Southeast Asia 2022 – GC Powerlist
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Southeast Asia 2022

  • Industries

  • Powerlist

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Adam Emilianou

General counsel | Eastern Pacific Shipping

Transport and infrastructure

Adrian Yeo

General counsel and head of ESG | Growtheum Capital Partner

Financials

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Alex Liam

Head of Legal | YTL PowerSeraya

Energy and utilities

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Amal Rakibi

Chief legal officer | AirAsia

Transport and infrastructure

Andrew Gale

Head of legal | Capital A

Transport and infrastructure

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Antonius Adhitama

Risk, compliance and legal head | PT Finansia Multi Finance

Financials

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April Raimundo

Senior director, legal and investment compliance and risk | Greystar

Industrials and real estate

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Benita Lee

Data center counsel | google

Information technology

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Berenice Lim

Head of legal, Asia-Pacific | Takeda Pharmaceuticals Asia Pacific

Healthcare

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Bernard Tan

Vice president, global commercial legal | Agilent Technologies

Healthcare

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Camille Aromas

General counsel | Huawei

Information technology

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Carlos Estrada

General counsel and integrity and compliance officer Asia Pacific | Adecco Group

Commercial and professional services

Chan Hoe

General manager, legal department | Toyota Motor Asia Pacific

Consumer products

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Chitanong Poomipark

Chief legal officer | Dusit International

Hotels, restaurants and leisure

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Christopher Betts

General counsel | Grab Holdings

Information technology

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Clemens Selestiyanta

General counsel | Coca-Cola Europacific Partners Indonesia

Food, beverages and tobacco

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Darrell Chan

Deputy general counsel | Airbnb Singapore

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Datin Veronica Selvanayagy

General counsel | AIA Malaysia

Financials

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Dawn Seah

Chief legal officer | WS Audiology Group

Healthcare

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Derek Goh

Legal and compliance, Asia | Wyndham Destinations

Hotels, restaurants and leisure

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Dixie Dugan

General counsel and corporate secretary | Holcim Group

Materials and mining

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Dr K Peter Hopp

Vice president and general counsel commercial | Rio Tinto

Materials and mining

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Dr Vincent Siaw

Executive vice president of legal and international projects | Thoresen Group

Transport and infrastructure

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Esther Lim

General counsel Southeast Asia | google

Information technology

Eugene Phua

Head of supply chain management legal for Asia Pacific | BNP Paribas

Financials

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Eunice Lim

Legal and compliance counsel Asia Pacific | Leica Microsystems

Consumer products

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Geraldine Lim

Senior vice president legal, risk and compliance | Suntory Beverage & Food APAC

Food

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Gim Boon Tan

Group general counsel | Axiata Group

Telecommunication services

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Ginney Lim

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

Sports and media

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Gladys Chun

General counsel | Lazada Group

Consumer products

Hairul Hafiz Hasbullah

Vice president, group legal | NanoMalaysia

Commercial and professional services

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Han Le

Legal director–Vietnam and Indochina | Pfizer

Healthcare

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Hazmi Hisyam

Head of legal, Asia Cluster | Novartis

Healthcare

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Hemalatha Selvaraja

Regional legal counsel | NTT Asia Pacific

Information technology

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Henry Leong Wye Khong

General counsel, Asia Pacific | GE Gas Power

Energy and utilities

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Hwee Ping Chua

Vice president international legal and compliance | MSD

Transport and infrastructure

Iain MacDonald

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

Commercial and professional services

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Ina Anzalna Shamsuddin

Head of legal | Malaysia Airlines

Transport and infrastructure

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Ipsita Aggarwal

Global general counsel | Olam International

Food, beverages and tobacco

Jackson Pek

Senior vice president and group general counsel | Amadeus IT Group

Information technology

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Jacquelin Tay

General counsel and company secretary | SMRT Corporation

Transport and infrastructure

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James Evans

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

Transport and infrastructure

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Janette Loh

General counsel | Canon Singapore

Information technology

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Jasbender Kaur

Chief counsel and corporate services officer | Manulife Holdings

Financials

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Jazel Calvo-Cariño

Legal director | Sanofi Philippines

Healthcare

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Jeffery Tan

Group general counsel and chief sustainability officer, director of legal and corporate affairs and company secretary | Jardine Cycle & Carriage

Consumer products

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Jessica Man Hui Sze  

Head of legal and compliance - Malaysia | Airbus

Transport and infrastructure

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Jirasak Latada

General counsel and data protection officer | Prime Road Power Public Company

Energy and utilities

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Jitchai Musikabutr

Executive vice president, general counsel and company secretary | Intouch Holdings

