GENERAL RULES FOR ENTRY

Open to only specialist Nigerian Law firms who have excelled in the art of quality client representation. Criteria Entries for this award should focus on a single deal that sets new standards in the delivery of legal services in this practice area and demonstrates the firm’s market-leading position. Winners of this award category will operate at the cutting edge of legal practice. We will consider one standout example of work taken from a wide range of disciplines including

AVIATION TEAM OF THE YEAR

BANKING AND FINANCE TEAM OF THE YEAR

CAPITAL MARKET TEAM OF THE YEAR

CORPORATE & COMMERCIAL TEAM OF THE YEAR

ENERGY, POWER AND MINING TEAM OF THE YEAR

IMMIGRATION TEAM OF THE YEAR

INSOLVENCY TEAM OF THE YEAR

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY TEAM OF THE YEAR

LABOUR & EMPLOYMENT TEAM OF THE YEAR

MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT TEAM OF THE YEAR

MERGERS AND ACQUISITION TEAM OF THE YEAR

OIL AND GAS TEAM OF THE YEAR

PRIVATE EQUITY TEAM OF THE YEAR

DISPUTE RESOLUTION TEAM OF THE YEAR

REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION TEAM OF THE YEAR

SHIPPING & TRANSPORT TEAM OF THE YEAR

TELECOMMUNICATION & TECHNOLOGY TEAM OF THE YEAR

1. CSR Law Firm of the year

2. Deal Maker of the Year

3. General Counsel of the Year

4. Law Firm of the year

5. Winner, ESQ Nigerian Law Students’ Essay Competition

1. Business Icon of the Year

2. Legal Icon of the Year

3. Lifetime Achievement Award

4.   Role Model Award

5. Global Legal Icon-Female Category

6. Global Legal Icon-Male Category

7. Legislative Icon of the year

8. Life Time Achievement Award

9. Regulatory Body of the Year

10.  Leadership and Good Governance in Africa-X2

11. Business Lawyer of the Year

12. Company Secretary of the Year

This category is dedicated to the invaluable contributions of the corporate In-House lawyers to the development of Nigerian businesses. The section recognises not only legal contributions but also role in elevating the value of lawyers as indispensable partners to businesses.

1. Banking & Finance
2. Capital Market & Investment
3. Energy & Power
4. Information Technology
5. Infrastructure
6. Insurance
7. Manufacturing
8. Media & Entertainment
9. Oil & Gas
10. Shipping & Transport
11. Telecommunications
12. CSR
13. Tax
14. Real Estate & Construction
15. Public Legal
16. General Counsel of the Year
17. Corporate Resructuring
18. Corporate Governance
19. Fintech

Recognising outstanding achievement young lawyers below partners level, This category will this year focus on the rising stars tipped for great things by their colleagues, peers and advisers.

Eligibility
Open to specialist Nigerian-based team.
NB. Law firms are restricted to one entry.

Entry Criteria
Entries for this award should focus on a single case that sets new standards in the delivery of legal services in this practice area and demonstrates the firm’s market-leading position. The judges will be looking for evidence of:

Where possible, the entry submission should highlight initiatives that best exemplify the team’s performance.

The most outstanding law firms of the last 12 months make the shortlist in this, our most prestigious award. The Firm of the year will be the law firm which can clearly demonstrate growth in all areas of their business in the course of the year. The winner of this award will be determined solely by the Judges and winner will only be released at the Award dinner.

CRITERIA:

Judges will be looking for firms that have taken the market by storm and have achieved more than their direct competitors and peers. Achievements may include the successful development of new practice areas, expansion into new international or domestic markets, new client wins, the completion of a strategic merger or acquisition, improved financial performance, or a successful recruitment policy.

Judges will be more concerned with demonstrable evidence of growth in revenue, firm size, number of deals completed in the course of the year, employee retention, investment in training and capacity development, number of hours of pro bono work, support for the Nigerian Bar Association, Peer recognition, international ranking, merit based recruitment exercise, effective deployment of technology and client care.

One of the most important factor for determining a winner will be succession planning. The winning firm must be a true partnership and not a one man business coloured in the form of a partnership. All these must be clearly demonstrated in a 1000 word statement in support of the nomination.

Eligibility

Open to International law firms that have close nexus with the Nigeria. Entry Criteria Entries must convince the judges that they are not only leaders in their chosen markets, but that they have made significant progress over the past 12-18 months.

The judges will expect to see evidence of:

– Legal expertise and innovation

– Strategic vision – Business winning

– Client care – Employee development

– A commitment to diversity and corporate social responsibility

– Sustainable improvements in financial performance

The entry submission should highlight deals, cases, client wins and initiatives that best exemplify the firm’s performance.

This award highlights the Nigerian-based national or regional firm (with headquarters outside Lagos and Abuja) that has made the most significant progress over the past year in advancing its strategy. Key factors taken into account will be evidence of effective leadership, impressive financial performance and increased market share across the firm’s major practice areas.

Open to serving state Governors who are lawyers and who have made considerable contributions to legal development in Nigeria.

CRITERIA

A Conscientious service in the Public Sector

Completed projects which transformed the economy of the state and the governed

Adherence to the Rule of Law

Demonstrable contributions to justice sector development.

NB: nominations will be made by the editors of ESQ but final decision will be made by the judges.

Open to serving members of the National or State Assemblies who are lawyers and who have made considerable contributions to legal development in Nigeria.

NB: nominations will be made by the editors of ESQ but final decision will be made by the judges.

Eligibility

This will be based on Bills sponsored in the House and the impact of such on the overall development of Business in Nigeria aswell as to the entrenchment of democratic ethos.

Criteria

The judges will be looking for evidence of:– Leadership qualities

- Legislative contributions

- Team work

- professionalism

- Bills sponsored and its impact on Businesses and the economy

 - Media rating

This is a special class of award that will be given to an outstanding legal practitioner in Nigeria or of Nigerian decent who have achieved excellence and have tremendous contributions to the development of Business law globally. Candidates will be judged on their contributions to the legal profession, their accomplishments of note over the course of their career, as well as their overall leadership and influence on the Nigerian legal sector.

This category of Award is set up in recognition of the unique role played by non-lawyer managers in the effective management of modern law firms. Nominations will be called from practice managers within law firms.

Eligibility:

Nominees will be asked to outline their contribution to the management of the firm and their ability to assist in easing the processes and procedures undertaken by lawyers during day-to-day tasks, and any unique programs that they believe set their practice management capabilities apart from other law firms. Nominees will be judged on employee and employer buy-in, practical results and leadership.

Criteria

• Brief CV of entrant; including achievements of note during their time with their current organisation

• Outline of significant contribution(s) the entrant has made to the management of the firm, including demonstrable examples of the solid introduction of new processes and procedures relevant to the management of the law firm. Please include any relevant details on how such actions have assisted a lawyer’s day-to-day tasks, and why such programs are particularly unique

• Reference from a key individual within the firm who can outline how their work has been influenced by the entrant

This is a special class of award that will be given to a Regulatory Body that has been most responsive to legal reforms and economic development in Nigeria.

The Judges will be looking out for proactivity, responsiveness and initiated reforms.

The winner must be an agency who in the estimation of lawyers is supporting business development in Nigeria.

Nomination will be open to all regulatory Agencies set up by the law in Nigeria.

Nomination will be open to all Nigerian law firms.