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’s GC Summit Netherlands brought together leading in-house counsel and legal experts at The Renaissance in Amsterdam for a half-day of focused discussions and networking. The programme provided practical insights into how legal teams are adapting their roles amid growing geopolitical, technological, and regulatory pressures.
The event opened with a presentation by Mariken van Loopik, partner at Linklaters, who examined how geopolitical developments are reshaping expectations of legal advisers. The session highlighted the increasing need for both in-house and external counsel to adopt a more strategic approach, integrating compliance, risk management, and commercial awareness into their work.
The next session turned to the growing use of artificial intelligence in legal practice. Moderated by Allan Cohen, senior research editor at Legal 500, the panel featured Anastasia Scrève of LEGALFLY, Mateusz Wrzesinski of Barilla, and Gitte Groenewold-Wong of Prosus. The discussion focused on practical steps for using AI tools responsibly, with speakers addressing issues such as data protection, accountability, and day-to-day governance. Panellists shared approaches that help legal teams use technology effectively without compromising professional standards.
After a networking break, the summit moved to sustainability and reporting obligations in the session on legal pitfalls and climate reporting in 2025. Moderated by Daniella Strik, partner at Linklaters, the panel brought together Marco Frikkee of KPMG, Suzanne Debrichy of PostNL, and Anne-Lize van Dusseldorp of Aalberts N.V. The speakers discussed the legal risks associated with forward-looking climate statements, the challenges of preparing 2025 annual reports, and the practical decisions general counsel must navigate as climate-related disclosures expand.
The programme continued with a session on the evolving role of the general counsel, considering how senior in-house lawyers balance legal risk with wider organisational priorities. Speakers shared examples of how GCs contribute to business strategy, embed legal thinking into operational decisions, and support their organisations in fast-moving environments.
The summit concluded with a discussion on regulatory developments in the financial sector. Moderated by Allan Cohen, the session featured insights from Fleur de Roos of Fourthline and Mischa Menheere of Investancia Group. Panellists considered shifting supervisory expectations, cross-border complications, and emerging areas of regulatory focus, offering practical guidance for legal teams working in financial and corporate contexts.
We extend our sincere thanks to our headline sponsor, Linklaters, and to LEGALFLY for their support. We look forward to welcoming attendees again at the next edition of the GC Summit Netherlands.
