Thailand 2025
Supported by the Association of Corporate Counsel
Department head: international legal and intellectual property | Boon Rawd Brewery
General counsel and assistant general manager | Isuzu Motors Asia Thailand
HomeCare Greater Asia general counsel and general counsel Thailand | Unilever Thai Trading
Department manager, legal department | Ajinomoto Thailand
Executive vice president, head of compliance | Siam Commercial Bank
Assistant vice president, office of legal affairs | Thai Beverage
Vice president and head of legal | TCC Assets Thailand
Executive vice president, legal and international projects | Thoresen Group
Head of business laws counselling | Asset World Corporation
Senior vice president, office of corporate legal | Global Power Synergy
General counsel, head of legal, legal department | Citibank Bangkok Branch
Senior vice president, chief corporate and legal affairs officer | Amadeus
Vice chairman and chief executive officer | Super Energy Corporation
Head of legal, compliance and risk management APAC | Limagrain Thailand
Director, legal and compliance | Pandora Production Company
Associate vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary | Coca-Cola ThaiNamthip
Associate general counsel, Southeast Asia | Facebook (Thailand)
Deputy head of legal and compliance group | Kiatnakin Phatra Financial Group
Manager, legal and compliance department | Kao Industrial Thailand
Corporate legal director, group legal | Thoresen Thai Agencies
Rising Star
General manager, compliance management and legal | Mercedes-Benz
Senior executive vice president, head legal and compliance | CIMB Thai Bank
Deputy head of division, head of legal department and data protection officer | ICBC
Senior executive vice president, office of general counsel | PTT
Executive vice president, corporate affairs and acting chief corporate management officer | Prime Road Power
Vice president, legal and compliance, company secretary | Major Development
Company secretary and head of legal, compliance and international tax | Thai Union Group
Senior executive vice president, head of legal affairs division and company secretary | The Stock Exchange of Thailand
Vice president legal and member of country leadership team | DKSH Thailand
Commercial legal lead | LINE Company Thailand
Rising Star
Chief commercial officer and general counsel | Minor International
Senior managing counsel - product legal (global) | Agoda
Rising Star
Assistant vice president, legal and compliance | SHERA
Chief corporate officer and executive assistant to CEO | Gunkul Engineering
Senior legal manager | PepsiCo Services Asia
First vice president, legal | Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC)
Country head of legal and secretariat, and data protection officer | UOB United Overseas Bank (Thai)
Head of litigation and regulations department | True Corporation
Chief compliance officer and general manager of legal department | Mitsubishi Company 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
Producing the Thailand GC Powerlist has undoubtedly been one of the highlights of each year since I worked on our first edition back in 2023. As well as the undeniable qualities of the GCs and other leading in-house lawyers profiled in the country, it has been a pleasure to experience the enthusiasm, friendliness and candour those I have spoken to while researching each edition.
Getting input from such a wide range of the world’s top in-house counsel allows us at Legal 500 to report on some of the trends facing the community, whether these are common to wide geographical areas or specific to the country in which they operate. Athicha Vuttiviroj, Country legal head of Novartis Thailand, spoke about a trend that she feels that the wider business world is quickly optimising operations, with GCs at the forefront of this:
‘The business landscape is evolving towards leaner organisations that prioritise productivity and efficiency for sustainable operations. This transformation often involves streamlining work processes and reorganising to eliminate redundancies. In this context, the role of in-house counsel is crucial, supporting the business in achieving its efficiency objectives while maintaining legal integrity, effective risk management, and long-term sustainability. Given Thailand’s pro-employee labor laws, it is challenging to justify the need for transformation when the company is not making loss. In-house lawyers must collaborate closely with relevant teams to ensure fair selection processes and compliance with statutory severance payments for affected employees. Additionally, they should manage the overall exit experience to minimise the risk of impacted employees bringing the case to labor court, which could incur significant legal fees and manpower costs.’
On the AI angle, Visitsak Arunsuratpakdee, head of litigation and regulations at True Corporation spoke about the continuing lack of regulation regarding the now common use of AI by corporations:
‘The rapidly evolving world of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the current absence of specific laws governing its use are the topics that have most drawn my attention. As we continue to integrate AI into various aspects of our operations, it is crucial to consider how we manage and utilize data to stay compliant with future legislation. One of the primary concerns is the extent to which we can use data without infringing upon future laws. This includes safeguarding trade secrets, managing personal data responsibly, and establishing internal policies that align with the increasing use of AI. As we navigate this dynamic landscape, it is essential to remain vigilant and proactive in our approach to AI governance and data management.’
Wanchanit Sa-Nguanwong, General Counsel of ride-sharing app Grabtaxi Thailand spoke about the emergence of a new employment sector that is likely to assume ever-greater importance: that of the gig economy workers:
‘One of the most significant trends I have observed over the past year is the growing importance and scrutiny of the Gig Economy, particularly the role of riders, who are central to the growth of digital platforms. The rise of the digital economy has given birth to a new service segment that reflects freelance characteristics and challenges traditional employment models. This evolving landscape raises several important legal and regulatory questions. Firstly, what is the most appropriate regulatory framework for the Gig Economy, given its hybrid nature, blending elements of both employment and freelance work? Secondly, how can we design fair and practical regulations that consider the interests of all stakeholders, including service platforms and consumers?’
As always, massive congratulations to everyone who made it on to the list this year, especially those who are appearing for the second or even third time. There were a lot of very talented corporate counsel who unfortunately did not make it onto the list this year, so those of you included have achieved extremely impressive things to get here.
