Award Set To Honour Legal Heavyweights

The 2019 edition of the Nigerian Legal Awards is set to recognise a host of legal luminaries across the country.

The Awards is convened by ESQ Legal Blitz, a platform projecting the achievements of legal players within Nigeria’s business law community.

At the Awards ceremony, which will hold on November 1 at the Landmark Event Centre in Lagos, Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo will be “recognized for his invaluable contribution to improving the nation’s economy and the development of business law in Nigeria as seen through his landmark contribution especially in the area of the Ease of Doing Business, which is geared towards the promotion of transparency, ethics and good governance in Africa’s biggest economy,” according to a statement from the organisers.

Similarly, Senior Vice-President and General Counsel of World Bank Group, Dr Sandie Okoro, will be recognized for her “tremendous contribution to the development of diversity and inclusion in the global legal community.”

Other legal heavyweights to be recognised include: 

, President of the National Council of the Nigerian Stock Exchange and Managing Partner of Chris Ogunbanjo LLP, Abimbola Ogunbanjo, Independent Non-Executive Director of FBN Holdings and Fmr. Vice President Secretary General of the African Development Bank, Cecilia Akintomide, Founding Partner of one of Nigeria’s most reputable firms, Adepetun Caxton-Martins Agbor & Segun (ACAS-LAW) and Chairman, Board of Directors, Standard Chartered Bank, Sola Adepetun, Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Edo State and Fmr. National Secretary to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Prof. Yinka Omorogbe, Managing Partner of Doyin Rhodes-Vivour, Adedoyin Rhodes-Vivour, and former Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association Section on Business Law, Olumide Akpata.

Previous editions of the Nigerian Legal Awards have recognized awardees like the late Justice Kayode Eso, first female President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Priscilla Kuye, the late Justice Chukwudifu Oputa, first female Senior Advocate of Nigerian, Folake Solanke, former Attorney General of Lagos State and first female General Counsel of the Nigerian Bar Association, Airat Balogun.

Some of this year’s award categories include: Law Firm of the Year, Managing Partner of the Year, Banking and Finance, Oil and Gas, Dispute Resolution, Private Equity, Real Estate and Construction, Capital Market, Intellectual Property, Shipping and Transport, Media and Entertainment, among others. 

Also of note, is the honouring of 40 under 40 Rising Stars which celebrates young lawyers who have been making giant strides within the Nigerian legal space.