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United Kingdom 2018: The Team Elite

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United Kingdom 2018: The Team Elite

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SSE

Denisse Cardenas - Ecuador 2022

Head of legal advice | Banco de Machala

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Marcelo Hassenteufel Loayza - Bolivia 2022

Legal manager | Empresa de Telecomunicaciones Nuevatel PCS de Bolivia (VIVA)

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Lynn Wassenich - Luxembourg 2024

Head of legal | Losch Luxembourg

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Youssef Khayat - Luxembourg 2024

Head of legal | BNP Paribas Real Estate Investment Management Luxembourg

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Carina Wessels - South Africa 2024

Executive - governance, legal, compliance and sustainability | Alexforbes

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Taylor Kessel - Miami 2024

Senior vice president, general counsel and secretary | Xenia Hotels & Resorts

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Denisse Becerra - Miami 2024

General counsel and chief compliance officer | PayJoy

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Varlin J. Vissepó - Puerto Rico 2023

Chief legal officer and corporate secretary | Aerostar Airport Holdings

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Lalisse Guillen Marty - Puerto Rico 2023

Oversight Manager for Public Corporations of the Government of Puerto Rico | Puerto Rico Fiscal Agency and Financial Advisory Authority

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Julie Musselman - Illinois 2023

Vice president, legal and regulatory | Peerless Network

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Heather Russell - Illinois 2023

Executive vice president and chief legal officer | TransUnion

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Yasser Aboismail - Middle East 2023

General counsel and head of compliance MENA - head of group human rights office - head of global compliance culture and training  | Schindler Group

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Nasser Al Taweel - Middle East 2023

Deputy CEO and chief legal officer | Qatar Financial Centre Authority (QFCA) and Ministry of Commerce

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Hussein Arkhagha - Middle East 2023

Chief counsel and company secretary | Hikma Pharmaceuticals

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Andy Russell - Middle East 2023

General counsel and compliance officer | North Oil Company

Andy Russell serves as the General counsel and compliance officer for the North Oil Company (NOC). In his role, he leads the Legal and Governance Division within NOC and is...

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Nasser Haddad - Middle East 2023

Head of legal and compliance | Americana Restaurants International

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Ulisse Spada - Italy 2023

Group general counsel | DiaSorin

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Simone Massenti - Italy 2023

Vice president legal affairs Italy | AstraZeneca

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Marcelo Hassenteufel - Bolivia 2023

Gerente legal | Viva- Nuevatel

Since November 2022, Marcelo Hassenteufel Loayza has been in charge of the corporate affairs department of Nuevatel PCS de Bolivia (VIVA), which supervises the areas i) regulatory, ii) legal, iii)...

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Gissel Cabrera Torrez - Bolivia 2023

Chief compliance officer | Banco Ecofuturo

Gissel Cabrera Torrez is the chief compliance officer at Banco Ecofuturo. She has over 12 years of experience and is qualified in Bolivia, Argentina and Spain. Her background includes a...

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Cecily Nerisse (Chel) C. Ramirez-dela Cruz - Philippines 2023

Country general counsel and GAM lead | 3M Philippines

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Supapohn Jendryssek - Thailand 2023

Head of legal – Asia | Travelier (formerly Bookaway Group)

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Jesse Lieberman - Thailand 2023

Associate general counsel | Minor International

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Cedric Bossert - Switzerland 2023

General counsel | Richemont International

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Barbara Renssen - Benelux 2023

Head of contract management and legal | VolkerWessels Bouw & Vastgoedontwikkeling

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David Van Passel - Benelux 2023

Assistant general counsel | Johnson & Johnson

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Jennifer Denisse Croston Gardellini - Central America 2023

Senior corporate counsel and deputy manager of commercial and legal department of China Harbour Engineering Company Americas Division, Assistant general counsel of China Harbour Engineering Head Office in Beijing & commercial and legal Department director for the Fourth Bridge Over the Panama Canal Project in Panama. | China Harbour Engineering Company

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Cécile Russeil - France 2022

Chief legal officer | Ubisoft Entertainment

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Nasser Al-Taweel - Middle East 2022

Deputy CEO and chief legal officer | Qatar Financial Centre Authority

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Dr. Yasser Aboismail - Middle East 2022

