The LegalPower List
The most consequential decisions a company makes often run through its top lawyer, and the team behind them. To open this series, we’re recognizing 20 General Counsel and Chief Legal Officers, and the teams they lead, shaping how the world’s most watched companies navigate risk, governance, and what comes next. This is a living recognition: the class grows as nominations come in and are vetted.
Paul Grewal
Former U.S. Magistrate Judge and ex-Meta Deputy GC, now the public face of crypto's regulatory war and one of the most prolific legal-leader voices on LinkedIn. Maximum reach plus maximum newsworthiness in one person.
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Ron Klain
Former White House Chief of Staff to President Biden, now Airbnb's CLO. Unmatched political-to-legal crossover narrative and instant name recognition.
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Tony West
Among the most decorated CLOs in tech: two-time Senate-confirmed DOJ official, former PepsiCo GC, and 2023 American Lawyer GC of the Year.
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Sabastian Niles
Rare combined President + CLO, ex-Wachtell partner, and a genuine thought-leader voice on responsible AI and governance.
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Che Chang
The lawyer at the literal center of the AI legal frontier — copyright litigation, novel IP and regulatory questions.
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Desiree Ralls-Morrison
Harvard Law, prominent Black woman GC at a global icon, public-company board member, and an active LinkedIn author.
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Horacio Gutierrez
A dream résumé arc (Microsoft → Spotify CLO → Disney's top lawyer), a Cuban-American success story, and the lawyer who steered Disney through the Florida battles.
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Halimah DeLaine Prado
General Counsel of one of the world's most scrutinized companies, with a compelling career-path story and an active public presence.
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Lisa Gok
Chief Legal Officer of Cetera Financial Group, a former SEC and DOJ attorney who tried 20+ jury trials, and the Los Angeles Business Journal's 2022 Corporate Counsel of the Year — a proven Counsel Collective partner.
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Jeff Bleich
Former U.S. Ambassador to Australia now GC at a frontier AI lab. Diplomacy-to-AI-governance narrative at one of the most-watched companies in tech.
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Stacey Friedman
Top lawyer at the world's most systemically important bank —one of the most consequential legal voices in global finance.
Hossein Nowbar
Newly elevated President & CLO at a leading enterprise-AI company — a fresh 'new top lawyer' hook with a strong AI-governance angle.
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David Hyman
Two decades steering Netflix's legal function through the streaming wars — and one of the highest-paid legal chiefs in America. A tenure-and-influence story.
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Erin Nealy Cox
Former U.S. Attorney now top lawyer at the world's largest retailer — a fresh-in-seat hook with a prosecutor-to-GC narrative and a public posting habit.
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Jennifer Newstead
The marquee legal lateral of 2026 — Meta CLO to Apple GC. Former State Dept Legal Adviser.
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Tim Teter
Top lawyer at the most valuable company of the AI boom, navigating export controls and geopolitics.
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David Zapolsky
Amazon's top legal-and-policy leader with a broad global-affairs mandate — a marquee logo and a wide-aperture role.
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Jennifer Hightower
Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer of Cox Enterprises, who steered the legal team to a unanimous 9-0 U.S. Supreme Court victory in a landmark internet-copyright case. A 26-year Cox veteran and an active, values-driven legal voice.
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Jessica Hodkinson
Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary of Panasonic North America, leading a global team of 80+ legal and compliance professionals across 37 businesses, and a vocal champion of legal innovation, digital transformation, and pro bono service.
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Jason Fiorillo
Chief Legal Officer of Boston Dynamics, who joined in 2019 when the company had 180 employees and no commercial products, and has led legal through the commercialization of Spot, Stretch, and the Atlas humanoid.
Read his Counsel Collective feature →Each leader here is a feature waiting to happen.
We’re recognizing 20 to start, and this series keeps growing as nominations come in and are vetted. Recognized here and want to tell your story? We’d love to talk. And if someone belongs in the next class, tell us.
