Fidelis Adewole: Celebrating Three Decades of Excellence of G.Elias

For 30 years, G.Elias, has reshaped the face of legal practice in Nigeria and beyond. In this interview with the Managing Partner, Fidelis Adewole, he shared the years of success, growth, and contributions to the legal industry as well as the firm’s strong international connections and its ability to navigate global legal challenges for its clients. Harping on the firm’s demonstrable commitment to understanding client needs, which has driven its success in three decades, he also highlighted how

the legal landscape in Nigeria has evolved over the last 30 years and how G.Elias has adapted to these changes. Precious Ugwuzor brings excerpts

Who is G. Elias and what does it stand for?

G. Elias is a law firm founded in 1994 to do outstanding premier work for businesses in Nigeria for generations to come. It has been addressing, and aims to continue to address, the major legal challenges of demanding clients whether those clients are foreign or Nigerian, large or small. If I may say so, we have earned a reputation both in Nigeria and internationally for a commitment to excellence and expertise in corporate, financial and commercial disputes and transactions work.

Our total staff strength today is nearly 100 persons. The breadth and depth of our practices are frequently commended in Nigeria and beyond: mergers, acquisitions, strategic investments, re-organizations, foreign investment, compliance, lendings, derivatives, insolvency, capital markets, litigation, arbitration, “white collar” defence, investigations, tax, intellectual property, competition, data protection and employment law.

Our clients do business in industry sectors such as agribusiness, commercial banking, Fintech, investment banking, insurance, private equity, pensions and other fund managers, oil and gas, electric power, mining, real estate, construction, infrastructure, healthcare, transport, services, retail and distributorship, commodities, materials, manufacturing (capital goods, consumer goods), external trade, technology, telecommunications, media and entertainment.

Reflecting on more than 30 years of G. Elias, what would you say are the key milestones that have defined the firm’s journey? Can you share some landmark cases or projects that have shaped the firm’s reputation? What would you say are the key milestones that have defined the firm’s journey?

It is perhaps helpful to think of the 30 years of the firm’s life in segments of roughly 4-6 successive years each. The first significant set of milestones was about achieving a strong initial presence, especially getting major multinational and supranational clients in the key financial services, consumer goods and energy sectors. Interestingly, today we are still working for those early clients on a number of their most consequential deals and fights in Nigeria. This is deeply satisfying.

The next period saw promotions into the partnership from among exceptional lawyers who have been central to the firm’s progress from its infancy: the firm became a multiple-partner vehicle. Everyone who was a partner at the end of that era is still a partner in the firm today – another satisfying fact. After that period, we began to get loud name-recognition, not only within Nigeria, especially after our first Senior Advocate of Nigeria appointment, but also in the leading international directories of business lawyers.

The following period that saw us achieving true and lasting capacity and expertise in pivotal practices in seminal specialist areas such as Eurobonds, derivatives, sophisticated real estate development, arbitration and electric power. The most recent five years has been an era of maturity: a second Senior Advocate appointment; approximately a tripling of the size of both the partnership and the number of associates from where it was a decade earlier; specialised support staff; and the emergence of a new generation of leadership (including me) to take the firm into the future.

There was no prophetic masterplan from the start for the firm to have developed in this sequence and at these speeds. Prudent positioning, gracious well-wishers, pure luck and a variety of other factors have all contributed to get us to where we are today.

Can you share some landmark cases or projects that have shaped the firm’s reputation?

There are dozens of these, too numerous to list here, and sensitive major clients are typically keen to keep their names out of the media. Careful observers would perhaps mention our recent work in relation to: the seminal Nigerian domestic USD bond; newsworthy arbitration in support of foreign and other investors; the listing of Transcorp Power (for nearly USD1.8bn); the Lagos State “Red Line” metro; a very extensive sale of onshore upstream oil assets; a topical bank merger; multibillion USD financings for Federal Government entities; billions of USD in currency swaps; and the defence of major multinationals in closely-watched regulatory investigations.

In an increasingly globalized world, how does G. Elias balance its local expertise with international best practices to deliver exceptional legal services?

We prioritise teamwork both in our internal working and in engaging with persons outside it. This means being sensitive, respectful, responsive, efficient and always prioritising our clients’ agenda. We have a strong culture of excellence, work ethic and professionalism. Our people are the driving force of this unique culture. We work hard to attract the best talent and we are motivated and dedicated. Our record and reputation for developing young talented lawyers is, if we may say so, second to none.

We also take seriously relationships with other law firms both in Nigeria and abroad, and frequently formalize them. For example, we are members of Multilaw, a leading global alliance of independent law firms with offices in more than 100 countries (including more than 9 in Africa), more than 11,000 lawyers and more thanUS$5billion in combined revenues. Our lawyers feature strongly on its global committees. The energy practice committee is led by one of our partners, and he was very instrumental in the formation of the committee.

The legal landscape in Nigeria has evolved significantly over the past three decades. How has G. Elias adapted to these changes, and what trends do you see shaping the future?

The legal landscape in Nigeria has undergone momentous changes over the past three decades, characterized by significant reforms in statutes and regulations, advances in technology and shifts in economic and social policies. The firm has not only adapted to these changes but has also played a significant role in shaping Nigerian lawyers’ responses to these changes.

