Leading lawyer addresses industry challenges

Davidson Oturu is a partner at ǼLEX, a top law firm with offices in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt in Nigeria and Accra in Ghana. In an interview with Africa Legal, he addressed the importance he places on delivering excellent services to his clients. ‘I compartmentalise skills into three categories: analytical, professional and team building. For analytical skills, I recommend cultivating critical thinking; for professional skills, dedication is crucial; for team building, I recommend collaboration. However, the most important skill is attention to detail which falls under critical thinking. If you cannot pay attention to the client’s work, then the lawyer will be unable to grow. Sharpening these abilities requires different approaches and the young lawyer must be willing to build these skills to excel.’ Before joining ǼLEX, Oturu worked in two firms, honing his craft and gaining useful knowledge on commercial transactions, regulatory compliance and dispute resolution. During these formative years, he developed a flair for ‘researched and legal drafting’ and also became knowledgeable in IP prosecutions and oppositions and other commercial matters. From this he learned how to balance the expectations and challenges each of these aspects of law presented. He is of the view that lawyers can contribute to the economy using technology by garnering expertise in areas like data protection, digital assets and cyber security, as well as the underlying technology that drives them. ‘With new regulations and policies emerging in these spaces taking centre stage there are growing opportunities that exist for lawyers who want to find legal solutions to their clients’ tech related problems.’