Thailand 2024
Supported by the Association of Corporate Counsel
Department head - international legal and intellectual property | Boon Rawd Brewery Company
Senior director – legal, compliance and quality | Ek-Chai Distribution Systems (Lotus)
Assistant general counsel APAC | McKinsey & Company
General counsel Thailand and general counsel for homecare Southeast Asia | Unilever Thai Trading
Senior specialist counsel | Agoda
Rising Star
Executive vice president, head of compliance | Siam Commercial Bank
Vice president and head of legal | TCC Assets Thailand
Executive vice president, legal and international projects | Thoresen Group
Regional legal manager | Dole Food and Beverages Group
Head of legal compliance and risk management APAC | Limagrain
Director, global legal and compliance | Pandora Productions
Senior Legal Counsel, South East Asia | Align Technology Thailand
Rising Star
Deputy head of legal and compliance group | Kiatnakin Phatra Financial Group
General manager, legal department | CG Corporation
Rising Star
General manager compliance management and legal | Mercedes-Benz
Legal Lead of Corporate and Content | LINE Company
Rising Star
Senior Executive Vice President, Office of General Counsel | PTT Public Company
Company secretary and head of legal, compliance and international tax | Thai Union Group
Group head of legal and corporate affairs and company secretary | aCommerce Group
General counsel, Thailand and Mekong region | PwC
Chief commercial officer and general counsel | Minor International
Counsel – utilities, infrastructure, technology contract, labour, general procurement law division | Siam Commercial Bank
Rising Star
Chief Legal Officer and company secretary | Bangkok Glass
Assistant vice president, legal and compliance | Shera
Legal director, head of litigation and regulation department | True Corporation
Legal senior manager, dispute resolution and litigation legal department | Delta Electronics (Thailand)
Senior vice president – general counsel and data protection officer | Thai Group Holdings
Vice president, senior lawyer, utilities and infrastructure law division | Siam Commercial Bank
Rising Star
Director in Legal Affairs, Company Secretary and Director | Tao Kae Noi Food and Marketing
Vice president, legal affairs and compliance | Berli Jucker
Head of legal compliance strategic initiatives, legal, compliance and risk | Token X
Head of business laws counselling | Asset World Corporation
General counsel | HSBC Thailand
Currently serving as HSBC’s country general counsel for Thailand, John Cordova is passionate about serving HSBC’s clients. He brings them a breadth of banking and financial solutions, helping them connect...
Senior Legal Director | Bitkub Capital Group Holdings
Legal and compliance deputy division manager, company secretary | AGC Vinythai
Chief legal compliance and financial crime officer | KrungThai Bank
Vice president, legal and compliance, company secretary | Major Development
Executive vice president, head of legal affairs division and company secretary | The Stock Exchange of Thailand
Vice president – legal and compliance | Country Group Development
Senior vice president , legal department | The Erawan Group
First vice president, legal | Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC)
Country Head of Legal & Secretariat Data Protection Officer | UOB United Overseas Bank (Thai)
Company secretary and legal director | Carabao Group
It is with the warmest of congratulations to all the successful GCs featured from everyone at The Legal 500 that I welcome you to the second edition of The Thailand GC Powerlist: 2024.
This year, we have built on the success of 2023’s opening publication by creating an even more exclusive grouping of top GCs in Thailand, with the absolute cream of the crop featured within the 2024 edition. Some lucky people are featured for a second time, but there are plenty of new faces this year too. We have also added some particularly precocious rising stars into the mix, people who will be the business leaders of the future and help steer the Thai economy as it continues to grow.
As always, the interviews we did were particularly illuminating. One of the topics we consistently see as being important for the GCs we speak to around the world is getting the most out of the other members of the legal team; in short, how to motivate each individual in the team in order to foster excellent team work. Akarin Aganidad of Boon Rawd Brewery gave a particularly well thought out answer to this question which bears highlighting:
“I keep my legal team motivated and manage their morale in many ways.
Share as much information as possible: during times of disruption and transition, as has been the case recently, communication is king. Hold virtual meetings or send email updates more frequently, share useful information as much as you can about what is happening and what will happen next.