General counsel and head of compliance, MENA - global lead compliance culture and training | Schindler

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Denisse Becerra - Miami 2022

General counsel and chief compliance officer | PayJoy

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Taylor Kessel - Miami 2022

Senior Vice President, General Counsel & Secretary | Xenia Hotels & Resorts

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Yissel De Leon - Dominican Republic 2022

Corporate legal manager | Aeropuertos Dominicanos Siglo XXI (AERODOM)

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Célia Marie Chausse - Austria 2022

Deputy head of unit for investment screening | Federal Ministry for Digital and Economic Affairs

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Barbara Renssen - Benelux 2022

General counsel | VolkerWessels Bouw & Vastgoed Ontwikkeling

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David van Passel - Benelux 2022

Assistant general counsel | Johnson & Johnson

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Marije Janssen - Benelux 2022

General counsel | Royal Reesink

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Simone Massenti - Italy 2022

Vice president legal affairs Italy | AstraZeneca

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Henrik Rasmussen - Denmark 2022

General counsel & head of corporate affairs | VKR Holding A/S

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Karen Wilson Thissen - United States 2019

Executive vice president and general counsel | Ameriprise Financial

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Jesse A. Lynn - United States 2019

General counsel | Icahn Enterprises

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Russell Libby - United States 2019

Senior vice president and general counsel | Sysco

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Marc Kesselman - United States 2019

General counsel, corporate secretary and chief government affairs officer | Yum Brands

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Number of years practice: 12 Principal practice areas: Capital markets Bar admissions: New York Languages spoken: English, Spanish Outside of Grissel Mercado’s capital markets work, she is involved with Abogadas...

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What are the most significant cases and/or transactions that your legal team has been involved with in the last two years? The India legal team deals with a wide array...

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Can you briefly explain how the legal team is structured, highlighting key individuals and their role within the department? My direct reports are responsible for supporting all business structures mainly...

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Konstantin Sassen - Germany 2019

General counsel | Sybac Solar Group

The growth of solar power’s importance in meeting global energy demands seems destined to increase rapidly in coming years, and Sybac Solar’s general counsel Konstantin Sassen has been a legal...

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Formerly an attorney with Allen & Overy and a legal counsel for UBS, Ksenia Gräfin von Bassewitz moved to a digital capital markets start-up Acatus in late 2017. She hit...

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Nasser Al-Taweel - Middle East 2019

Chief legal officer and board secretary | Qatar Financial Centre Authority

Since his appointment in 2015 as Qatar Financial Centre Authority (QFCA’s) chief legal officer, Nasser Al-Taweel has restructured the company’s legal operations to build an award winning well-respected legal team....

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Dr Yasser Aboismail - Middle East 2019

General counsel and compliance officer, MENA | Schindler Group

Formerly chief legal counsel for the Middle East and Africa at Eaton Corporation, Dr Yasser Aboismail joined Schindler Group in August 2016 as general counsel and compliance officer for the...

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Russell F. Coleman  - United States 2019

Executive vice president, general counsel, corporate secretary and government affairs | Dean Foods

A Fortune 500 company, Dean Foods is a food and beverage company with 16,000 employees and annual sales of approximately $8bn. In 2016, the firm hired the highly experienced Russell...

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Sajid Hussein - United Kingdom 2019

Banks and professional services | Bank of America Merrill Lynch

Team size: 150+ Major law firms used: Allen & Overy, Clifford Chance, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Linklaters, Shearman & Sterling, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom GC Powerlist regular Sajid Hussein...

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Practice areas: Capital markets Bar admissions: New York Languages spoken: English and Spanish Grissel Mercado is a partner in Shearman & Sterling’s capital markets group where she advises issuers and...

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Based in: London Principal practice areas: M&A, projects Admissions: England and Wales Having worked on some of the largest M&A transactions ever seen in the African energy sector, Mark Russell...

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Based in: Paris Principal practice areas: M&A, projects Bar admissions: Paris, Australia Other admissions: England & Wales, Australia With over 25 years of experience advising on several global matters, Christophe...

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Terence Rasmussen - United States Rising Stars 2014

Assistant general counsel | CarMax, Inc.