Telecommunication services

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Joanna Koh

Vice president and associate general counsel | GSK

Healthcare

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Johanna Johnson

Head of international employment law | Meta

Information technology

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Joseph Smart

General counsel and head of compliance Asia | QBE Insurance

Financials

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Juan M. Rincon-Cortes

Managing director, Asia Pacific general counsel and co-general counsel legacy franchises | Citibank

Financials

Julien Bergerat

General counsel | Nghi Son Refinery and Petrochemical

Energy and utilities

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Kristian Nico Calugay Acosta

Legal manager for intellectual property and brand protection | Golden ABC

Consumer products

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Kwan Keen Yew

Chief legal and compliance officer | CIMB Group

Financials

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Kwong Weng Wan

Group chief corporate officer and group general counsel | Mapletree Investments

Financials

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Lavin S. Nair

General counsel and group head of legal | Portek International

Industrials and real estate

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Lily Ann Twui Siang Tsen

General counsel | Amcor Flexibles Asia Pacific

Industrials and real estate

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Loh Xae Hoyy

Vice president, general counsel and chief compliance officer | Aboitz Food Group

Food

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Lope Manuel

General counsel, vice president and group head of legal and corporate affairs | Frontiir

Information technology

Lukáš Zapletal

Legal director and executive board member  | Coca-Cola Bottling Investments Group

Food, beverages and tobacco

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Lyndon Arnall

Group general counsel | BHP

Materials and mining

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Maniko Lim

Legal director, general counsel international | Envision Digital

Telecommunication services

Maree Myerscough

Chief operating officer and general counsel Asia Pacific | Aquila Capital

Financials

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Mark Hwang

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

Financials

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Mark Nam

Vice president, legal for Asia Pacific | Oxford Properties Group

Industrials and real estate

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Mark Tan

General counsel | GLP

Industrials and real estate

Martijn van Bemmel

Vice president and managing legal counsel Asia Pacific | Fluence

Energy and utilities

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Matthieu Peron

General counsel, East Asia and Japan zone | Schneider Electric

Energy and utilities

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Melissa Chia Mei Li  

General counsel | L’Oreal Malaysia and Singapore

Consumer products

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Meng Choo Cheah

General counsel, Asia Pacific | Dyson

Consumer products

Michael Tan

Head of legal, Google Cloud Asia Pacific | Google Cloud 

Information technology

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Michelle Koh

General counsel | CapitaLand

Industrials and real estate

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Michelle Ng

Head of legal, Singapore and Southeast Asia | BNP Paribas

Financials

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Miji Kim

Managing director legal | Macquarie Asset Management

Financials

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Miscen Desiderio-Dime

Director of legal dervices, regulatory and compliance operations | Accenture

Information technology

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Muhammad Izzat Bin Md Jonid

Head of legal | Penang Port

Transport and infrastructure

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Mui Hiang Tan

General counsel | S P Setia

Industrials and real estate

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Natasha Sulaiman

Vice president legal and compliance | Singapore Airlines

Transport and infrastructure

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Nattharit U-Dee

Head of legal | Wind Energy Holding Co

Energy and utilities

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Navrita Kaur

Chief legal officer | Microlink Solutions

Information technology

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Nicholas Fell

General counsel and executive vice president | BW Group

Transport and infrastructure

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Nicholas Poa

Senior vice president, legal and compliance | ERA Singapore

Industrials and real estate

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Nor Aida Othman

General manager, legal | Malaysia Airports Holdings

Transport and infrastructure

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Oliver Khaw

Director and head of legal | PT Bayan Resources

Materials and mining

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Ong Johnson

Group legal manager | I-Berhad Group

Industrials and real estate

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Peangpanor Boonklum

General counsel | PTT

Energy and utilities

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Penny Koo

General counsel and company secretary | AIA Singapore

Financials

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Peradach Patanachan

Executive vice president legal | B.Grimm Power

Energy and utilities

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Phyllis Tay Yen Sin

General counsel | OCR Group

Industrials and real estate

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Pichakorn Thammapibaljit

Head of legal and licensing operations, SAS Thailand | SAS Software

Information technology

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Randi Ikhlas Sardoni

Group general counsel | ALAMI Group

Financials

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Renuka Sharma

Head of legal Asia Pacific | BayWa

Industrials and real estate

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Rose Kong

Chief legal officer | Royal Golden Eagle (RGE)

