Alegeh, Adeola, others for 2016 year legal awards
Several key players in the legal and business community would on Friday October 7, 2016 converge at the Grandball Room of the Civic Centre, Lagos for the 2016 edition of the prestigious annual Nigerian Legal Awards (NLA), an event organised to celebrate honour, recognize and celebrate the important contributions of the legal profession to the growth of Nigeria.
According to Lere Fashola, CEO of Legal Blitz Limited, Publisher of ESQ Legal Practice Magazine and convener of the award, the event is simply a bridge between economy and law. Since its maiden edition, the NLA has expanded in focus, scope and fanfare, with the introduction of the ‘40 Under 40 category, the Awards has opened a novel chapter in the life of the country, especially by organizing a unique platform committed to celebrating impactful and value-added young lawyers who are cutting their teeth in the profession.
As part of this year’s event, ESQ shall be honouring some reputable Nigerians who have made cutting-edge contributions to the legal profession and the country at large. Among the year’s honourees are: Chief Hairat Balogun, the oldest and first female Attorney General of Lagos and a former General Secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association; Razaq Yemi Adeola, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Sterling Bank Plc.; Augustine Alegeh, SAN, immediate past president of the Nigerian Bar Association, Honourable Justice Emmanuel Ayoola CON, retired Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria and former Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission (ICPC).
Other awardees include, Honourable Justice Dulcie Ethel Adunola Oguntoye OFR., Nigeria’s second female judge who notably, relinquished her British Citizenship in order to serve Nigeria; Bayo Ojo, SAN, former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice and Audu Maikori, President, Chocolate City. Media houses, Channels Television and ThisDay newspapers will also be honoured for their invaluable contributions to the legal profession.
In a bid to encourage young lawyers to develop the values of diligence, commitment and team spirit while contributing their quota to national and economic development, the Nigerian Legal Awards is introducing the ‘40 UNDER 40’ category which intends to celebrate 40 young Nigerian lawyers who are under the age 40 and are making significant contributions to the growth of the legal profession. About 1,000 nominations have been received from different law firms and corporate organisations including international law firms and multilateral organisations. In nominating candidates, criteria such as their international rankings, profiles, peer recommendations and senior lawyers recommendations were taken into consideration.
This year’s edition of the award will also feature a panel discussion for distinguished Nigerians and professionals to brainstorm on charting a new course for the economic recovery of Nigeria. The discussion, which will have in attendance, captains of industry and leading legal icons will focus on the theme: Restructuring vs Rebuilding: Bringing Life Back to the Nigerian Economy. This theme will explore the economic imperatives to restructuring of Nigeria beyond the political rhetoric.