University: London South Bank University
Degree: Petroleum engineering
Year of qualification: 2023
Position: Associate
Department: Corporate
Pronouns: He/him

What attracted you to a career in law?

I originally studied engineering at university, completing a master’s in Edinburgh. After graduating, I worked in engineering. However, I knew that this wasn’t my passion so I decided to try something different. I ended up working for a sports media company and, during my time in this role, the company became involved in arbitration which traversed different jurisdictions including South Africa, Nigeria and London. This gave me a taste of working in law as my principal job became liaison with the barristers. I loved the work I was doing and so decided to pursue a career in law.

How did you decide which firms to apply to?

I drew a Venn diagram with all the things that were important to me to help my research. As I was slightly older than the average applicant, I didn't want to apply to a firm with a large trainee intake. I also wasn't exactly sure about which practice area I wanted to qualify into, so I wanted a firm with many departments where I could do several seats. Farrer & Co LLP was perfect as you do five different seats during your training contract.

There were a couple of specific departments I was interested in – for example, family and commercial. So, I was looking for a firm with a good family department and a strong commercial structure. Once I’d narrowed it down, I found five firms, including Farrer, that fell into the circle that had everything I wanted.

What do you think made your application successful?

I’d advise aspiring lawyers to be themselves in their law firm applications. Remember that your intelligence is inherent because you’ve filled in your qualifications on the application, so don’t focus too much on educational accolades. Instead, concentrate on all the other things that make you unique.

For me, it was talking about my background, where I come from and all the experiences that have led me to this point. I also made sure to get a second pair of eyes on the application, so I asked my girlfriend (now my wife) to read it. I didn’t want my application to be formulaic; I wanted the answers to illustrate all the unique things about me. This meant I knew that whatever firm I joined would want me for who I was. I wanted to embrace the fact that I studied and grew up in Nigeria – I couldn't run away from it or look at it as a disadvantage. So, in my application, I emphasised who I am, including where I grew up and where I was educated, because I'm proud of it.

Which departments did you train in?

I did seats in financial services, corporate, private client immigration, commercial disputes/ reputation management and commercial property. At Farrer, you complete the qualification process during your fifth seat and then you go back to the seat you’ll qualify into for your sixth seat. I think this system works well and helps streamline the whole process.

Please outline your area of expertise. What might you do in a typical day?

On Friday, I was working on a relatively large and international transaction where my role was to principally progress the due diligence. First thing in the morning, I looked at the Q&As because the local counsel filters all the questions to me. We have counsel in America, European regions and South America. I processed each of the answers and sent them over to each individual counsel, before having calls with any individuals who have further questions.

After that, I helped the private client team by preparing documentation to add a new partner to a farming partnership. A senior associate drafted a deed of inheritance and sent it over to me to have a look at. I enjoy drafting so this was a fun task. I’m also working on the corporate aspect of a reputation management matter. There was a call with the client to talk about a situation and give advice about potential actions and steps forward.

I also had a meeting with an intern I’m supervising as part of the 10,000 Black Interns project. Friday was his last day in the corporate seat, so I spoke to him about how he felt the seat went and gave him some general feedback, before talking about the next seat he’s going into. Initiatives like this are incredibly important to help improve diversity at the firm. I'm very proud about my heritage and I hope that, if aspiring lawyers or interns meet me, it’ll give them confidence to know they can be whatever they want to be at Farrer.  

How involved are you with business development and promoting the firm?

I enjoy business development so I’m as involved as I could be at my level. The corporate team really pushes involvement in business development if they know that you're interested in it. For example, I’m currently coordinating an event for Black businesses and Black investors and the team is offering great support.

On a day-to-day basis, I go to events with clients to broaden my network. Additionally, I’m an aspiring solicitor’s mentor. I like to get involved in whatever I can, especially in the diversity space. I’m very keen to promote the firm because, while there’s still room to grow in terms of diversity, I’ve felt welcomed, nurtured and supported since I joined. People at the firm try and push me to do well. For example, I’m also a crime author and everyone at the firm is really proud of that. Farrer was very flexible, allowing me to take a few weeks off during my training to finish my book.

What makes your firm stand out from the rest?

I think the work/life balance makes it stand out. At Farrer, as long as you’re meeting your billable hours, you can fit your life around your job. The firm is very welcoming and everybody's incredibly friendly. In regards to clients, we’re known for our expertise and client focus. We've been a law firm for centuries, which stands us in good stead, and we have great expertise – there’s no issue we can’t get to the bottom of.

What skills/strengths do you need to be a successful solicitor?

Inherent to being a successful solicitor, or being successful at anything, is building that level of intelligence. A keenness and eagerness to learn is a perfect base for this. Good attention to detail is also key, especially as a corporate lawyer where every word in the commercial contract and a sale and purchase agreement is vital. It’s also crucial that you have good communication skills. You need to know how to communicate perfectly to the right audience. For example, the way you speak to me as a fellow associate is different from how you’d communicate to a trainee, vacation scheme student or client. You need to be able to deliver information in the right way to the right audience. This also applies to written communication – it’s important to know how much information is required for a specific situation.  

Finally, be aware of your own strengths and other people's strengths – and how you can utilise both for your client. For example, if a client comes in with an issue and there's an employment aspect to it, I'm not going to research employment because it’s going to take longer and increase costs for the client. Instead, I'll call somebody in the employment team and collaborate with them, while keeping personal workload in mind.

What advice do you have for budding solicitors who are contemplating a career in law?

When you start a vacation scheme or a training contract, my advice is always to read the room. Think about how each person likes to do things and how you can help. It’s important to be respectful – don't come in thinking you're better or you're smarter than anybody else. You also need to be ok with receiving feedback. If you don't take feedback well, two things happen – people don't give you feedback and then you don't learn.

Describe the firm in three words.

Collegiate, prestigious, client focused.

What are you reading at the moment?

I'm reading Dune. I watched the film and people said that the book is better so I decided to give it a go. I’d definitely recommend it.