Materials and mining

Ruth Liew

Group head of legal | Karma Group

Hotels, restaurants and leisure

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Ryan Reddy

Senior legal counsel | Noble Resources International

Materials and mining

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Sahachai Wibuloutai

Director and regional general counsel, Mekong Region | PwC

Commercial and professional services

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Sai Choy Low

Director group legal and compliance | Far East Organization

Industrials and real estate

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Samuel Loh

General counsel Southeast Asia | 3M Malaysia

Industrials and real estate

Seng Yi-Ying

Regional legal director | Heineken Asia Pacific

Food, beverages and tobacco

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Serene Gan

Deputy head of legal, Singapore | Lendlease

Industrials and real estate

Shalinee Fernandez

Senior counsel, global operations | Ansell

Industrials and real estate

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Shawn Chen

General counsel Southeast Asia | Deloitte

Commercial and professional services

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Sherry Zhang

General counsel | Advance Intelligence Group

Information technology

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Simone Genovese

Head of legal and compliance Asia Pacific | Allianz Partners

Financials

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Sok Theng Cheng

Managing director, head of legal Southeast Asia | Morgan Stanley

Financials

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Stephan Engelmann

Senior Legal director, Asia Pacific | Palo Alto Networks

Information technology

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Stephen Chojnacki

Chief commercial officer and general counsel | Minor International Public Company

Hotels, restaurants and leisure

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Supachai Aussavadegool

Senior counsel | Schneider Thailand

Industrials and real estate

Supapohn Wonganan

Head of legal | Aditya Birla Group

Industrials and real estate

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Surabhi Madan

Senior director and global legal counsel | ASM International

Industrials and real estate

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Susheel Kaur

General counsel | Mercedes-Benz Financial

Financials

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Tania Juric

Associate general counsel | HP

Information technology

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Terry Thornley

General counsel Asia Pacific | Spencer Stuart

Commercial and professional services

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Thao Cung

General counsel | VinaCapital

Financials

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Theerathiphisa Tawichpasoot

Executive vice president, corporate legal | Gulf Energy Development Public Company

Energy and utilities

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Thomas Clark

General counsel | Asian Development Bank

Financials

Tipsiri Leosakul

General counsel | ExxonMobil

Energy and utilities

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Tom M.C. Thomas

General counsel | Agoda

Hotels, restaurants and leisure

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Traiporn Leelakul

Head of legal | Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC)

Financials

Tricia Feng

Chief counsel, Asia wealth and asset management | Manulife Investment Management

Financials

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Trisula Dewantara 

General counsel and vice president of legal | Tokopedia

Financials

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Tun Heang (Clement) Ong

Senior legal manager | LONGi Green Energy Technology

Energy and utilities

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Valerie Tan

Country head legal Singapore and regional coordinator legal | ABN AMRO Bank

Financials

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Veronica Lai

General counsel, chief corporate and sustainability officer | Starhub

Telecommunication services

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Vi Vu

Associate general counsel, head of Southeast Asia | Meta

Information technology

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Vic Faulkner

Group chief operating officer and chief legal officer | Karma Group

Hotels, restaurants and leisure

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Wan Marzimin

Group general counsel and company secretary | Maybank

Financials

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Will Finn

Group general counsel | ONE Championship

Sports and media

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Winston Cheng

General counsel | Land Transport Authority of Singapore

Transport and infrastructure

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Yingtse Chen Ouw

General counsel for Southeast Asia, Japan and South Korea | Accor

Hotels, restaurants and leisure

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Yolande Goh

Vice president legal | Equinix

Information technology

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Yu Mei Lim

Country general counsel | HSBC

Financials

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Zack Quek

Group general counsel | Ninja Van

Information technology

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After a long and highly unfortunate pandemic-related hiatus, on behalf of everyone at The Legal 500 I am delighted, honoured and excited in equal measure to welcome you to this latest edition of our Southeast Asia GC Powerlist. This will mark the first time that The Legal 500 has journeyed to Southeast Asia since the start of the pandemic, and what better way to mark our return than with the launch of the local edition of our premier title dedicated to highlighting the very best in-house lawyers around the world – the GC Powerlist.

It was a pleasure to lead the research for this project which has always been one of my favourite GC Powerlist editions to work on, for the diversity and variety of the countries involved and the enthusiasm of the lawyers we speak to but, first and foremost, because of the excellent and innovative work that we hear about every time we research for a Southeast Asia GC Powerlist.

