2022: ESQ Nigerian Legal Awards Announces Nominees In 36 Categories

*2022 Awards Set To Hold 6th Of November
*Esq Nigerian Legal Awards Recognized My Untapped Potentials And Aspirations – Nigerian Exchange General Counsel, Irene Robinson-Ayanwale

The General Counsel of Nigerian Exchange Plc, Mrs. Irene Robinson-Ayanwale has spoken on the impact of the Nigerian Legal Awards on her legal career and organization.

The Nigerian Legal Awards hosted annually by ESQ Legal has over the years recognised talented lawyers and excellent law firms shaping the landscape of the legal profession in Nigeria.

As the countdown to the 12th edition of the prestigious award ceremony begins, Mrs. Irene who heads the legal department of Nigeria’s Exchange Ltd, has shared the contributions of the awards to the growth trajectory of her career.

She recalled in 2016, when she was recognised under the Rising Stars Award as one of the 40 leading lawyers under 40 with the potentials to positively redefine legal practice in Nigeria.

According to her, the award far back in 2016 was ESQ’s recognition of her untapped potentials and aspirations. She said, “ESQ believed in me and what I will be able to do. Today, ESQ’s faith and belief in me have been justified by the various achievements under my belt.

In 2021, I won the ESQ General Counsel of the year award and aside from that, from 2017 till date, my team has consecutively won the ESQ Capital Market team of the year award.

She added, “For me, my team and organization, the ESQ Legal Award has been a platform of recognition, visibility and powerful recognition, support and encouragement.”

She said the ESQ Legal Awards have been a partner in her career growth and has made her team more appreciated and motivated.

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.

Nominations for the Practice Based Category include:

 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

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).