management, Wan Kwong Weng has seen the company grown...

Wei-Pin Choo

General counsel | Razer

Wei-Pin Choo serves as Razer’s general counsel and company secretary. Razer’s global regulatory compliance function reports in to him as well, making him one of the key members of the...

Wiyada Srinaganand

General counsel | 3M

Joining 3M Thailand as general counsel in 2016, with responsibility for six emerging markets in the region as well as Thailand, Wiyada Srinaganand expanded her role in 2017 with her...

Xae Hoyy Loh

Group legal counsel | The Gold Coin Group

Group legal counsel for The Gold Coin Group, Xae Hoyy Loh was responsible for building the in-house team at the company from scratch and consolidating all legal work from the...

Yolande Goh

Vice president, legal | Equinix Asia

Over the course of her 15 years of employment with the company, Yolande Goh has seen the Equinix legal team that she has led since 2006 grow from four to...

Working on the GC Powerlist: Southeast Asia 2019 has been a privilege and a highly rewarding experience. The deep talent pool of extremely impressive senior in-house counsel in the region, as well as the enthusiasm and engagement with the project the individuals we spoke to showed, has meant this has been perhaps the most competitive GC Powerlist ever. It has been a pleasure to compile.

Unsurprisingly, choosing the general counsel and other in-house lawyers to be featured in the final list was extremely difficult, and there are many fantastic individuals in the region who had to be left out despite excellent credentials. Those that remain are among the top internal lawyers globally and combine the very best qualities of successful in-house counsel; commerciality, innovation, excellent team-building skills and – of course – outstanding legal knowledge and talent.

The lawyers we spoke to for this project have been intimately involved with some of the largest and most important transactions, negotiations and agreements in Southeast Asia’s business landscape in recent years. The insights they have given into these highly complex projects were fascinating to hear, and will no doubt be of interest to anyone within the in-house legal community located inside the region and beyond.

Thank you to everyone who spoke to myself and my colleagues at The Legal 500 during this project, and congratulations to all the individuals featured within.

Jones Day

Jones Day logo

On behalf of Jones Day, we congratulate each of the counsel included in the GC Powerlist Southeast Asia 2019. We have had the pleasure of working with many of you and are truly pleased to see you recognised among the most influential and innovative lawyers in the region.

Jones Day is a global law fi rm with more than 2,500 lawyers in 43 offi ces across five continents. The firm is distinguished by a singular tradition of client service; the mutual commitment to, and the seamless collaboration of, a true partnership; formidable legal talent across multiple disciplines and jurisdictions; and shared professional values that focus on client needs.

The firm’s 126 years of sustained growth – in experience, reputation, and successful client interaction – have been built by its dedication to a ‘One Firm Worldwide’ philosophy, which fosters the creation of inter-office and cross-practice teams, assembled to ensure that clients receive the best possible guidance and representation, without regard to barriers conventionally imposed by geography, borders, time zones, or language.

Jones Day has committed substantial resources and capacity to serve each of Asia’s distinct markets, including China, Japan, Singapore, and Southeast Asia, as well as Australia. Spread throughout 10 offices in the region, the firm’s 250+ lawyers represent clients in practice areas including antitrust, banking and finance, capital markets, corporate and commercial, energy, global disputes, intellectual property, labour and employment, mergers and acquisitions, private equity, real estate, and several others.

Our Singapore office serves a base for our multilingual team to support clients across the region. The majority of our Singapore partners have been living and working in the region for most of their careers. In recognition of our long-standing commitment to Singapore and deep experience in key practice areas, Jones Day is one of only a few firms awarded a QFLP licence to practice Singapore law in permitted areas (primarily commercial, corporate and finance).

Jones Day is proud to sponsor GC Powerlist Southeast Asia 2019.

Frasers Law Company

Frasers Law Company logo

Frasers is delighted to congratulate the general counsel who have been nominated for this year’s GC Powerlist Southeast Asia 2019. We sincerely believe that this is well deserved recognition for all your hard work and achievements over the past year. We have had the privilege to work with many of you in helping you to accomplish your goals.

