Global Excellence Awards 2018

10 Acquisition International - Global Excellence Awards 2018 46 i International - February 2018 Strachan Partners are delighted to be selected in the 2018 Global Excellence Awards as the Most Outstanding Commercial Law Firm 2018 in Nigeria, with Yemi Candide-Johnson believing that the firm’s success deserves to be recognised. Yemi takes us behind the scenes of the company as we gain an insight into its success. trachan Partners was established as a full-service law firm 27 years ago. In those years and before, the company has successfully advised, guided, supported and defended local and international clients across a wide range of practice areas, including but not limited to; dispute resolution, real estate and construction, labour, immigration, project finance and intellectual property. Typically, the firm’s clients include governments, financial institutions, professional service providers such as consultants and accountants, small and large businesses and also charitable organisations. Differentiating itself from its competitors who also operate within the legal industry, Yemi explains that it is the boutique nature of the company and the work that it takes on. Its independent nature means that the utmost attention to detail is paid to every individual case, with high levels of creativity amongst staff, as Yemi is keen to highlight. “Essentially, we are a boutique firm and we are highly selective about thework that wewill agree to undertake. We are dedicated to understanding the entire mechanics of a client’s business in order to supply effective bespoke solutions. This dedication requires careful attention and a considerable commitment of resources. We can only offer this by choice. “Furthermore, we also apply very creative problem- solving mechanisms to each matter brought before us. Our ability to think outside the box ensures that our clients get the very best advice possible.” With the legal industry and relevant technology constantly evolving at a rapid pace, it is vital that Strachan Partners and the teams employ creative and innovative techniques which help the firm to stay ahead of emerging developments. Yemi alludes to which techniques lead the company to be best placed to counter these developments. “At Strachan, we believe in observing emerging developments via social media, newspapers, news and other media platforms. We believe in first anticipating where a trend is likely to go and then act upon same. We did this in the past year by observing the rapidly increased social media activity in the industry, and have undergone extensive efforts towards improving our social media presence via (i) posting intellectually Company: Strachan Partners Contact: Yetunde Quadri Address: 8 Tokunbo Omisore Street, Off Wole Olateju Crescent, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos, Nigeria Phone: 00234 127 007 22 Website: strachanpartners.com Integrity, Innovation, DiligenceandExcellence S 1802AI13 stimulating articles with a core legal focus for the benefit of all readers, (ii) drawing attention to our recent awards locally and from international bodies; and (iii) highlighting our efforts towards giving back to society via training young lawyers. Last year, we did a similar thing when we trained a group of secondary school children who were with us for a few weeks in April to observe lawyers in practice.” Important to the success of the law firm and its staff, the firm set targets and goals which staff strive to achieve. Yemi outlines the overall mission of the company, listing what steps the firm plans to take in order to achieve its mission. “Here at Strachan Partners, we are committed tomodel diligence, excellence and integrity in the delivery of legal services. We understand that without public confidence in the reputation of lawyers, their work and the business mission of their clients is made riskier. That risk is mitigated by dedication to personal and professional development by training, and strict internal regulation including against strict policies such as our Anti-Bribery Policy and Anti-Discrimination and Harassment Policy. “In a challenging legal and business environment, we must bring new perspective to every assignment and overcome challenges which considerable experience teaches us to anticipate. We are alert and proactive, and therefore highly effective in crafting enduring business solutions.” Overall, concluding the discussion, Yemi predicts what the future holds for the company, commenting on the future plans for Strachan Partners, as well as hinting at future growth for the firm. Lastly, Yemi is keen to add how important the area of Lagos is to the success of this growing law firm. “Within the last year, we have invested substantially in new purpose-built offices as well as state of the art technology in our facility. Our business is expanding within this security, increasing our profile andmultiplying opportunities for quality clientele. “Lagos is an important regional commercial hub whose profile and opportunity is rising. It is a target for much international commercial investment, and we know exactly how to bridge these interests to our complex legal environment.”