General counsel and senior vice president | Frontiir
General counsel Southeast Asia, Korea, Japan and India | EssilorLuxottica
Senior vice president of legal, compliance and privacy; corporate secretary | Privy
General counsel region ASEAN, Australia | Siemens
Senior vice president and head of legal, APACÂ | Publicis Groupe
Managing director, general counsel at Macquarie Asia Infrastructure Funds | Macquarie Asset Management
Corporate secretary, chief compliance officer, senior vice president, chief legal officer | Aboitiz Power
Corporate secretary, corporate governance group head and chief legal officer | Ayala Corporation
Managing director, global counsel ethics and compliance | Accenture
Senior executive vice president, head of legal and compliance | CIMB Thai Bank
Managing director of legal for Southeast Asia and North Pacific | FedEx Express
General counsel of Asia-Pacific | Revantage Asia-Pacific
Group general counsel, head of secretariat and compliance | CapitaLand Investment
General manager; head of Group legal, compliance and risk management; Group integrity officer; Group data protection officer | Warisan TC Holdings
Lead senior counsel, CBRE Global Workplace Solutions, APAC | CBRE
Asia-Pacific general counsel and global head of ESG legal | SHEIN Group
Senior director, legal affairs and general counsel | Kulicke and Soffa
Director of corporate services and general counsel | Eastern Pacific Shipping
Vice president and assistant general counsel | IBM Asia-Pacific and Japan
General counsel and vice president corporate development | Campana Group
Vice president – legal, ethics and compliance; corporate secretary and data protection officer | Manila Water
General counsel and chief compliance officer, APAC | CBRE Investment Management
Asia-Taiwan general counsel; CBG Philippines; and GSC general counsel | 3M
Chief legal and compliance officer, Aboitiz Group general counsel | Aboitiz Equity Ventures
Director of legal and corporate affairs, APAC | Infront Sports and Media
Executive vice president, legal and international projects | Thoresen Thai Agencies (TTA)
Group general counsel and chief sustainability officer | Jardine Cycle & Carriage
Chief operating officer and general counsel Asia-Pacific | Aquila Clean Energy APAC
Vice president legal and compliance | Singapore Airlines
General counsel and executive vice president corporate services | BW Group
Vice president, structuring and regulatory affairs; head of legal | Aboitiz InfraCapital
Head of legal affairs, Michelin E2A region (East Asia and Australia) | Michelin Asia-Pacific
Head of legal | PVEP (PetroVietnam Exploration Production Corporation)
Senior vice president, regional head of compliance and regulatory, APAC | OMERS Administration
On 1 September, Legal 500 unveiled the third edition of the GC Powerlist: East Africa, in partnership with leading African law firm ENS. Hosted at the Sankara Hotel in Nairobi, Kenya, the event brought together many of the region’s most accomplished in-house lawyers to celebrate a distinguished community of legal leaders shaping the future of business across East Africa.
The evening opened with welcoming remarks from Giulio Tomassi Galanti, Business Development Manager at Legal 500, who highlighted the importance of recognising the dynamic growth and increasing sophistication of the East African legal market. He also reflected on the rigorous research and selection process behind the GC Powerlist series, congratulating this year’s honourees for their exceptional contributions to both the legal profession and the organisations they serve.
Following this introduction, Mahesh Acharya, Managing Partner of ENS Kenya, addressed the audience to commend the individuals recognised in the 2026 edition.
The launch of the GC Powerlist: East Africa 2026 proved a fitting celebration of the region’s leading in-house legal talent. The evening showcased the depth of expertise, influence, and innovation within East Africa’s corporate counsel community, while reaffirming Legal 500’s commitment to recognising and championing its achievements. We extend our sincere thanks to everyone who contributed to this year’s research process and to ENS for once again partnering with Legal 500 to provide a platform that honours these outstanding legal professionals.
On Thursday, 3 September, Legal 500 will host the second launch event celebrating the GC Powerlist: East Africa 2026 at the Sheraton Hotel in Kampala, Uganda. Building on the success of the Nairobi launch, the event will bring together many of region’s most accomplished in-house counsel and senior legal leaders to recognise their achievements and celebrate the continued growth and influence of the region’s corporate legal community.