Leading law firms in Nigeria who made the final shortlist of the Corporate Practice-Based Award of the year in the 4thannual Nigerian Legal Awards are set to battle for who will emerge the overall winner.
This year’s event which starts with a roundtable discussion on the theme Restructuring Vs Rebuilding: Bringing Back Life to the Nigerian Economy will hold on Friday, 7th October, 2016 at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos.
Hailed as one of the biggest and most competitive legal awards in Africa, the Nigerian Legal Awards, presented by ESQ Legal Practice, is a leading indigenous award honoring lawyers who have contributed very significantly to the growth of businesses in Nigeria.
This year’s edition is set to seat over 1, 000 participants including eminent Nigerians, CEOs, Regulators, Law Makers, international consultants and personalities from various fields.
So far over 30 law firms have been shortlisted from among over 100 law firms that were earlier nominated for the award. Among top contenders for the award are Aluko & Oyebode, ACAS-Law, Banwo & Ighodalo, Templars, Odujinrin and Adefulu, Streamsowers and Khon, Sefton Fross LLP, Consolex (Abuja), Compos Mentis (Warri), Solola and Akpana (Port Harcourt) Yusuf Ali SAN & Co (Ilorin), Udo Udoma and Bello Osagie, Ajumogobia and Okeke, Advisory Legal Consultants, Olisa Agbakoba, Alliance Law Firm, G. Elias & Co, SPA Ajibade, Jackson Etti and Edu, Sterling Partnership, Perchstones and Graeys, Chris Ogunbanjo & Co, Duale Ovia and Adedipe, Total Legal and others.
The Nigerian Legal Awards engages highly credible and transparent processes as it has on its judges panel Heads of African Practice Groups at leading International Law Firms based in the UK, CEOs, top senior executives, founding partners of national and multinational institutions, senior members of the Nigerian legal profession, international consultants, among others.
This panel is led by Dr Adesegun Akin-Olugbade MFR, Executive Director and Legal Adviser, Africa Finance Corporation. Among other members of the panel of Judges are Mrs Nankunda Katangaza— Mrs Nankunda Katangaza— Partner, Hook International, Mrs Oluwatoyin Sanni, MD/CEO of United Capital A Trustees and Chairperson of the Capital Market Operators, Mr Andrew Jones, Head, Africa Practice Group and Partner, Linklatters, London, Mr Mark Molyneux, Partner/Co-Head, Africa Business Group, Addleshaw Goddard LLP, MrsNina Bowyer, Global Co-Head, Africa Pratice Group, Herbert Smith Freehills LLP, MrKamal Shah, Head of Africa & India Groups, Stephenson Harwood LLP, Prof (Mrs) Yinka Omoregbe, Former General Counsel NNPC, Mr Babatunde Akinyanju, Chairman, British Nigerian Law Forum, UK, MrJohn Miles, Director of J miles & Co., Kenya, Mrs Abimbola Funke, Managing Counsel, UK and Ireland, Roche Products Ltd. Mr Kem Ihenacho, Partner, Lathman and Watkins (London), MrAdeyemi Johnson, CEO OpenSpaces Compliance Consultants Ltd., UK, Ms Remi Aiyela, Publisher, NOG Intelligence, Mrs Ibiyemi Ifederu, Company Secretary, Orange UK, and Dr Konyinsola Ajayi SAN, Managing Partner Olaniwun Ajayi LP, Nigeria.
The decision on the winner of any category of the awards lies solely on the votes and decisions of the judges. These rigorously transparent processes take the judges months of independent evaluations of the various submissions of the various law firms.
The final decision of who emerges overall winners is taken at a special round table event which will be held on 6th October 2016. This event will see judges from everywhere converge at a special location in Lagos to deliberate and justify who should be crowned winners.
Due to the transparency and rigorous evaluation, the past editions of the Nigerian Legal Awards have become a reference point, receiving commendations from past participants and winners. The 2015 event, anchored by leading Nigerian entertainer and comedian Ali Baba, had in attendance about 1000 participants including top senior citizens, executives of corporates, CEOs, managers and international delegates.
