Olabisi Makanjuola, a partner at the leading law firm, Olaniwun Ajayi LP, has joined the chairmanship race of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Lagos branch.
Makanjuola indicated this in a recent post he made on social media. According to him, the need for a new leadership approach in the running of the NBA-Lagos branch spurred his interest in joining the race.
“Service has always been dear to my heart”, Makanjuola said while stating his resolve to improve “welfare and prestige” of members and lawyers in general.
He added, “With almost 20 years experience as a lawyer dealing with complex disputes and transactions, I have garnered a rich understanding of the issues we face as a branch, as a bar, and as a profession.
“Beyond an understanding of the issues, I also have a clear idea on how to make the premier bar surmount these issues.”
Aside from lawyers ‘ welfare, the Obafemi Awolowo University graduate also promises a paradigm shift aimed at fostering innovation, objectivity, accountability, and collaboration among members of the branch.
Makanjuola is reputed among his colleagues to be a brilliant lawyer, a team player, and someone who possesses remarkable interpersonal skills.
Joseph Onele, a lawyer, shared a testimonial about his experience as a junior staff under Makanjuola’s supervision. Onele said that Makanjuola’s intentional mentoring of junior colleagues had led to his and many others going on to become “exceptional, seasoned, and highly driven lawyers”.
Makanjuola was called to the Nigerian Bar in 2006, and two years later joined Olaniwun Ajayi LP. His diligence and brilliance saw him, in 2021, rising to become a partner in the law firm.
At OLAP, Makanjuola heads the dispute resolution group. He is versed in several areas of law, including arbitration and commercial litigation, with specific focus on the financial sector. He has handled several briefs bordering on corporate shareholding, capital markets regulations, contracts, fraud, white-collar crimes, and infrastructure projects, among others.
In 2011, he was seconded to prestigious UK-based law firm – Herbert Smith Freehills, and, later, Paris. He is an alumnus of the Lagos Business School.
