As part of its efforts to support capacity building in the legal profession, the Lagos branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in collaboration with the Commercial Legal Department of MTN Nigeria organised a masterclass for lawyers on best corporate legal practices.
MTN Nigeria at its corporate headquarters in Ikoyi, Lagos, hosted the event, which featured a cross-section of senior as well as young lawyers in support of the NBA’s efforts at deepening industry knowledge through the Continuing Legal Education and Mentorship Committee.
Commenting on the masterclass, the company’s Chief Operating Officer, Mazen Mroue, stated that the event was yet another testament to MTN’s long term commitment to investing in the country’s human development capacity.
In his remarks, Corporate Relations Executive at MTN Nigeria, 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.”
A foremost corporate lawyer, Ifeoma Utah, who is currently the General Manager, Commercial Legal, MTN Nigeria walked attendees through the rudiments 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 and being emotionally intelligent.
She also highlighted the increasingly important role of the corporate lawyer as “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.”
Tobenna Erojikwe, Chairman of the Continuous Legal Education Committee, Nigerian Bar Association Lagos Branch and Partner at Law Crest LLP thanked MTN Nigeria for its continued support to the NBA Lagos Branch as the largest corporate supporter of the branch.