Finalists: Priti Shetty, ICICI Bank (highly commended).

Credit Suisse's senior legal counsel Paul Lanois was announced as general counsel of the year for steering the bank through a number of complex global issues, not least its digital ambitions.

Colleagues say Lanois is a rare breed of lawyer who actually understands technology and its practical uses, working closely on the launch of the bank's revamped online banking platform and tablet application, and lending guidance on new hi-tech services such as video ID and robo-advisory tools. That technical expertise also meant GDPR compliance was a cinch, giving the bank clear and specific advice on what needed to be done.

As well as managing five lawyers and overseeing issues related to cross-border laws and regulations, Lanois is also the go-to expert for cybersecurity law, data management and privacy (advising on matters such as cloud-based data hosting, data analytics, behavioural advertising and privacy-by-design strategies). Other colleagues laud Lanois for his careful, rigorous and thoughtful approach to both the legal and business pressures the bank faces.

"During this challenging year, Paul has shown a lot of hard and soft skills to manage in an excellent manner the internal and external legal challenges for the bank," another colleague praised.

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