ESQ Nigerian Legal Awards Releases Shortlists for 2022 Award

The organisers of the Nigerian Legal Awards have announced the shortlists for the 12^th edition of the Nigerian Legal Awards. The award is scheduled for Sunday, 6^th November, 2022 at the Landmark Event Centre, Oniru, Lagos.

Speaking with journalists in Lagos, Lere Fashola, Organiser of the Awards, stated that this year’s award received nominations from well over 60 law firms and corporate In-House Legal Departments out of which the shortlists have been made. The next step will be the review and selection of the winners by a panel of Judges headed by Cecilia Akintomide, Former Vice President of the African Development Bank and includes Heads of African Practice Groups of International Law Firms in UK, South Africa, US, Canada and Europe. Among the judges are Kamal Shah, Head of India and Africa at Stephenson Harwood LLP, Kem Ihenacho, Head of Africa Practice Group at Latham and Watkins LLP among others.

ESQ Nigerian Legal Awards celebrates the important contribution of lawyers to businesses. Over the years, the award has become an important recognition of achievement for lawyers, and the quantity and quality of entries received annually indicate that the accolades are valued highly by the industry.

“All over the world, there are similar respectable ceremonies that grant prizes but this offer another flavour as it is specifically for Nigerian lawyers and because most Nigerian firms are playing at home, in front of their public, their audience, their clients, their colleagues, their neighbours, their bosses, the acknowledgment is even greater.”

“At ESQ, we are the first witnesses of change, innovation, and continuity in the legal profession in Nigeria. As we stick very closely to the new trends in the market, we are able to see before anyone else and spot the new “kids on the block”, see how the “old guys” are doing in their traditional areas of practice or in new areas in which they are developing and see what innovations the new players are bringing to the game as well as the influence of the diaspora in the market.”

“However, this acknowledgment is not only local. Nigeria’s international resonance results in greater exposure for the participants.”

The ESQ Nigerian Legal Awards will honour outstanding law firms and legal professionals in Nigeria and in the diaspora. The Award reflects pre-eminence in key transactions, practice areas, and achievements over the last twelve months, including notable work, strategic growth, excellence and innovation in client service, advancement in technology, and contribution to the legal profession at large. The award is based on the legal deals or unique contributions to legal business in Nigeria within a period of twelve months. The award will recognize and honour novel deals/transactions across different sectors and the In-House team as well as the law firms who were involved in structuring the deals.

With a potential of over 1,000 participants, the ESQ Nigerian Legal Awards dinner attracts the ones who count in the legal sector. The Award night, which is a glittering event of class and colour, will gather the biggest names from the legal world and it provides a unique networking opportunity.

The ESQ Nigerian Legal Awards represents the first and the most prestigious category of Legal Awards in the history of the Nigerian Legal business. It is organised by ESQ Trainings Limited, Publishers of ESQ Legal Practice Magazine, and has been endorsed by the Nigerian Bar Association, the British Nigerian Law Forum, and the Nigerian Lawyers Association (US).

These categories include: Corporate Services, Corporate Governance and Compliance, Employment, Immigration and Incentives, Energy and Natural Resources, Financial Institutions Advisory, Infrastructure Finance and PPP, Intellectual Property, International Trade, Litigation, Dispute Resolution & Risk Management, Mergers & Acquisitions, Private Equity, Privatization & Public Procurement, Real Estate, Tax, Telecommunications, etc.

The finalists for the various categories of the Award are listed below:

Practice Based Category

Aviation team of the year

1. Bloomfield
2. Stark Legal

Dispute Resolution team of the year

1. Alliance Law Firm
2. Bloomfield Law Firm
3. DLA Piper Africa
4. DOA
5. G Elias
6. Solola & Akpana
7. J-K Gadzama LLP
8. Famsville Solicitors
9. BRIDGEFORTE ATTORNEYS
10. Royal Heritage
11. Udo Udoma & Belo Osaige

Insolvency team of the year

1. Alliance Law Firm
2. Royal Heritage
3. Aluko & Oyebode

Law Firm of the Year (Mid practice)

1. Bloomfield
2. DOA
3. Solola & Akpana
4. AO2LAW
5. Wigwe & Partners

Managing Partner of the Year (Small practice)

1. Ayobamidele Akande (Stark Legal)
2. Saadatu Hamu Aliyu (Hamu Legal)
3. Similoluwa Fashanu (BFA & Co)

Oil and Gas team of the year

1. Bloomfield Law Firm
2. Detail Commercial Solicitors
3. G Elias
4. Olaniwun Ajayi
5. ODUJINRIN AND ADEFULU

Regional Law Firm of the Year

1. J-K Gadzama LLP
2. Messrs Orbs and Sceptres P.
3. Solola & Akpana

Banking and Finance team of the year

1. Advocaat Law
2. Aelex
3. Alliance Law Firm
4. Bloomfield Law Practice
5. Detail Commercial Solicitors
6. DLA Piper
7. DOA
8. Jackson, Etti and Edu
9. Olaniwun Ajayi
10. Odujinrin and Adefulu
11. SOLOLA & AKPANA
12. Udo Udoma & Belo Osaige

