Meet 10 Managing Partners of Corporate Law Firms in Nigeria 

These legal powerhouses provide essential guidance on high-stakes transactions, including mergers, acquisitions, capital raising, and major infrastructure projects.

Their expertise helps both local businesses and international investors navigate Nigeria’s complex regulatory environment while maximizing opportunities in Africa’s largest market.

The success of these firms rests largely on their managing partners – accomplished legal minds who blend courtroom expertise with boardroom strategy.

From negotiating billion-dollar energy deals to structuring cross-border investments, Nigeria’s top legal professionals have earned global recognition for their work.

In this review, we examine ten standout managing partners whose vision and track record continue to elevate Nigeria’s legal industry.

Reginald Udom has been a Managing Partner of Aluko & Oyebode since January 2021, steering one of Nigeria’s foremost corporate law firms founded in 1993. With over two decades of experience, he leads the firm’s strategic vision while advising multinational clients across technology, finance, energy, and infrastructure sectors.

A graduate of the University of Lagos (LLB Hons, 2000) and University College London (LLM, 2006), Udom combines technical expertise with a commitment to mentoring young lawyers and shaping Nigeria’s legal policy reforms.

Aluko & Oyebode has executed landmark transactions, including advising Diageo Plc on its 58.02% stake sale in Guinness Nigeria Plc and negotiating long-term licensing agreements. The firm facilitated Access Golf Nigeria Limited’s acquisition of ARM Pension Managers and subsequent merger with Access Pensions, and guided Alitheia IDF Fund’s $2.3 million investment in Chika’s Wholefoods.

Notable clients such as Microsoft, Amazon Web Services, and Brookfield Business Partners rely on the firm’s expertise in complex cross-sectoral deals, particularly in energy, infrastructure, and capital markets.

Koye Edu, Managing Partner at Jackson, Etti & Edu, is a distinguished legal expert with over three decades of experience in Capital Markets, Banking & Finance, Project Development, Real Estate, Immigration, and Mergers & Acquisitions.

As the co-founder of Jackson & Etti , Koye is trusted by both public and private sector players to guide complex, high-stakes transactions across Africa.

Koye serves as a director of the Moorhouse Group and adviser to the A.P. Moll Maersk Group. His past board roles include African Alliance Insurance and Pension Alliance Limited. A conservation advocate, he is a Council Member of the Nigerian Conservation Foundation.

He holds an LL.M. in Shipping and International Finance from King’s College London and an LL.B. from the University of Bristol. He is also a Member of the Nigerian Bar Association and has served as Chairman of the NBA Law Office Practice Committee.

He holds an LL.M. in Shipping and International Finance from King’s College London and an LL.B. from the University of Bristol. He is also a Member of the Nigerian Bar Association and has served as Chairman of the NBA Law Office Practice Committee.

Founded in 1996, Jackson, Etti & Edu is a sector-driven, pan-African law firm with 70+ lawyers serving clients across 35 jurisdictions and 11 practice areas redefining legal service delivery in Africa.

Fidelis Adewole serves as the Managing Partner at G. Elias, where he leads a distinguished legal career shaped by his academic excellence and broad industry expertise. A graduate of Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Adewole earned his Bachelor of Laws degree at the top of his class. At the Nigerian Law School, he won the Prince Bola Ajibola Prize for outstanding proficiency in Civil Procedure and the Dr. Mudiaga Odje Prize for excellence in both Civil and Criminal Procedure.

A Fellow of both the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (UK) and the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria, Adewole is also an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers and a Notary Public. His practice spans dispute resolution, corporate law, taxation, projects, insolvency, and restructuring. He has advised on major transactions, including BUA Cement Plc’s merger with Cement Company of Northern Nigeria, the sale of Enterprise Bank to Heritage Bank, and a landmark real estate project in Lekki Phase 1.

Adewole has represented British American Tobacco Plc in one of Nigeria’s most extensive series of product liability cases and advised leading corporations in complex tax, merger, and insolvency matters. His work reflects a career committed to excellence at the highest levels of legal practice.

Kenneth “Ken” Etim serves as Managing Partner of Banwo & Ighodalo (B&I), where he has been a driving force since joining the firm in 1993. Recognized by Chambers & Partners as “very knowledgeable” in project finance, Ken combines sharp negotiation skills with deep sector expertise to close complex, multi-million dollar transactions, particularly in energy and project finance.