The role of in-house counsel has changed dramatically over the past decade with an increasingly complex global regulatory environment and growing expectations of the in-house counsel role bringing new challenges. At the same time, new markets, particularly in Southeast Asia and changes in technology have given rise to many new opportunities. It has been increasingly important for external counsel to work in partnership with in-house counsel to support them in their critical role to help identify and manage risk while enabling the businesses that they support to explore new opportunities.

Frasers was the first law firm to receive a foreign law company licence in Vietnam, and we continue to uphold our position as a progressive leader in Vietnam’s rapidly developing legal arena. Some senior lawyers within our team have been advising on Vietnam law matters for three decades. Through an integrated team of foreign and local lawyers, we are able to provide a streamlined approach whereby we are able to advise on local law issues, whilst protecting our clients’ interests to the highest international standards.

With one of the largest teams of international and local lawyers in Vietnam, Frasers has advised on some of Vietnam’s most ground-breaking projects, assisting corporations through all the steps of conducting business in Vietnam, and counselling on transactions that traverse numerous practice areas and industry sectors. Frasers’ team is led by managing partner, Mark Fraser, who himself has been advising clients on transactions in Vietnam since 1994, and who is consistently recognised as a top tier lawyer practising in Vietnam.

The team’s intimate understanding of Vietnam’s rapidly changing regulatory framework coupled with extensive knowledge of the local business climate enables us to act as strategic partners to our clients. By leveraging this expertise, we are able to provide innovative, responsive, and state-of-the-art legal solutions. We differentiate ourselves by not only ensuring compliance with Vietnamese laws and regulations, but also ensuring transactions are structured and documented to best protect the interests of our clients.

We look forward to another year of success working in close partnership with our clients and are proud to support the GC Powerlist Southeast Asia 2019.

JSA

JSA logo

On behalf of J. Sagar Associates (JSA), I congratulate all the general counsel included in The Legal 500’s GC Powerlist Southeast Asia 2019. It has been a great pleasure for us to have worked with several of you. It is a very well-deserved recognition for your achievements. We look forward to nurturing our relationships with general counsel and their teams and making new friendships and associations.

The role of in-house counsel has changed fundamentally over the past decade. More particularly, in-house counsel in Southeast Asia deal with many challenging situations in a complex regulatory environment. While covering multiple jurisdictions, diverse legal systems, and many cultures, the counsel must steer the business through a maze of regulatory regimes. The in-house teams have to avoid and mitigate significant legal and regulatory risks – all in a day’s work!

Singapore is an apt venue for your meeting. It has developed fantastically as a commercial and innovation hub – it is in the midst of regional economies providing some of the highest potential and opportunities in the world. Many economies in the region have seen tremendous growth over the last few years.

As a sponsor firm for the GC Powerlist Southeast Asia 2019, we bring greetings from India and a promise to work together with you on a platform of shared values of resilience, innovation, ethics, and grit.

Our experience in working with in-house counsel helps us develop optimum solutions to address legal problems – from simple, to complex, to impossible!

JSA is recognised as a leading national law firm providing legal services to top Indian corporates, Fortune 500 companies, multinational banks and financial institutions, governmental and statutory authorities, and multilateral and bilateral institutions, both in the domestic and the international markets. We focus on our clients and the communities we practice in.

Our practice is organised along practice areas, service lines, and sector specialisation.

Practice areas: corporate; finance and disputes – with 30 service lines within them focusing on these three universes of corporate legal needs.

Sectors: agriculture and forestry, capital markets, communication, media and sports, construction and engineering, defence and internal security, education, energy: power and hydrocarbons, environment, financial services and insolvency, hospitality, tourism and retail, infotech and ITES, insurance and pension, life sciences, healthcare and pharma, manufacturing, non-governmental sector, mines and minerals, real estate, services, start-ups, transportation and logistics, urban infrastructure and smart cities.