‘Definitely a leader in his field’, Terence handles all aspects of employee benefits at the US’s largest used car retailer, CarMax. ‘Terence is able to balance the constantly changing legal...

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Following its takeover by Zürcher Kantonalbank, legal team at Swisscanto Asset Management has recently adopted a new structure and assumed various new responsibilities. However, based on the legal requirements of...

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Pictet Asset management considers itself a ‘flat’ organisation, with legal team members interacting on a day-to-day basis directly with both operational staff and senior management. The team of 15 lawyers,...

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Headed by general counsel Romeo Cerutti, the legal team at Credit Suisse has had substantial contribution in recent years by successfully guiding the company through persisting challenges occurring in the...

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As one of the largest insurance groups in Switzerland, Allianz Suisse is among the entities most affected by the increasingly tight regulatory focus on market conduct. Headed by general counsel...

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Faz Hussen - Southeast Asia 2017

General counsel and director, legal, government relations and communications | McDonald’s Singapore

In the wake of increasingly strict quotas on migrant labour, retailers in Singapore have had to change their approach to finding and recruiting staff. For McDonald’s regional general counsel, Faz...

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A Russia-wide power company, Rosseti was formed in the wake of the reorganisation of the Russian State power producer RAO UES. Still owned in large part by the Russian State,...

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The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson - Peru Teams 2019

| The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson

Janssen is the result of the merger of two pharmaceutical research companies, Janssen Pharmaceutical and Cilag, both groups belonging to the Johnson & Johnson group of companies. In 2010, the...

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Described as being ‘key in creating robust systems and procedures’ for real estate transactions leading to a decrease in reliance on external legal counsel, senior lawyer Jacob Kruse Rasmussen heads...

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Jesper Rasmussen - Nordics 2015

Project director- Area & Rights | Odense Letbane P/S│Odense Tramway

The Odense Tramway is a construction company with the sole purpose of building the tramway in Odense, therefore the company did not initially invest in a legal department, until about...

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Henrik Rasmussen - Nordics 2015

General counsel & head of corporate affairs | VKR Holding A/S

Established in 1941, VKR Holding, parent to an international group of companies, specialise in the development, manufacturing and sales of windows, natural ventilation and solar systems. They are located in...

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Anders Bryde Rasmussen - Nordics 2015

Head of legal | Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken (SEB)

Anders Bryde Rasmussen, head of legal at SEB, is described as ‘a bright lawyer and an excellent and ambitious head of his team’. He has a wealth of legal experience...

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Siddig Hussein - Middle East 2015

chief legal advisor | Al Rajhi Bank, Saudi Arabia

Worth $71.2bn, Al Rajhi Bank is one of the largest Islamic finance institutions in the world. ‘One of the prominent legal scholars of our generation’, Siddig Hussein has led significant...

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Yasser Abo Ismail - Middle East 2015

chief legal counsel | MENA, Eaton, United Arab Emirates

Heading all legal operations across MENA and North Africa, Yasser Abo Ismail joined the company to take up the ‘exceptional opportunity’ of helping to establish new business hubs in Dubai...

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Thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions (México) - Mexico Teams 2019

| Thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions (México)

ThyssenKrupp Industrial Solutions México, a major force in the Mexican industrial manufacturing sector, has a high quality in-house legal team led by Mexico and Central America legal director Rodrigo Pérez...

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Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets (MIRA) - Mexico Teams 2019

| Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets (MIRA)

The legal team at Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets (MIRA) in Mexico is led by Roman Ajzen, a well-regarded US-trained lawyer, who is general counsel of FIBRA Macquarie Mexico and...

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thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions (México) - Mexico Teams 2017

| thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions (México)

On 1 April 2014 thyssenkrupp Uhde Mexico and Polysius of Mexico merged into a single company to form thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions Mexico. As thyssenkrupp is still headquartered in Germany, Mexican...

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Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets (MIRA) - Mexico Teams 2017

| Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets (MIRA)

Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets (MIRA) is a leading global alternative asset manager specialising in infrastructure funds, other real asset funds and customised accounts. The most senior lawyer for MIRA...

