Tomorrow's Leaders 2026
Survey published
28 Apr 2026

IEL is proud to announce the publication of the 2026 Tomorrow’s Leaders thought-leadership survey.

This year’s survey features 34 experts from across five continents, selected based on their involvement in high-profile or innovative disputes, advisory projects, or deals during their first decade of practice – and are those who will be at the forefront of tomorrow’s employment and labour law challenges.

Below you will find links to their biographies and answers to some of the biggest workplace issues facing organisations worldwide.

Carmen Abad Peralta - Gómez-Acebo & Pombo
Carmen Abad
Gómez-Acebo & Pombo
Spain
Alicia Adefarasin
Alicia Adefarasin
Dentons ACAS-Law
Nigeria
Lakeisha Andress, Morgan Lewis
Lakeisha Andress
Morgan Lewis & Bockius
United States
Nina Bakovnik	-Jadek & Pensa
Nina Bakovnik
Jadek & Pensa
Slovenia
Omer Ben Weiss
Omer Ben Weiss
Herzog Fox & Neeman
Israel
Melisa Brower -A&O Shearman
Melisa Brower
A&O Shearman
United States
Jane Chan, Simmons & Simmons
Jane Chan
Simmons & Simmons
Hong Kong
Desmond Chng - Drew & Napier
Desmond Chng
Drew & Napier
Singapore
Emily Daly - Stephenson Harwood
Emily Daly
Stephenson Harwood
United Arab Emirates
Catharina Madalena de Araujo
Catharina Madalena de Araujo
Mattos Filho
Brazil
Sarah Faulkner - Arthur Cox
Sarah Faulkner
Arthur Cox
Ireland
Wolf Theiss' Isabel Firneis
Isabel Firneis
Wolf Theiss
Austria
Burness Paull Laura Fitzpatrick
Laura Fitzpatrick
Burness Paull
United Kingdom
Nicolai Haven Dyxenburg Bech Bruun
Nicolai Haven Dyxenburg
Bech-Bruun
Denmark
Rachel Hunter, Slaughter and May
Rachel Hunter
Slaughter and May
United Kingdom
Ariel Kovach - Squire Patton Boggs
Ariel Kovach
Squire Patton Boggs
United States
Lioba Lamers
Lioba Lamers
Littler
Germany
Annika Legenfeld - Picnic
Annika Legenfeld
Picnic
Germany
Silvia Locantore Simmons & Simmons
Silvia Locantore
Simmons & Simmons
Italy
Jordyne Loser - Uber
Jordyne Löser
Uber
South Africa
Victoria Middleditch Dentons
Victoria Middleditch
Dentons
United Kingdom
Sıla Özge Şaylı
Sıla Özge Şaylı
KST Law in cooperation with Kinstellar
Turkey
Hannah Ring - Mishcon de Reya
Hannah Ring
Mishcon de Reya
United Kingdom
Geoffrey Roche Capstan
Geoffrey Roche
Capstan
France
Habib Saeed - Squire Patton Boggs
Habib Saeed
Squire Patton Boggs
United Arab Emirates
Marcin Sanetra PCS
Marcin Sanetra
PCS
Poland
Iryna Shaposhnikova
Iryna Shaposhnikova
Kinstellar
Ukraine
Ben Smith - Littler
Ben Smith
Littler
United Kingdom
Katherine Taunton
Katherine Taunton
11KBW
United Kingdom
Matteo Tola Freshfields
Matteo Tola
Freshfields
Italy
Emma Tullberg Seyfarth
Emma Tullberg
Seyfarth Shaw
United Kingdom
Rachel Wilson - YouGov
Rachel Wilson
YouGov
United Kingdom
Annabelle Wong Fidelity
Annabelle Wong
Fidelity International
Hong Kong