Energy and Power team of the year

1. Aluko & Oyebode
2. Detail Commercial Solicitors
3. G Elias
4. Hamu Legal
5. Olaniwun Ajayi
6. SOLOLA & AKPANA
7. Udo Udoma & Belo Osaige
8. Grey Chapel

Intellectual Property team of the year

1. Aelex
2. Aluko & Oyebode
3. DOA
4. G Elias
5. Jackson, Etti and Edu
6. Olaniwun Ajayi

Law Firm of the Year (Small Practice)

1. Stark Legal
2. Hamu Legal
3. EDOIGIAWERIE AND COMPANY LP
4. BFA & Co Legal

Media and Entertainment team of the year

1. Alliance Law Firm
2. BFA & Co Legal
3. Bloomfield Law Practice

Practice Administrator of the Year (Large Practice)

1. Nana Dare (G Elias)

Practice Administrator of the Year (Mid Practice)

1. Funmi Olayinka-Emmanuel (Wigwe & Partners)

Shipping and Maritime team of the year

1. Bloomfield LP
2. Foundation Chambers

Capital Market team of the year

1. DOA
2. Aelex
3. Alliance Law Firm
4. Aluko & Oyebode
5. Bloomfield Law Practice
6. Detail Commercial Solicitors
7. Hamu Legal
8. Olaniwun Ajayi
9. G Elias
10. Grey Chapel
11. Wigwe & Partners

Labour and Employment team of the year

1. Aelex
2. Bloomfield
3. G Elias
4. Jackson, Etti and Edu
5. Olaniwun Ajayi
6. Famsville Solicitors
7. Royal Heritage

Managing Partner of the Year (Large Practice)

1. Dr. Adeoye Adefulu (Odujinrin & Adefulu)

Merger & Acquisition

1. Advocaat Law Practice
2. Aluko & Oyebode
3. Bloomfield
4. Detail Commercial Solicitors
5. DLA Piper
6. DOA
7. Jackson, Etti and Edu
8. Olaniwun Ajayi
9. Royal Heritage
10. Udo Udoma & Belo Osaige

Private Equity team of the year

1. Aluko & Oyebode
2. Detail Commercial Solicitors
3. DOA
4. G Elias
5. Jackson, Etti and Edu
6. Udo Udoma & Belo Osaige

Telecommunication and Technology team of the year

1. Adovcaat Law Practice
2. Aelex
3. Bloomfield Lp
4. Detail commercial Solicitors
5. DOA
6. Stark Legal
7. Olaniwun Ajayi
8. Aluko & Oyebode

Corporate and Commercial team of the year

1. Alliance Law Firm
2. Famsville
3. Bloomfield LP
4. DOA
5. Detail Commercial Solicitors
6. Solola & Akpana
7. BRIDGEFORTE ATTORNEYS

Immigration team of the year

1. Bloomfield Lp
2. Famsville Solicitors
3. Jackson, Etti and Edu

Law Firm (large practice)

1. Advocaat law Practice
2. G Elias
3. Udo Udoma & Belo Osaige
4. Aluko & Oyebode

Managing Partner (Mid Practice)

1. Adeleke Alex-Adedipe (DOA)
2. Esosa Omo-Usoh (Solola & Akpana)
3. Uchechukwu Valentine Obi, SAN (Alliance Law Firm)
4. Oladele Oladunjoye (Grey Chapel)
5. Uche Wigwe (Wigwe & Partners)

Mining team of the year

1. Aluko & Oyebode
2. G Elias

Real Estate and Construction team of the year

1. Aluko & Oyebode
2. Bloomfield Lp
3. Detail commercial Solicitors
4. Stark Legal
5. Solola & Akpana
6. DLA Piper
7. G Elias
8. Jackson, Etti and Edu
9. Famsville Solicitors
10. Grey Chapel
11. Royal Heritage
12. Wigwe & Partners

                               Corporate In-house Category

General Counsel of the Year

1. AYOKUNLE AYOKO (Berger Paints Nigeria Plc)
2. Blessing Adedokun (Northwest Petroleum and Gas Company Limited)
3. Irene ROBINSON-AYANWALE (Nigerian Exchange Limited)

Capital Market and Investment

1. Nigerian Exchange Limited
2. Infracredit
3. UBA Capital
4. Stanbic IBTC Capital

Corporate Governance

1. JCS CLIENT SERVICES 2. DCSL

Corporate Restructuring

1. JCS CLIENT SERVICES
2. DCSL

Energy and Power

1. Eko Electricity Distribution Plc
2. Daystar Power Group
3. Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company Ltd
4. Abuja Electricity Distribution Company Ltd

Infrastructure

1. IHSTowers
2. Julius Berger

Media and Entertainment

1. Ebony Life Media
2. Film One
3. Multichoice
4. Channels TV

Oil and Gas

1. Shell Companies
2. Oando
3. Seplat Petroleum Development Company
4. Total Nigeria

Telecommunication

1. IHSTowers
2. MTN
3. AIRTEL
4. Mainone Cable
5. Phase3 Telecom

This year’s edition of the award promises to be exciting and outstanding as more law firms will be participating at the event and lots of notable personalities will also be in attendance. The 12^th ESQ Nigerian Legal Awards will be held on Sunday, 6^th November 2021 at Landmark Event center, Oniru Lagos.