For the 2016 edition of GC Powerlist we return to the original format of the report – launched in 2013 – focusing on senior general counsel (GCs). Over that time, the report has expanded hugely to become one of the most important strands of Legalease’s portfolio. Expanding the report also reflects the reality that in understanding GCs, you need to look at the specifics. While law firms operate on a few variants of the same model, in-house teams are defined much more by the industry and the individual company in which they work.
But there are broad trends as well. The upward march of the in-house profession that this report was originally launched to chronicle has, if anything, accelerated. While law firms are struggling for growth in many sectors, in-house teams continue to expand in the UK and take on greater swathes of work. It’s becoming increasingly mainstream to encounter teams with multimillion-pound budgets that put only a tiny minority of their work to law firms. Where they are instructing outside counsel, a good proportion of GCs now barely bother to conceal their tactic of pushing law firms down the value chain… and their teams correspondingly upwards.
RPC’s managing partner on how the modern GC made law a part of business (and vice versa).
It was late 2012 when RPC first became involved with Legal Business’ GC Powerlist. Back then, over four years after Lehman Brothers collapsed, the world economy was still looking parlous.
Another four years on and, although we’re now certainly on a firmer footing economically, there are still plenty of reasons to be fearful, or at least cautious, over what the future might hold for businesses: the slowdown in China; the collapse in the price of oil; stock market woes, here and in Asia; and uncertainty surrounding Britain’s possible exit from Europe, to name just a few.
Jonathan Watmough
Managing Partner
RPC
The Legal 500 hosted the second edition of the GC Powerlist Luxembourg, celebrating the exceptional achievements of the country’s leading in-house legal professionals. Held in partnership with Loyens & Loeff Luxembourg, we were delighted to welcome over 80 of Luxembourg’s foremost legal professionals, marking a significant moment for an in-house legal community that has precious few chances to interact and share best practice with each other.
This year’s list was drawn from a record longlist of over 400 highly talented individuals, ultimately honouring a select group of standout GCs, CLOs, and senior legal figures whose contributions to their companies and industries set them apart on the global stage. Both returning honourees and new faces were in attendance, now united as part of the global GC Powerlist community.
Managing Partner of our event sponsors Loyens & Loeff Luxembourg Frédéric Franckx delivered a rousing address to those in attendance, congratulating them on their achievement and encouraging this year’s inductees to make the most of the opportunity to forge new connections. Guests were then invited to collect their award certificates and take official photographs to commemorate their achievement. As the formalities concluded, the evening transitioned into the lively networking celebration that is the hallmark of Legal 500’s GC Powerlist launches, and celebrations lasted long into the night.