Dr Vincent Siaw, executive vice president of legal and international projects at Thoresen Group in Thailand, provided a thought-provoking essay for inclusion in this year’s list which is well worth reading. In it, he lays out his conception of in-house lawyers as the ‘sword and shield of their organisations’. His words effectively sum up the changing role of corporate counsel in the modern day:

‘The traditional general counsel role remains a noble one, as it is connected to the greater good of the entire corporation; the shield prevents the corporation from being a target and fulfills one of the fundamental corporate governance duties of protecting the interests of the corporation and its stakeholders. There is a growing paradigm shift in corporations’ general counsel role, from being a passive response function into a proactive one. If you are a general counsel aspiring to pick up the “sword” in your corporation and move to the front line, there are steps you can take to get there.’ For stories from those who have been able to take the front line for their organisations, and how they were able to do this, read on to the interviews within.

A huge thank you to everyone who spoke to us as part of The Legal 500’s GC Powerlist: Southeast Asia 2022 and to our sponsors Jones Day, Indus Law, Mohanadass Partnership, Frasers Law Company and Kudun & Partners for making this all possible. To those of you who were successful in making this year’s list: congratulations from myself and the rest of the GC Powerlist Research Team. You are part of an elite group of the most trusted, effective and innovative in-house lawyers globally.

Joe Boswell| Head of research

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Frasers is delighted to congratulate all of the nominees for this year’s GC Powerlist: Southeast Asia 2022. This is a well-deserved recognition of all your hard work and achievements over the past year.

Having worked with many in-house counsels over the decades, we understand how challenging the demands on legal teams have become, as businesses strive towards recovery and growth in an increasingly challenging global economy. Opportunities in Southeast Asia remain abundant and exciting, but require legal teams to be acutely aware of all potential risks and manage these to enable optimal commercial decision-making. Frasers appreciates the need for close partnership between in-house and external counsel in exploring new opportunities. Delivering the best quality advice and support remain our standard as we continue to work alongside in-house legal teams.

We are proud to be the premiere advisors of international firms growing their businesses in Vietnam, and also to Vietnamese firms exploring opportunities overseas. Our 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 2022.

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INDUSLAW expresses its heartiest congratulations to the winners of The Legal 500 GC Powerlist: Southeast Asia.

In the ever-evolving business ecosystem of today, general counsels are faced with several challenges which require them to don multiple hats including those of the gatekeeper, compliance champion, strategist, defender and guardian of the conscience. INDUSLAW salutes your accomplishments, and recognises the kind of rigour, excellence and quality each of you demonstrate in your respective roles. INDUSLAW is also pleased to have this opportunity to honour the distinguished GCs recognised in the coveted Legal 500 GC Powerlist of 2022. We are proud to promote the ‘Thought Leadership’ and the resilience of the leaders in you.

INDUSLAW is a top-tier full service Indian law firm, the 7th largest* in India, providing legal services to a wide range of international and domestic clients across a variety of sectors on legal issues relating to their business, strategy, litigation and transactional goals. With over 400 lawyers including more than 60 partners spread across Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad & Mumbai, INDUSLAW has been fortunate to partner with and contribute significantly to many established businesses and new economy companies. Our multi-disciplinary teams work across offices to provide seamless and focused advice and to assist clients in taking informed decisions and reaching effective outcomes.

The firm and its lawyers have been consistently recognised across practice areas, by all leading legal and industry specific publications (including the following accolades):

  • Asialaw profiles – Client Service Excellence Award 2020
  • Chambers & Partners India Awards 2019 – Client Service Firm of the Year
  • IBLJ Indian Law Firm Awards 2021 & 2022 – one of the Best Overall Law Firm 2022 & 2021 (included amongst the top 7 law firms in India*)

*Per ALB at https://www.legalbusinessonline.com/features/alb-asia-top-50-2021

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On behalf of Jones Day, we extend our congratulations to each of the counsel included in the GC Powerlist: Southeast Asia 2022. We have had the pleasure of working with many of you, and are familiar with the invaluable role that in-house counsel play in any successful transaction. Your selection into this powerlist is a well-deserved acknowledgement of your hard work and commitment to the field, and we are truly pleased to see you recognised among the most influential and innovative lawyers in the region.

Businesses in Southeast Asia face a variety of challenges. Legal and regulatory regimes are constantly evolving across the multiple jurisdictions and diverse legal systems in the region. Covid-19, advances in technology, enhanced compliance obligations, competing stakeholder interests and increasing political risk dynamics, all contribute to a complex and changing economic, corporate and regulatory landscape. The challenges faced by general counsel have evolved and become increasingly complex in these uncertain times. The business demand for experienced in-house advisors and legal teams has never been greater.