A 1990 law graduate of the University of Uyo and Nigerian Law School alumnus, Ken has spearheaded nearly all of B&I’s landmark energy deals while building parallel strengths in commercial litigation and arbitration. His practice focuses on energy & natural resources, project finance, and shipping/aviation law.

Ken actively contributes to professional bodies including the Nigerian Bar Association, Association of International Petroleum Negotiators (USA), and Lagos Chamber of Commerce’s Commercial Law Committee. Under his co-leadership with Asue Ighodalo, B&I has advised on transformative transactions like Renaissance Africa Energy’s acquisition of Shell’s Nigerian assets and PAT Holding’s 100% purchase of Pan African Towers.

The firm maintains particular distinction in oil & gas M&A, regularly guiding foreign investors through Nigerian energy sector transactions while serving clients like SPOK Capital and AAA Consortium Fund Managers. Ken’s three-decade tenure continues to shape B&I’s reputation for marrying local market insight with international deal standards.

Oghogho Akpata is the Managing Partner of Templars, a premier Nigerian commercial law firm he founded in 1995. With over three decades of experience, Akpata has built a distinguished career advising a wide range of clients across the oil and gas sector, including multinational corporations, international oil companies, and oilfield service providers operating in Nigeria.

Templar’s clients include Tolaram Group, Halliburton West Africa Limited, Aggreko Holdings, Enjoycorp Limited, Onix Data Centre Limited, Actis LLP, General Atlantic, Emple Capital Group Limited, Fidelity Bank Plc, and others.

Jumoke Lambo is the Managing Partner at Udo Udoma & Belo-Osagie, where she leads the Telecommunications, Media, and Technology (TMT) practice, co-heads the Aviation and Employment Law teams, and oversees the firm’s company secretarial arm, Alsec Nominees Limited. With over 30 years of experience, she advises on telecommunications, data protection, cybersecurity, employment, immigration, foreign investment, mergers and acquisitions, and general corporate law.

A recognised authority in data protection, Jumoke heads the firm’s licensed Data Protection Compliance Organisation under NITDA and regularly supports clients on regulatory compliance under the Nigerian Data Protection Regulation.

Her client portfolio includes Digital Jumoke Lambo is the Managing Partner at Udo Udoma & Belo-Osagie, where she leads the Telecommunications, Media, and Technology (TMT) practice, co-heads the Aviation and Employment Law teams, and oversees the firm’s company secretarial arm, Alsec Nominees Limited.

Bola Tinubu leads the Corporate and Boardroom Counsel Practices at DLA Piper Africa, Nigeria (Olajide Oyewole LLP), with over 30 years of experience advising boards, multinationals, public institutions, and private businesses across diverse sectors. She is recognised for providing strategic legal support that enhances board-level decision-making, embeds robust governance frameworks, and ensures regulatory compliance. Her expertise covers M&A, private equity and venture capital transactions, corporate restructurings, and complex commercial agreements.

Bola is also a leading voice on Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) matters, advising on sustainability governance, anti-corruption, global supply chain transparency, data protection, climate risk, and gender equity. In 2023, she was appointed to the Advisory Board of the Cambridge University Institute of Sustainability Leadership.

At Olajide Oyewole LLP, she has led several high-profile transactions.

The firm also represents clients such as Samsung Heavy Industries Nigeria, Oando Plc, Mainstream Energy Solutions, Powergas, Mitsubishi Power Europe, Argentil Capital Partners, and Mobile Power.

Kunle Obembe is the Managing Partner at Bloomfield Law Practice, a leading corporate and commercial law firm based in Lagos, Nigeria, with representative offices across Africa. With over 20 years of experience in legal practice, Kunle is widely respected for his expertise in corporate advisory, regulatory compliance, and dispute resolution.

Kunle joined Bloomfield shortly after its founding on February 12, 2007, and has played a key role in the firm’s growth and strategic direction. Appointed Managing Partner in December 2016, he has since led the firm’s expansion and deepened its capabilities in navigating the complex legal and regulatory terrain of Nigeria and the wider African market.