The management of Legal Blitz Ltd., organisers of the annual ESQ Nigerian Legal Awards, has announced Sunday, November 4, 2018, as the date for hosting this year’s edition of the awards. To this end, Nigerian law firms and in-house legal department officials, involved in the successful execution of landmark commercial deals across various sector of the Nigerian economy, have been asked to send in their entries to avail them the opportunity of being nominated and possibly winning awards at this year’s edition.
According to Lere Fashola, CEO of Legal Blitz, the deadline for the submission of entries is August 15, 2018, after which a list of shortlisted nominees will be announced in September 2018. The ESQ Nigerian Legal Awards celebrates the important contribution of lawyers to the Nigerian economy.
Speaking further on the awards, Fashola said: “The ESQ Nigerian Legal Awards reflects pre-eminence in key transactions, practice areas, and achievements over a period of 12 to 18 months, including notable work, strategic growth, excellence in client service, and contribution to the legal profession at large.”
More details about nominations and categories of award can be found on www.esq-law.com/awards.
To ensure a credible selection process, the organizers constituted a judging panel comprising leading general counsels and business leaders with vast experience in their chosen sectors to oversee the selection of the entries. Chaired by Adesegun Akin-Olugbade, Executive Director and General Counsel of the Africa Finance Corporation, other members of the panel are: Andrew Jones Head, Africa Group and Partner, Linklatters, London; Andrew Balfour, Chairman, African Practice Group, Slaughter and May, UK; Mark Molyneux, Partner/Co-Head, Africa Business Group Addleshaw Goddard LLP; Nina Bowyer, Global Co-Head, Africa Practice Group; Chris Utting, Group General Counsel at Gemini Holding & Chief Legal Officer at LaMancha mining company and Knoor Kapdi, Chief Executive Officer, Africa Region, Dentons.
The judging panel also includes Solomon Osagie, Chief Legal Counsel at TSYS International; John Miles, Director of Jmiles & Co., Kenya; Solomon Wifa, Partner Willkie Farr & Gallagher (UK) LLP; Kem Ihenacho, Partner, Lathman and Watkins (London); Edmund Boyo, Co-Head Africa Practice Group, Clifford Chance and Prof. Yinka Omorogbe, Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Edo State, Nigeria
Also making up the judging panel are: Babatunde Akinyanju, Legal Adviser, HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS), UK; Ms Remi Aiyela, Partner, Gunnercooke LLP, London; Scott Cowan, founding Partner, African Legal Jobs, UK; Aarti Shah, Head of Government Relations in emerging markets, The Cobalt Partners; Moray Mclaren, Partner, Lexington Consultants and Stephen Blundell, Head of Acritas Advisors at Acritas.
The 2018 edition of the ESQ Nigerian Legal Awards will also mark the second edition of the 40 under 40 Young Lawyers Achievers category which was introduced last year. This recognition is in a bid to encourage young lawyers to develop the value of diligence, eye for goals, commitment, team spirit and self-development.
As the name connotes, the ‘40 UNDER 40’ category of the Nigerian legal awards seeks to celebrate 40 Nigerian lawyers who are under the age 40 and below and are making significant contributions to the growth of businesses and economy in Nigeria.
Nominees under this category are required to be under the age of 40 and have up till August 30, 2018, to submit their entries. Nomination for this award can be done through law firms, organizations and self-nominations.
This year’s edition of the ESQ Nigerian Legal Awards will hold at the Landmark Event Centre, Oniru, Lagos.