Kudun & Partners

Kudun & Partners logo

All of us at Kudun & Partners, Bangkok’s fastest growing, innovative law firm, extend a hearty congratulations to this year’s winners of the GC Powerlist Southeast Asia 2019. We are well aware of the amount of hard work and sheer effort that it takes to achieve such distinction, and we celebrate your success as you strive forward.

Several of our attorneys have worked in-house, and as a result we are aware of the special demands placed upon in-house attorneys and the pressures that you confront each day.

Kudun & Partners was established in early 2015 by passionate young lawyers who were emboldened by a vision to change the traditional working relationship that law firms have with their clients and thereby create a vibrant new practice. We treat our team members and clients as family, respecting each person’s unique talents and capabilities. Our partners bring with them deep expertise and respect in the Thai legal community. The unique combination of varied experience and close cooperation among the partners brings a depth not typically found amongst most Thai law firms.

Our key practice areas include capital markets, M&As, tax and restructuring, FDI and investment-related laws, property and infrastructure funds, REITs, and dispute resolution/litigation.

We have broad experience across a spectrum of industries including most specifically power, renewable energy, oil and gas, financial services, real estate developers, TMT (technology, media and telecoms), and manufacturing/industrials.

As the Thai sponsor firm for the GC Powerlist Southeast Asia 2019, we strive each and every day to reflect the unique values that guide Thailand and to deliver quality legal services with a distinctive Thai flavour.

Once again, our sincere congratulations on your accomplishment and our best wishes for your continued success.

Mohanadass Partnership

Mohanadass Partnership logo

My partners and I congratulate you on your selection into this year’s powerlist. This is a transformational year for Malaysia with new leaders at the helm. The future looks bright from where we stand.

Having worked with some of you in high intensity settings, I am all too familiar with the invaluable role that GCs play in any successful litigation or transaction. Speaking as a dispute resolution practitioner, the pace and demands of international litigation has become such that it is the eff ective GC who often plays the pivotal role in managing the dispute.

Your selection into this powerlist sets you apart from the field, and is a deserving recognition of hard work, commitment and impressive legal skills that each of you epitomises. We are indeed pleased for you and also pleased that we have partnered with you to deliver dispute resolution success.

Our focus as a boutique practise specialising in commercial and construction arbitration has taken us to leading arbitral fora all over the world. At home, in Malaysia, we frequently appear in the courts and are regulars at the AIAC acting in high-value claims. Recent involvement in investment treaty disputes is also a notable addition to our experience and skillset bank.

Like each of you, my partners and I are committed to excellence and believe very strongly that we must constantly challenge ourselves. Indeed, a fighting spirit and thinking out of the box are vital to successful outcomes, and qualities which our practise seeks to inculcate in each of our lawyers.

My best wishes to each of you and hope that this recognition spurs you to new challenges and enriching careers. Enjoy your evening!

Blackstone Chambers

Blackstone Chambers logo

Blackstone Chambers congratulates all of the in-house lawyers recognised in The Legal 500’s GC Powerlist Southeast Asia 2019.

Blackstone Chambers is a leading set of barristers based in London. Members of Chambers offer expertise in the international arena across a range of specialist areas, including rbitration, commercial litigation, financial services, public and regulatory law and international law.

Jones Day Hong Kong Roundtable 2024

The Legal 500 was thrilled to join a selection of top Jones Day partners and a hand-picked group of 15 the most prominent GCs in Hong Kong for a freewheeling and no-holds-barred discussion on geopolitical risk management at a time of global transition. Steve Brogan, managing partner of Jones Day from 2002-2022 flew over to lend his considerable expertise to the discussion, as did Partner-in-Charge Hong Kong Joelle Lau. Joining them to give expert briefings on the topics of the day were partners Peter Wang, Dr Qiang Xue, James Fidler, Samuel Ngo and Charles Chau. The conversation moved from sanctions and counter sanctions, to the increasing pre-eminence of the Asian economy, to the philosophy of the rule of law in times of crisis.