ECLA extends Fougou’s mandate, signals strategic continuity
The European Company Lawyers Association (ECLA) has renewed its leadership team, unanimously reappointing Stéphanie Fougou as president for the next three years and naming Laure Lavorel and Teresa Mínguez as vice-presidents. Marcus M. Schmitt has been appointed director general.
The new leadership reflects the governance of the organisation, which represents more than 78,000 in-house lawyers across 25 member countries through its network of national associations. Founded in 1983, ECLA acts as the umbrella body for company lawyer associations in Europe.
“We recently held an extensive and highly productive strategic workshop in Poland, where we developed ECLA’s strategy for 2030 and beyond. That process has given the renewed leadership team a clear framework for guiding the association through a period of profound change for the profession”, said M. Schmitt to our newsroom.
The appointments come as in-house lawyers continue to take on broader roles in governance, compliance and business strategy across European organisations.
The profiles
Stéphanie Fougou serves as general counsel of HBX Group and has been leading ECLA as president since 2024. Her reappointment extends her mandate at a time when the organisation is increasing its involvement in European regulatory and policy discussions affecting in-house counsel.
Laure Lavorel is group general counsel of Broadcom Inc. and has been active in international in-house legal networks, bringing experience from a global technology company.
Teresa Mínguez is legal director, head of compliance and integrity at Porsche Ibérica and is currently a member of its management committee. She also serves as sixth deputy of the Ilustre Colegio de la Abogacía de Madrid (ICAM), where she is responsible for international affairs. Before joining ECLA’s leadership, Mínguez was a board member of ACC Europe (Association of Corporate Counsel Europe), where she also chaired the membership committee.
Marcus M. Schmitt, who continues in the role of director general, has been serving as director general of ECLA since 2017 and is responsible for the operations and advocacy of the association.
