United Kingdom Rising Stars 2014
Supported by the Association of Corporate Counsel
The Legal 500 has been analysing the capabilities of law firms across the world for 28 years. In a new series, The Legal 500 is turning its attention to the in-house function, shining a spotlight on the role of corporate counsel, and in particular those individuals who are driving both legal business and the profession forwards.
The aim of the UK: Rising Stars is to highlight those standout performers coming into their own at major companies, typically but not exclusively during their 30s – the GCs of tomorrow if you like….read more
Given the relatively flat nature of the career structure below group GC level and the increasing breadth of the UK in-house profession, identifying and then narrowing down the field to 100 was obviously going to prove more challenging than highlighting a group of GCs who had already climbed to the top of their ladder.
Our research, which was led by Legal Business news editor Caroline Hill and reporters Francesca Fanshawe and Sarah Downey, went through several stages, beginning with the online collection of hundreds of individual nominations before we moved to directly canvassing senior figures in the profession. Inevitably, pulling together such a list is not an exact science once you go beyond the easy-to identify standout chief legal officers at major companies, but the breadth of nominations and weeks of research among our established contact base means we feel we’ve made a very credible start on which to build in future. To widen the scope of the project, we have also built on the core UK Powerlist itself to solicit commentary on the changing demands made of up-and-coming in-house counsel and to provide analysis of how the career outlook and opportunities of working with major corporates are evolving. To keep continuity with last year’s report and the 100 senior UK GCs we highlighted in 2013, this group was again canvassed for their input on the best mid-level talent on offer and how they as GCs are looking to develop more of this breed.
David Burgess
Publishing Director
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.
