Foreign alliance will improve legal services in Nigeria, lawyer affirms

A lawyer and partner in Olajide Oyewole LLP, Dayo Idowu has said that forming cross-border alliance with foreign law firms will improve on quality legal services in Nigeria.

Idowu made the remark during the formal signing of alliance pact with a global law firm, DLA Piper Africa, in Lagos at the weekend.

DLA Piper Africa has lawyers located in more than 40 countries throughout the America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Pacific, which helps the firm meet their clients legal needs around the world. According to Idowu, this is the first time a Nigerian firm is forming an alliance with a global firm.

“Olajide Oyewole is a firm with over 52 years of existence and is one of the leading law firm in Nigeria. We have been Working with DLP Pipers Africa for over ten years and we have been involved in significant transactions and engagement even across the border. The relationship has informed this formal alliance. And this is the first alliance between an international firm and a Nigerian firm,” he stated.

He said as the country is moving out of recession, there are lots of attractions in terms of investment in Nigeria. “Foreign investment are coming in and there is concern about quality legal services. And when they talked to their international lawyers, the investors will get recommendations and with this alliance, Olajide Oyewole firm will not only get recommended, but the clients will be assured of a local firm that will be able to give the same standard legal services are obtained in other parts of the world,” he said.

Idowu also said his firm is seeing the alliance as an opportunity to grow in terms of clients and also improvement in quality system, so that both quality lawyers and clients will be attracted to the firm.

Representative of DLP Pipers Africa, Mr. David Church, described the firm as one of the largest global leading law firm. He said the firm has developed with colleagues from Australia, London, Paris, New York and now ‘we have been working with Africa’.

“DLP Pipers Africa realised some years ago the importance of bringing together leading law firms in Africa and the foundation and focus of it reflect a global vision, which is to be a leading law practice in Africa.The central components of the firm is serving its clients as either within the country, Africa and around the world,” Church said, adding that the essence of the alliance with Olajide Oyewole LLP, is to share their expertise in global law firm.

He also stated that part of their dream is to have a global law firm with different expertise and experience practitioners not only across Africa, but globally.

According to Church, DLP PIPERS Africa is to develop system and law infrastructures to meet with the dynamism of legal practice in Africa and that it will also ensure that global expertise are shared on how to do business for the development of the law sector.

Other Partners present at the event are: Samuel Solanke, Abutu Odu, Tunde Oyewole, Olusolape Peters, Bola Tinubu, Sandra Oyewole and Olusola Oyebola.