At Jones Day, we understand the challenges, unique cultures, and ways of doing business in the different South and Southeast Asian nations. Our Singapore office, which opened in 2001, is an ideal base from which our multilingual team supports our clients across the region. The majority of our 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, we are one of only a few firms awarded a QFLP licence to practice Singapore law in permitted areas (primarily commercial, corporate and finance).

Importantly, our Singapore office is a fully integrated part of a global law firm serving clients as One Firm Worldwide. Jones Day has more than 2,500 lawyers in 42 offices spread across five continents. Our ‘One Firm Worldwide’ philosophy fosters the creation of inter-office and cross-practice teams, enabling us to commit all of our firm’s resources to each of our clients and to put client interests above all else. Recognising this, the firm has been ranked No. 1 in the BTI Consulting Group’s 2022 ‘Client Service A-Team’ report for the sixth year running and awarded ‘Best of the Best’ status for superior client service.

Everyone at Jones Day greatly appreciates our clients recognising the commitment and quality of service we provide to them. We strongly believe that the in-house teams at our clients should also receive recognition for their efforts and achievements. We are proud to support the GC Powerlist: Southeast Asia 2022 and look forward to another year of success working in close partnership with our clients.

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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 2022. 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 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, corporate M&As, dispute resolution/litigation and international arbitration, tax and restructuring, project financing, FDI and investment-related laws including permits and licensing, real estate, infrastructure funds and REITs. We have dedicated foreign practices; China and Japan to cater to the burgeoning investments into Thailand.

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

As the Thai sponsor firm for the GC Powerlist: Southeast Asia 2022, 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.

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My partners and I congratulate you on your selection to this year’s powerlist. It is wonderful that we have weathered the challenges of the last few years and are now able to meet again in person to celebrate this event.

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 effective GC who plays the pivotal role in running a successful case.

Your selection to this powerlist sets you apart from the field, and is a deserving recognition of the 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 skill-set.

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 you all and hope that this recognition spurs you to take on new challenges and enriching careers. Enjoy your evening!

GC Powerlist: Southeast Asia 2022

The Legal 500 journeyed to the Lion City to launch the 2022 edition of the Southeast Asia GC Powerlist at the grand and historic Raffles Hotel. Among the almost 140 attendees on the evening were the cream of the crop of regional legal luminaries; the most respected, well-known and highly regarded in-house lawyers that Southeast Asia has to offer. Joining the celebrations from The Legal 500 side were Ben Lovell global business development manager and GC Powerlist chief editor Joe Boswell. 

After networking drinks and canapes, guests settled in for the keynote speeches: first Joe Boswell, then Zac Sharpe, partner at Jones Day who spoke to the unique characteristics of Southeast Asia and the in-house lawyers who operate there. Finally, Miscen Desiderio-Dime, managing director of legal, compliance and regulatory affairs at Accenture Philippines spoke on behalf of the other in-house lawyers in attendance. In a charming, funny and moving speech, she spoke of how she got into law and what being a lawyer, particularly an in-house one, means to her.  

Of the evening, Miscen Desiderio-Dime said: ‘I had a fantastic evening meeting the best and brightest lawyers in Southeast Asia at the Legal 500 GC Powerlist. Thank you Legal 500 for this honor and allowing me the pleasure of delivering the keynote address.’ 

Kristian Nico Acosta, legal manager of Golden ABC said: ‘The Legal 500 is often regarded as the Oscars and Michelin of the legal profession. But the esteemed publication is more than recognizing law practice prestige and prominence. It is actually a platform to inspire and encourage other lawyers to follow the footsteps of their colleagues who have been instrumental in changing or forming opinions within their industry.’ 

Maree Myerscough, chief operating officer and general counsel Asia Pacific for Aquila Capital, said: ‘We were treated to a wonderful reception at Raffles Hotel Singapore and hosted by Ben Lovell and Joseph Boswell, who along with Zachary Sharpe and Millicent Joie Desiderio-Dime brought lots of great energy to the event. It was especially nice to reconnect with GCs from around SE Asia who had flown in for the event (hooray for regional events again!) and celebrate with Singapore-based peers who were also acknowledged including Lily Tsen, Terry D. Thornley, Hazmi Hisyam, Lukáš Zapletal, Carlos Estrada, Nick Fell, Adam Emilianou, April Raimundo and Hwee Ping Chua and Benita Lee. Congratulations to all!’