- Sometime in 1996, after honing my skills in the Law Firm of Dr. Mudiaga Odje & Co. I took a huge leap of faith and relocated from Warri, Delta State to Lagos State, where I teamed up with my cousin, Oghogho Akpata, who had just set up the Law Firm, TEMPLARS.
- From 1996 to date, I have worked with Oghogho, our Partners and other colleagues at TEMPLARS, in transforming a 4-man law practice into a world class, multi-sectoral, multinational and full-service Law Firm which is now in the 28th year of its existence and consists of over 100 lawyers, including three Senior Advocates of Nigeria.
- In this period, I have served TEMPLARS in various capacities including as Senior Partner and Head of the Corporate & Commercial Practice Group, in which role I led or participated in some of the major groundbreaking transactions that have shaped commercial law practice in Nigeria and indeed the Nigerian economy. It was also from TEMPLARS that I went on to become the 30th President of the Nigerian Bar Association, with the full support of the Partners and entire staff of the Firm.
- It is therefore with mixed feelings, but with a great sense of pride and responsibility, that I announce my disengagement from Templars with effect from 31st August 2023. This decision, which is not one that was taken lightly, became inevitable in view of my recent foray into active politics with a view to contributing towards the critical task of nation building.
- I wish to assure the lawyers and staff at TEMPLARS, our clients, the legal community in Nigeria, and the general public that this decision was a collective one, which accords with the Firm’s governance protocols that I signed up to.
- In my absence, our clientele will continue to be served by over 100 lawyers in TEMPLARS led by twenty other partners (across different practice areas) working out of the Firm’s offices in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Accra.
- I sincerely appreciate the Managing Partner, Oghogho Akpata, my other Partners and the entire staff of TEMPLARS for their unwavering support and for always being there for me. Indeed, the story of my life will never be complete without a chapter devoted to the central role that TEMPLARS played therein.
OLUMIDE AKPATA
24 August 2023