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Carlos Hassey Artigas - Mexico 2016

Vice president - legal, finance and fleet | Aeroméxico

A specialist aviation lawyer, Carlos Hassey Artigas has accumulated experience which is multifaceted in nature as it includes regulatory, commercial, tax, and liability issues. His legal career began as an...

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Ulisse Spada - Italy 2016

general counsel | Piaggio & C. SpA

Having made ‘substantial changes’ to the Piaggio group legal department, Ulisse Spada presides over a function organised into three main areas of practice, marking a change to the previous structure...

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Simone Massenti - Italy 2016

vice president legal affairs Italy | AstraZeneca

Simone Massenti is vice president of legal affairs for Italy at the multinational pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca. With a wealth of in-house legal experience and strong expertise in the pharmaceuticals sector,...

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National Asset Management Agency (NAMA) - Ireland Teams 2016

| National Asset Management Agency (NAMA)

Headquartered in ‎Tralee‎, public food company Kerry Group control some of Ireland’s most well-known brands including Wall’s, Mattessons and Cheesestrings. Posting a revenue figure of €6bn in 2015 and employing...

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Filipe Hasse Ferreira - Iberia 2016

Executive director of legal | Haitong Bank

‘The biggest achievement of my career is to feel, on a day-to-day basis that my colleagues from other areas of the bank, as well as board members ask for my...

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Dirk Gasse - Germany 2014

Director legal | Globalfoundries

Dirk Gasse is director of legal at Globalfoundries, a US semi-conductor manufacturer which until 2009 had been part of US chip manufacturer Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) and is now owned...

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Cécile Russeil - France 2016

chief legal officer | Ubisoft

Cécile Russeil first joined video game developer and publisher Ubisoft in 1990, as personal assistant to the CEO. Without a legal background or training she started working on all major...

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Jérémy Rousseau - France 2016

Deputy general counsel – Diversification | TF1 Group

Jérémy Rousseau joined the litigation department of TF1, a private French television channel, in 2001 where he dealt with the contentious press, criminal offences and the litigation for the business’...

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Philippe Chavasse - France 2016

deputy general counsel | Fives Group

Philippe Chavasse has, with the assistance of the IT services of Fives Group, interweaved technology modernisation throughout the legal department. A software application allows him to have a clear interpretation...

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HRADF‘s establishment in 2011 in order to manage a large number of state assets has been successful in creating public wealth through privatisation of government assets. ‘Acting with a high...

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Comprised of six lawyers, the Medellín-based regional legal team at SURA Asset Management is tasked with implementing strategic projects and transactions for the company and forming synergies with legal teams...

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Janssen-Cilag Pharmaceutical is a subsidiary of the Johnson & Johnson pharmaceutical company, founded in the early 1990s after a merger between Janssen Pharmaceutical and Cilag. Led by legal director Felipe...

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Scott Dresser - Benelux 2019

Group general counsel | Veon

Highly recognised for his contribution to the media, technology and telecoms sectors, Scott Dresser has gained an unparalleled reputation for leadership in complex corporate transformations. Dresser, who oversees VEON’s 300-strong...

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Faz Hussen - Southeast Asia 2019

General counsel | McDonald’s Singapore

In line with the company’s ethos of win, lead and serve, Faz Hussen’s legal team at McDonald’s has been concerned with post-deal consolidation following the major S$400m deal for 20-year...

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Cedric Bossert - Switzerland 2018

General counsel | Richemont

Cedric Bossert has been in charge of the Richemont legal team, offering integral support that allows Richemont Maisons to enter new markets swiftly and effectively. Richemont is the Swiss owner...

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Asseco Poland is the largest software producer listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange, and is also one of the largest producers of software globally, operating in 43 countries. One of...

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Kommunal Landspensjonskasse Gjensidig Forsikringsselskap (KLP) - Norway Teams 2018

| Kommunal Landspensjonskasse Gjensidig Forsikringsselskap (KLP)

KLP is Norway’s largest life insurance and pension company with an annual turnover of NOK 650bn and almost 1,000 employees. It offers a wide range of pension, life insurance and...

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Markus Ratz, head of legal transactions EMEA for UBS Asset Management has been taking an innovative approach to its use of external counsel: ‘We decided to set up an exclusive...

