Counsel (Corporate and Finance) at Wemimo Ogunde & Co

Wemimo Ogunde & Co. is a leading full service law firm in Nigeria consistently commended for its ability to handle and resolve complex and sophisticated matters in the simplest and most efficient manner. At Wemimo Ogunde & Co, we understand that our clients do not need the legalese, so we cut it out and go straight to the point.

We are recruiting to fill the position of:

Job Title: Counsel (Corporate and Finance)

Location: Lagos

Job Description

We are a reputable law firm based in Nigeria seeking extremely vibrant, creative and intelligent young lawyers to join our rapidly expanding corporate and finance practice.
We kindly request that you read the job description and requirements below to make sure this is the right job for you. If you believe you have what it takes, we will be so happy to hear from you.

Duties
The Counsel will work under the supervision of a Senior Counsel to carry out the following duties:

Actively participate in trainings, seminars and workshops organized within and outside the firm in order to build expertise on corporate transactions;
Attend and take comprehensive notes at client meetings in respect of new and/or ongoing transactions at the firm;
Actively participate and make contributions at strategy meetings in order to outline and discuss the deliverables required for each transaction;
Carry out thorough legal research with limited supervision that can be trusted by the team members in respect of each transaction;
Carry out due diligence as may be required for each transaction and prepare initial drafts of due diligence reports;
Prepare initial drafts of legal opinions as may be deemed necessary;
Prepare initial drafts of various agreements depending on the structure of each transaction under the guidance of the supervisor;
Prepare routine and standard documents (such as confidentiality agreements) as well as checklist documents in relation to each transaction;
Regularly liaise with officials at government agencies in order to ensure the perfection and registration of documents at such agencies as required by law;
Prepare update letters and liaise with clients on the status of their matters;
Write articles and newsletters periodically on topics relevant to the practice areas of the firm;
Participate in legal events as may be organized by the firm from time to time; and
Carry out all other duties as may be related to the above scope as assigned by the supervisor.

Requirements
We are looking for lawyers who possess the following:

Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) – Minimum of a Second Class (Upper Division). We will only accept lower classes if you are able to prove extenuating circumstances in your motivation letter.
BL – Minimum of a Second Class (Lower Division) from the Nigerian Law School. We will only accept lower classes if you are able to prove extenuating circumstances in your motivation letter.
Masters’ degree is an added advantage;
First degree in a field other than law is also an added advantage;
1-4 years’ corporate and commercial experience in a good law firm;
Strong research and analytical skills;
Sound command of English language (oral and written) and good proofreading skills;
Familiarity with carrying out due diligence and preparing checklist documents;
Familiarity with liaising with government officials (particularly officials at the Corporate Affairs Commission and Stamp Duties office);
Ability to think creatively in a confident manner;
Attention to detail and ability to follow a process to completion;
Ability to write articles, newsletters and other thought leadership publications; and
Ability to use Microsoft applications.