Joe Boswell
Global Editor – GC Powerlist
Legal 500
The Legal 500 was proud to host the third edition of the GC Powerlist: Japan 2025 at the Capitol Hotel Tokyu, honouring the top General Counsel, Chief Legal Officers, Legal Directors, and senior in-house legal professionals operating at the highest level of Japan’s corporate legal landscape. Held in Tokyo, this year’s reception welcomed around 100 of the most respected and senior corporate counsel from across Japan. It was an unrivalled success, and cements Legal 500’s status as the leading force in legal media supporting the achievements of in-house counsel in Japan. The GC Powerlist: Japan 2025 marks the continuation of our commitment to recognising excellence in-house, and this year’s edition represents the most competitive and selective list to date.
Joe Boswell, lead editor of the GC powerlist publication at The Legal 500, opened the evening with an introduction that reflected on the growing prestige of the Japan list. He emphasised how the Powerlist has grown stronger each year, both in scope and quality, making the task of selection more difficult. This year’s honourees emerged from a deeply competitive field, making their recognition even more meaningful.
Boswell extended heartfelt congratulations to all honourees and acknowledged the critical support of key partners and sponsors who made the evening possible. Special thanks were given to Anderson Mori & Tomotsune, Morrison Foerster, iManage, JustLegal, and SS&C Intralinks for their generous sponsorship and ongoing collaboration.
In a moment of reflection, Joe paid tribute to Tim Mackey, chief legal officer at SoftBank, who sadly passed away unexpectedly earlier this year. Tim had contributed to the Powerlist in each of its three editions and was known not only for his exceptional legal acumen but also for his warmth and generosity.
The evening featured insightful remarks from distinguished speakers representing our partners and the broader legal community: Mischa Mulligan, Japan Director at SS&C Intralinks; Hiroki Kodate, Partner and Management Committee Member at Anderson Mori & Tomotsune; Jeremy White, Global Co-Chair of M&A for Morrison Foerster; and, representing those awarded in the Powerlist, Naoki Hamada, General Counsel for Japan at HSBC.
Each speaker provided reflections on legal innovation, leadership, and the evolving role of in-house counsel in Japan’s corporate landscape. Their remarks added valuable context to the achievements celebrated throughout the evening.
The formal awards segment celebrated this year’s GC Powerlist honourees. With assistance from long-time collaborator Isaac Uchiyama who read out awardees’ names, recipients were invited to collect their certificates, pose for photographs, and be formally recognised by their peers.
Certificates were presented on stage by Hiroki Kodate or Anderson Mori & Tomotsune and Jeremy White of Morrison Foerster, whose participation further underlined the deep support of the Japanese and international legal communities.
The GC Powerlist: Japan 2025 reception reaffirmed Legal 500’s commitment to spotlighting the very best of in-house legal talent. With record levels of interest and unmatched quality among candidates, the Japan edition continues to solidify its place as one of the most respected publications in the global GC Powerlist series.
We extend our sincere congratulations to all honourees and thank our partners, sponsors, and speakers for making the evening a success.
We look forward to returning to Tokyo again next year. As a parting gift, you can view Naoki Hamada’s excellent keynote address below, where he touches on a lot of issues and themes that many other GC, whatever country they operate in, will recognise:
‘Good evening, everyone. I am Naoki Hamada of HSBC. I am very pleased to be here speaking to you today. It is a great pleasure and honor, and at the same time, I feel a bit overwhelmed being surrounded by the busiest and most expensive lawyers in the industry—even if I know that nobody will be charging us for their time. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Legal 500 for organizing such a great event, and Anderson Mori & Tomotsune, Morrison Foerster, iManage, SS&C Intralinks, and Just Legal for sponsoring and supporting it. And, huge congratulations on the recognition each of you is receiving, which is truly a great accomplishment and the result of your hard work and the accumulated trust the entire industry has placed in you.
It must be emphasized that this award is given only to general counsels. Being a general counsel means a lot more than just being a subject matter expert. You are a most reliable strategic partner for the business, and I am sure that you have distinguished yourself from the crowd by your ability to identify underlying risks, devise legal solutions, ensure the right processes and governance for corporate decisions, influence others, and educate the next generation of lawyers. This is what you are being recognized for.
Looking back on my career, I have been hugely helped by lawyers in other companies through various industry communities. When I joined the in-house world 12 years ago from a Japanese law firm, large international banks were all struggling with a huge wave of regulatory reform. Back then, I was relatively new to that particular area of finance, and my hiring was somewhat potential-based. Nonetheless, I was assigned to lead the regulatory reform efforts locally. My predecessor had left the bank before I joined, there was no sufficient handover, and I was completely lost as to what to do. What helped me most were the industry peer group discussions, where in-house counsels from major banks would get together to discuss common issues. I learned so much from what was discussed there and absorbed as much as I could. Without that network, I am sure that I wouldn’t have survived that time.
However, our situation today is far more difficult. The changes in the landscape we face today are unprecedented. Technological developments and the corresponding shifts in geopolitical and industrial landscapes are completely unpredictable, and the speed at which they happen is far faster than before. We might face a time that requires us to pivot, forcing us to redefine how we add value and rebuild the way we work. That is somewhat intimidating. But, I am confident that a way forward will be found through the collective wisdom and effort of the people in this room. I would like to be a part of that, and this network of people is enormously valuable and truly priceless.
Finally, let’s have a drink and celebrate our achievements for now – before your CEO calls asking you to join a call! Thank you so much.’