Set clear goals and expectations: legal team members are less likely to feel unsettled by disruption if they have tangible goals to work towards. Set these goals carefully — they should be challenging but realistic. Escalating workloads can place considerable strain on team members, so meet regularly with your team to evaluate workloads, set priorities and rebalance responsibilities. Encourage teamwork, as change or challenge is less intimidating when teams confront it together. By giving individuals opportunities to contribute their skills and ideas in a positive way, you can encourage team members to feel a sense of accomplishment in everyday tasks.
Show appreciation: adapting to change is never easy, so it’s important to give kudos to teams who rise to the challenge. Show appreciation for outstanding work during the most crucial weeks and months by recognizing achievements or providing appropriate rewards — thank-you notes, gift cards, or public recognition during meetings or company events, for example.
Set clear performance standards: hold regular staff meetings to discuss what went right and what went wrong in specific instances, stressing that these meetings are not about assigning blame but resolving problems. Approaching these instances in a positive, proactive, and collaborative manner can leave the team feeling involved in the process. Having a role in establishing these performance standards will leave them feeling invested in meeting them.”
None of the research for this year’s edition could have been possible without the four excellent Law Firms who sponsored the 2024 edition. Thank you to Chandler MHM, Herbert Smith Freehills, Kudun & Partners and Tilleke & Gibbins for all their hard work in helping to put the GC Powerlist Thailand together – many of those featured here have them to thank for the accolade. Thank you also to the Thai-CCA for providing a number of key names and support along the way too.
Finally, a huge congratulations once again to everyone featured, and we look forward to the next edition!
Joe Boswell
Global Editor: The Legal 500 GC Powerlist
Legal 500 hosted the Green Forum Singapore 2025 at Allen & Gledhill’s offices on the 30th level of One Marina Boulevard, offering panoramic views across the Singapore Strait. The event brought together leading general counsel, sustainability experts, and legal practitioners from across Southeast Asia for an afternoon of insight and discussion on the fast-evolving ESG landscape.
As sustainability remains a defining challenge for global business, the Green Forum served as an essential platform for exploring how corporate legal teams can navigate emerging environmental, social, and governance risks while helping shape long-term responsible growth.
Opening remarks were delivered by Joe Boswell, Global Editor of The Legal 500’s GC Powerlist series, who highlighted the increasingly strategic role of in-house counsel in guiding organisations through the sustainability transition. He was followed by Jerry Koh, Managing Partner at Allen & Gledhill, who reflected on Singapore’s leadership in driving ESG progress across Southeast Asia and the importance of collaboration between the legal profession and industry in delivering meaningful change. He also spoke about the firm’s long-term commitment to sustainability. This extends to personal exertions by himself and the other staff at A&G, who recently engaged in rubbish-cleaning efforts in Singapore’s waterways.
The first panel, The Impact of Technology and AI on ESG: Considerations and Challenges, examined how rapid technological advancements are reshaping sustainability priorities. Moderated by Tham Kok Leong, Head of Technology & Corporate Intellectual Property Practice at Allen & Gledhill, the session featured Sophie Lim, Co-Head of ESG & Public Policy Practice at Allen & Gledhill; Doris Chen, Head of Legal, APAC at dsm-firmenich; and Richard Koh, Chief Technology Officer, Microsoft Asia, Enterprise Partner Solutions. Together they discussed the ethical and regulatory implications of AI adoption, the importance of governance and transparency, and how legal teams can leverage technology to drive sustainable value creation.
The second session, Sustainable Finance and Green Capital Markets: The Legal Counsel’s Role, turned to the evolving role of lawyers in guiding businesses through sustainability-related financial frameworks. Moderated by Elsa Chen, Co-Head of ESG & Public Policy Practice and Regional Co-Head of Competition & Foreign Investment Review Practice at Allen & Gledhill, panellists Mushtaq Kapasi, Managing Director and Chief Representative, Asia-Pacific, International Capital Market Association; Ong Kangxin, Partner at Allen & Gledhill; and Bridget Burns, Capital Markets Counsel at Wells Fargo explored Singapore’s pioneering Singapore-Asia Taxonomy for Sustainable Finance (SAT) and its implications for disclosure, risk management, and investor confidence.
The event closed with remarks from Elsa Chen, followed by networking drinks and canapés overlooking the Singapore Strait. It was the perfect way to end a successful and engaging afternoon that reaffirmed the legal community’s pivotal role in shaping a more sustainable and transparent business landscape.