Over the years, Nigeria has seen a raft of legal reforms aimed at improving the business environment and ensuring greater compliance with international standards. We are actively engaged with the broader reform agenda in several ways. We continuously update and improve our knowledge by taking training both in-house and outside. Our lawyers publish widely on topical matters and frequently appear on faculties offering training. We submit and prosecute recommendations to bodies responsible for proposing changes in the law.

The advent of technology has revolutionised the practice of law globally, and Nigeria is no exception. We have integrated advances in information, document production, data storage and communications technology solutions into virtually every part of our practice. We continue to upgrade our offerings on such solutions to enhance our efficiency and improve our service.

We have responded to clients’ increasing demand for expertise by growing and deepening greatly the range of specialised legal services that we offer. This is especially so in sectors such as oil and gas, electric power, mining, telecommunications, agribusiness, Fintech, investment banking, insurance, private equity, pensions, media and entertainment.

Looking to the future, we see several trends becoming even more influential than they currently are. The never-ending quest for efficiency and the increasing complexity in social and business issues will continue to drive greater scale and specialization in law firms and a need for superior technology in the delivery of legal services. Regulatory scrutiny (particularly in sectors such as consumer protection, data protection, financial services and environmental law) and the enforcement of tax law are likely to increase.

Sustainability and corporate social responsibility aims will become more prominent, influencing how businesses operate and how law firms advise their clients on compliance issues. We are wide awake as to the significance of these strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. As the future unfolds, we expect to be well-positioned to navigate the emerging trends and extend our tradition and legacy of excellence.

What lessons has G. Elias learned from navigating Nigeria’s regulatory landscape, and how have these insights influenced the firm’s approach to legal practice?

One of the key lessons that we have learned is the importance of adaptability. Nigeria’s regulatory environment is dynamic, with frequent changes (including some nasty surprises). We have adopted a proactive approach, trying to stay ahead of regulatory changes by continuously monitoring and analyzing new laws and policies as soon as possible. This level of vigilance enables us to ensure that our clients are always compliant and well-prepared for any shifts in the legal landscape.

Fostering strong relationships with regulatory bodies is crucial. By establishing and nurturing open lines of communication, frequent engagement and strengthening a reputation for transparency, we have been able to navigate regulatory processes more efficiently than we would otherwise have been able to. These relationships have enabled us to advocate effectively on behalf of our clients, ensuring that their interests are well-represented.

Corporate social responsibility is becoming increasingly important. How has G. Elias contributed to society, and what are some of the firm’s key initiatives?

Corporate social responsibility is an integral part of the firm’s ethos and operations. For example, we have a long-standing tradition of providing legal aid and other pro bono services. Over the years, we have represented and got set free over 50 persons across different States in Nigeria (including Adamawa, Niger, Ondo, Ekiti, Cross River States) who were on death row.

As part of CSR initiatives to mark the 30th anniversary of our founding, we recently extended financial assistance to women undergoing surgery for post-natal complications at leading maternity hospitals in Lagos and Abuja. Additionally, we contributed to the Surulere Local Government Institute of Vocational Education by providing funds to cover registration fees for students enrolled in training programmes for various vocational skills, including shoemaking, repairing mobile phones, event management, catering, hairdressing, and fashion design.

Looking back at 30 years of G. Elias, what do you believe are the core values that have driven the firm’s success, and how do you ensure they remain central as you look to the future?

Our steadfast adherence to the core virtues of teamwork, responsiveness, never-ending improvement, creativity, ethics and scholarship has been instrumental to us in our journey. These virtues form the bedrock of our practice and will continue to guide us into the future. From our inception, professionalism and integrity have been at the heart of everything we do.

Utmost candour with our clients, colleagues, and ourselves is fundamental to building trust and maintaining our reputation. Our clients are at the centre of our practice. We strive to understand their unique needs and challenges, providing tailored solutions that help them achieve their goals. By fostering strong, lasting relationships based on mutual respect and understanding, our clients know that they are valued and will be supported. This client-centric approach has been a significant driver of whatever success we have been able to achieve and remains a key focus as we move forward.

Looking ahead, what are G. Elias’ strategic priorities for the next decade, especially in terms of expansion, new practice areas, and client engagement?

We aim to continue doing the most critical, complex and innovative work of demanding business clients. As we look ahead to the next decade, our strategic priorities will include growing the breadth and depth of our specializations (and therefore our scale), hiring and retaining exceptional lawyers, and enhancing our client engagement. These priorities will ensure that we remain at the forefront of legal practice in any jurisdiction where we may choose to practise.

We will continue to seek to attract, retain and develop the most talented lawyers that we can find so that we can continue to offer superlative advice and representation to our clients. We will use technology to increase our efficiency and accuracy in our service delivery.

We are committed to keeping clients at the heart of our operations. This involves understanding each client’s unique needs and challenges and offering them tailored solutions. We will continue to strengthen our client feedback mechanisms to enable us to continue to refine and improve our services.

The next decade will present numerous opportunities for us to expand our footprint, extend and deepen our practice areas, and elevate our client engagement. By focusing on these strategic priorities, we fully expect to be able to continue to deliver exceptional legal services and uphold our reputation as a leading business law firm in Nigeria and beyond.

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