Any Nigerian law firm may be nominated for the award.

All companies with an In-House legal team may also be nominated.
Also, any international law firm with significant nexus with Nigeria may be nominated for the Award.

See categories of the Awards for details
The time period covered by entries should be the past 12-18 months.
Law firms and in-house legal departments can only submit one entry for each category.

Nominations can be made by any Nigerian legal practitioner, Nigerian Law Firm, In-House Counsel, Lawyers in the Public Sector, Nigerian Legal entity/organisation, Young lawyers, Law Students or anyone who engages the services of Lawyers.
Nominators must be individuals or firm/organisation members.
All nominators must complete the prescribed form.
Nominations can also be made online through the award website.

  • May 1, : Opening of nominations for the Legal Awards
  • May 1: Nomination of the Rising star Awards Begins
  • June 30: Deadline for Nomination of the Rising star Awards
  • July 1: voting for the Rising star Awards begins
  • July 31: Deadline for submission of entries for the Legal Awards
  • August 1: Judges’ evaluation begins
  • October 31: Judges’ evaluation ends
  • November 5: Judge Conference
  • November 7: Grand Award night

Shortlisted nominees will be informed in writing after the votes by the judges have been collated.

We actively encourage the addition of supporting material.

Different firms can enter different categories; please ensure you check the relevant criteria for each category you are interested in.

Yes, these firms can enter the International firm of the year category and the transactional categories – firms headquartered outside

Continental Europe are not eligible for any other categories.
Is the entry process confidential?

All entries are for the judges’ eyes only. Please note that materials sent to ESQ for evaluation could be used for editorial purposes and may also be shared with third-party partners or publications, both local and international. We therefore appeal that you kindly indicate where you intend any information to be confidential.

The Awards ceremony will take place on a date to be announced by ESQ in Lagos; further details will be available as the event unfolds.

Judges will be given a score sheet that lists the criteria and invites them to mark each entry against them.
There will also be a day conference where judges are expected to meet and deliberate on whom should win and why.
This panel will shortlist three deals under each category.
The shortlisted contenders in each category will be announced on the award website.
The final decision is made by the judges when they meet, and their decision will be final.
We believe this exercise will help to ensure all the judges approach the process in a consistent manner.

The panel of judges will be looking for entries which focus on a single deal that sets new standards in the delivery of legal services under the various categories and demonstrates the market-leading position and considerable value to the needs of commerce, good governance and economic well-being of the nation.

-Market Context
-History of the Client Relationship
-Technical Innovation
-Innovation in Client Service
-Innovation in Pricing
-Measurable Outcomes
-Any Additional Relevant Information
-Previous accolades and entries within recognised financial and legal guides
Nominees should stand out from their colleagues and should have made significant impact in relating to the category. Particular note will be made of the nominees’ impact in Nigeria and for Nigeria – ‘Putting Nigeria on the map’.
For all awards, achievements outside of the category will be taken into account, including non-legal work, contributions to the community and pro-bono work.

Recognition in front of peers and industry leaders
An endorsement of personal/firm achievements
A competitive and marketable edge that can generate new business
A way to boost team morale
An opportunity to take pride in personal/firm achievements.
Extensive media coverage that can generate new business leads.
Improved ROI
Networking opportunities with industry peers and potential clients
What happens after nominations have been made?
We will take steps to verify the authenticity of the various nominations. Please note that during this exercise, clients or their in-house counsel may be contacted. We therefore advise all entrants to kindly ensure the details they are sending are true and verifiable in order to avoid any embarrassment this exercise may cause.

Please note:

That there is no payment attached to nominations for any of the categories.
The decision of the judges are final and no discussion will be entered into. Only nominations received before the deadline will be reviewed.