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
On July 8th, Legal 500, in exclusive partnership with PLMJ, proudly unveiled a new edition of the GC Powerlist: Portugal, this time marking the first-ever Teams issue. Hosted at PLMJ’s Lisbon office, the highly anticipated event brought together the country’s most prominent and accomplished corporate legal teams to celebrate this important milestone.
Over 120 general counsel and senior in-house lawyers attended the evening reception, representing leading legal departments across Portugal. The event began with a warm welcome from Francisco Castro, Legal 500’s editorial lead for the publication. In his opening remarks, Francisco set the tone for the evening by emphasising the significance of this new format, which shifts the spotlight from individuals to entire teams. He noted that in today’s fast-evolving business landscape, in-house legal departments play a central role in their organisations’ success – and the publication seeks to reflect the strength and collaboration of Portugal’s in-house legal community.
Next to speak was Bruno Ferreira, Managing Partner at PLMJ, who delivered heartfelt congratulations to those selected for the GC Powerlist: Portugal Teams 2025. In his address, he highlighted the indispensable role in-house legal teams play in supporting business operations and advancing legal excellence. His words served as a strong endorsement of the value, resilience, and strategic insight these teams bring to the table.
Concluding the speeches was Daniela Silva e Sousa, General Counsel at Start Campus, who delivered a compelling keynote address. Speaking to her peers, she reinforced the growing importance of legal departments in shaping the future of their organisations and helping them navigate complexity and innovation.
Overall, the launch of the GC Powerlist: Portugal Teams 2025 was a resounding success – an evening of recognition, reflection, and celebration. It not only honoured the exceptional talent within the in-house legal community but also reaffirmed Legal 500’s commitment to showcasing the remarkable contributions of legal professionals across Portugal.
On behalf of Legal 500, we extend our sincere thanks to PLMJ for their continued partnership. We look forward to returning to Lisbon in October for the GC Summit: Portugal 2025.