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The 210-strong thyssenkrupp legal function has been a powerful force for innovation within the company, as group general counsel Arne Wittig explains: ‘During the past two years, thyssenkrupp’s legal department...

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Comprising of 20 lawyers across Singapore and Hong Kong that cover all of the Asia Pacific jurisdictions, the Credit Suisse Global Markets legal team provide legal, regulatory and transactional support...

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Power Assets Holdings, a Hong Kong based investment company, through HK Electric Investments and CK Hutchinson Group, holds 33.37% of The Hong Kong Electric Company (HK Electric). Founded in 1889,...

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Grupo SURA is the holding company of the Colombian financial conglomerate Conglomerado Financiero SURA-Bancolombia, as well as the controlling company of the Grupo SURA business group (“Grupo Empresarial SURA”) which...

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China Cinda Asset Management’s legal team is regarded as among the very best in the Chinese market, winning an industry award for best in-house legal team in the state-owned enterprise...

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With offices in 17 countries and with business activities in 50 countries, the Pictet Asset management legal team is spread across Geneva, Luxembourg, London and Hong Kong with heads of...

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Credit Suisse occupies a highly prominent position in Switzerland’s financial market, as a renowned and leading multinational investment bank and financial services. Its legal team is led by general counsel...

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China Shandong Hi-Speed Financial Group (CSFG), the parent of CSFG International Asset Management, is a financial holding institution listed on the main board of Hong Kong Stock Exchange since April...

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Credit Suisse (Hong Kong) – Investment Banking and Capital Markets (IBCM) - Hong Kong Teams 2019

| Credit Suisse (Hong Kong) – Investment Banking and Capital Markets (IBCM)

Leading a team of six lawyers, David Chu is the managing director and head of Credit Suisse’s IBCM team in Asia Pacific, as well as the general counsel for Hong...

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China Orient Asset Management (International) Holding - Hong Kong Teams 2019

| China Orient Asset Management (International) Holding

Described by a nominator as ‘technically sound with strong business skills to boot’, head of legal at China Orient Asset Management (International) Holding Jin Zhai has oversight of all of...

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The National Asset Management Agency (NAMA) has one of the largest in-house legal teams in Ireland, with 48 individuals across four divisions: residential delivery; deleveraging; litigation, asset management and investments;...

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Formed in September 2016, Sparkasse’s legal team is focused on providing legal advice to all business units of the bank and covers all aspects of banking and financial law, litigations...

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thyssenkrupp, a diversified industrial group with a global turnover of approximately €39bn (2015-16) is headquartered in Essen, Germany. In India, thyssenkrupp has grown to become one of the most trusted...

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Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets (MIRA) Asia - Southeast Asia Teams 2018

| Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets (MIRA) Asia

With an ethos conducive to delivering commercially-driven advice with efficient handling of the company’s legal matters, MIRA Asia’s legal team play an integral role for the world’s largest infrastructure asset...

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Credit Suisse – Investment Banking and Capital Markets Division - Southeast Asia Teams 2018

| Credit Suisse - Investment Banking and Capital Markets Division

Credit Suisse’s Asia Pacific investment banking and capital markets (IBCM) division is renowned in financial circles for its effectiveness, underpinned by the support of a top-quality legal team. Director Adrian...

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Carlos Hassey Artigas - Mexico 2018

Senior vice president legal and deputy general counsel | Grupo Aeroméxico

Carlos Hassey Artigas is an integral member of the Grupo Aeroméxico in-house legal team in his position of senior vice president legal and deputy general counsel, and lays out the...

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Odysseas Frenaritis - Greece and Cyprus 2018

Senior legal advisor | Hermes Airports

Hermes Airports manages and controls Larnaka International Airport and Pafos International Airport under a 25 year Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) concession agreement made with the Republic of Cyprus in 2006. Odysseas Frenaritis...

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Filipe Hasse Ferreira - Iberia 2018

Executive director, CEO office, credit advisory | Haitong Bank

Haitong Bank is a Chinese financial institution that is one of the leading investment banks and securities firms in China, and has a wide range of investment banking services for...

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Cécile Russeil - France 2018

Chief legal officer | Ubisoft

Cécile Russeil has had an incredibly long and successful time with Ubisoft, having spent over 27 years with the company which has taken up the entirety of her career. Now...

