The Nigerian Bar Association,NBA, Lagos Branch in partnership with the Commercial Legal department of MTN Nigeria organised a masterclass for lawyers on best corporate legal practices.
The event, held at the corporate headquarters of MTN Nigeria in Ikoyi, Lagos, was aimed at capacity building of legal practitioners in Nigeria.
The event was well attended by senior and young lawyers, furthering the NBA’s efforts at deepening knowledge through its Continuing Legal Education and mentorship committee.
Speaking at the program, the Corporate Relations Executive of the telecommunications gaint, Mr Tobechukwu Okigbo, said the masterclass “is a strong example of how in-house teams can share best practices with external counsel and we are grateful that we are doing this.”
The current General Manager, Commercial Legal of the company, Ifeoma Utah, delivered a lectute on the intricaciess of being a great corporate lawyer.
Utilising a variety of in-house case studies and sharing from her wide experience, she expounded on the importance of building critical skill sets in risk management, crisis management, negotiation, matching the right case to the right law firm as well as being emotionally intelligent.
Emotional intelligence being the capacity to be aware of, control, and express one’s emotions, and to handle interpersonal relationships judiciously and empathetically.
She also highlighted the increasingly important role of corporate lawyer saying, “there is more to being a lawyer than just drafting documents and going to court. You have to be a coach, a financial expert, a business analyst and a star negotiator, among others.”
In his remarks, Tobenna Erojikwe, the Chairman of the Continuous Legal Education Committee, NBA Lagos branch and Partner at Law Crest LLP thanked the company for its continued support to the NBA branch stating that it was the largest corporate supporter of the branch.