United Kingdom 2016
Supported by the Association of Corporate Counsel
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
Legal 500, in exclusive partnership with BKM | Berkemeyer, co-hosted the launch of the GC Powerlist: Paraguay 2026, on June 10, at Luna 21, located in the World Trade Center in Asunción. Marking the second edition of the publication, the event brought together leading in-house counsel from across the country to celebrate excellence within Paraguay’s corporate legal community.
The evening began with opening remarks from Francisco Castro, Research Editor at Legal 500, who recognised the achievements of this year’s honourees and reflected on key themes emerging from the research process led by fellow Editor, Allan Cohen. In particular, he noted the growing influence of in-house legal teams within core industries and their increasing involvement in strategic, business-critical decision-making – a testament to the growth of corporate legal departments in the country.
Manuel Arias, Partner at BKM | Berkemeyer, followed with his address, congratulating those featured and sharing his perspective on the development of Paraguay’s legal market. He highlighted the evolving expectations placed on legal departments and the importance of continued collaboration between private practice and in-house teams.
To conclude the speeches, Ana Garrido of Constructora Heisecke, and one of this year’s honourees, was invited to share a few words from an in-house perspective. In her remarks, she emphasised the importance of in-house lawyers developing a deep and practical understanding of their business, while also underscoring the value of collaborating with external counsel to handle highly specialised matters that may fall beyond the time or resource constraints of internal legal teams.
With more than 60 attendees, the event provided a valuable platform for connection among senior in-house lawyers, reinforcing Legal 500’s commitment to supporting and recognising this dynamic and increasingly influential community. As the role of general counsel continues to expand, their contributions remain central to the success and resilience of modern organisations.
Legal 500 extends its sincere gratitude to BKM | Berkemeyer for its continued collaboration and support in bringing this publication and event to fruition.