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Philippe Chavasse - France 2018

General counsel | Fives

Philippe Chavasse’s journey within Fives, a French company specialised in the export of equipment, plants and turnkey projects, has been extremely noteworthy and impressive. He started his career as a...

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Coralie Bouscasse - France 2018

Group general counsel | Safran

In the position of group general counsel at major aerospace, defence and technology powerhouse Safran since June 2016, Coralie Bouscasse’s career began in earnest in 1985, when she became deputy...

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Since it was founded in 1991, the South Africa-based asset management arm of Investec has developed a worldwide reputation for market-leading investment products. The company has grown rapidly and, as...

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Genanaw Assefa - Africa 2017

Vice president legal counsel and corporate secretariat | Ethiopian Airlines

Genanaw Assefa leads the legal team of Ethiopian Airlines, Africa’s largest and most profitable airline. Assefa joined Ethiopian Airlines in 2008 as assistant general counsel and worked his way up...

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Jacques Visser - Middle East 2017

Chief legal officer | Dubai International Financial Centre Authority

Jacques Visser heads the legal affairs division of the Dubai International Financial Centre Authority (DIFC Authority), and holds the position of secretary to the DIFC higher board and the boards...

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Hussein Saleh - Middle East 2017

Head of legal department | ALARGAN International Real Estate Company

A legal counsel with over 14 years of experience, Hussein Saleh has demonstrated a capacity to combine his knowledge and proficiency of different areas of the law to provide a...

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Siddig Hussein - Middle East 2017

Chief legal advisor | Al Rajhi Bank

A hugely experienced lawyer, Siddig Hussein has spent time in academic, private practice, legislative and in-house legal roles. As such, he contributes a wealth of experience to Al Rajhi Bank’s...

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Mona Hussein - Middle East 2017

Director – legal and compliance Middle East and North Africa | Adidas emerging markets

An expert in JVs, corporate, commercial and companies’ laws, franchise agreements and compliance matters, Mona Hussein has operated in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Kuwait during the course of her career....

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Nasser Al-Taweel - Middle East 2017

Chief legal officer & board secretary | Qatar Financial Centre

Nasser Al-Taweel’s rapid rise to his current position as chief legal officer and secretary to the board at the Qatar Financial Centre (QFC) Authority – preceded by a number of...

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About

For Britain’s second-largest energy supplier, 2017 was a year of upheaval after it unveiled an ambitious merger with Npower. For GC Liz Tanner and her legal team, the combination threw up numerous challenges, not least reorganising the team. Stuart Waddell, previously SSE’s head of legal for wholesale and corporate, will become director of legal services on a 12-month interim basis while Tanner and the rest of the team manage the Npower merger. Such is the scale of the integration task, Tanner is required to give it her full attention. Before the merger-induced shuffle, Waddell was one of six legal heads reporting to Tanner, alongside disputes head Gaby Dosanjh-Pahil, networks head Mark McLaughlin, data protection head Janet Cursi, enterprise head Brian Sharma and retail head Laura McVean. There are legal ramifications as well, with Tanner pointing to the ongoing Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) review process into the tie-up. A trading update for the third quarter of 2017 revealed that SSE had been in ‘pre-notification discussions’ with the CMA, but that the merger ‘remains on course to be completed by the last quarter of 2018 or the first quarter of 2019.’ A distinctive feature of Tanner’s team is the prominent use of secondees. She says: ‘We find secondments really useful because they give the lawyers something new and different to do for a period of time. We are shuffling the deck a bit and allowing lawyers to step into roles on a project, then they can step back. It’s about getting a wider understanding of the commercial pressures clients are under. We ensure the lawyers are invited to meetings so it breaks down the barriers between the in-house team and external lawyers.’ Aside from standard legal work, she says that her in-house team has been aided by a fresh focus on technology. ‘We are halfway through a project implementing a new document-management system, which gives us great auditing ability and the ability to track advice. We will be using it for all of our property, litigation and commercial matters. The system, coupled with our new billing, means our lawyers can work in an agile way. They’ve got full visibility of all their records on their laptops, iPads and remote devices.’

 

 

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