Stark Legal’s Mojisola Olugbemi Bags CSR Reporters’ Social Impact Award

The Lead Counsel and Principal Partner of Stark Legal, Mojisola Olugbemi has received CSR Reporters’ Social Impact Legal Professional of the Year Award.
 
CSR Reporters, Africa’s premier platform for news on Social Impact and Sustainability practices organized the award to recognize individual achievements of outstanding members of the business/professional community who have freely and consistently committed their time and expertise to the needs of others by promoting inclusion, innovation and access in their personal and professional communities.

On why Mojisola was chosen as the winner of the coveted award, Eche Munonye, President and Editor-In-Chief of CSR Reporters said that the nominations for the winner came from several professional and Civil Society communities and was ratified by the board of Editors of the publication. He further noted that Moji, as she is fondly called by friends and associates, has obviously created valuable impact in the legal circle and Nigeria as whole to be nominated by an overwhelming majority of the voting population.

She has led Stark Legal Solicitors and Barristers to become one of Nigeria’s multiple award winning and sought after 21st Century full serviced commercial law firms that has consistently provided legal support to local and international corporate bodies, government agencies, non- government organisations and individuals.

It would interest you to know that in 2016, this woman of valour, with an intimidating profile, was drafted into the legal team of the fiercely contested Petroleum Industry Reform Bill.

Mojisola Olugbemi is currently involved in Dispute Resolution (Litigation) and Alternative Dispute Resolution (Mediation, Negotiation and Arbitration).

As highly sensitive as the aviation industry is, she was able to win her firm the highly coveted Aviation Dispute Resolution Law Firm of Year (small size) award, 2019 and 2021, as well as the Managing Partner of the Year award, 2019.

The aviation industry, we all know, is a very busy sector, and requires a high degree of precision and care that should be in line with applicable laws and global standards. So, it takes a firm or an individual, with deep knowledge of these standards, to win an award in the industry. This award is really worthy of commendations.

And to say that this award came at a time when there have been several complaints about shortcomings of airlines operating in Nigeria, shortcomings that have affected the growth of the sector, is really plausible.

Here is what she’s got to say about how she founded Stark Legal and how she’s been running it in her capacity as the Managing Partner: “I ensure that the business and logistics of the Firm are excellently organized and executed, in addition to my role as Lead, Advisory Team.

“In my role as the Team Leader, I ensure that Clients’ needs are taken care of in the most professional way possible, and all legal advisory assignments are executed excellently.

“We offer our clients an uncompromising commitment to excellence expected of a top firm in a distinctive way of thought, work and efficiency. We continue to maintain a forward thinking commercial approach, with significant ‘home-grown’ problem solving experience. We are regarded as the firm of choice for complex and novel transactions; this is attested to by our track record of high value mandates.”

As a result, she revealed that their clients choose them because they (Stark Legal), understand their market, goals and objectives, as well as offer them the experience, innovation, technical expertise, clarity of advice and full commitment to deliver value on all assignments they undertake.

Furthermore, she disclosed that they provide a complete market view to every assignment that is tailored to suit each client situation. “With a risk management mind-set, our firm approaches every transaction with a view to assist businesses and organisations achieve their goals.”

It takes an excellent team player to be a Lead of the Advisory Team of an internationally recognised organization. The implication of this is that in addition to possessing the underlisted attributes, Mojisola Olugbemi, quite well understands that teamwork only thrives when you as a leader, leads by example, and that alone they can do so little, but that together, they can achieve so much. An effective team player has a lot of exemplary qualities, which if properly harnessed, can be a company’s competitive advantage and help the company to take on challenges from competitors.

She understands that she must be willing to learn. Nobody is an encyclopedia of knowledge. She was willing to learn new skills, traits and whatever is needed to move the company forward. This also includes learning from her colleagues in the office and giving them room to share their thoughts and ideas.

She is always willing and ready to give a hand, reach out to her other partners as well as members of staff. Not only that, but she is also adaptive to other people’s working styles and capabilities, giving them the opportunity to adjust and provide assistance as needed. This has propelled the members of the group to show commitment to the goals and vision of the firm.

Being knowledgeable and not sharing the knowledge makes no sense. Mojisola Olugbemi shares her expertise with people around her and always helps them in solving problems that arise both in the company and in their private lives.

And also, she understands the value of being respectful to others, staying professional and courteous, irrespective of status. This attribute has helped her to build a strong and healthy relationship with people in her firm, part of which translated to the success of the firm.

Under the leadership of this young Boardroom Guru, Stark Legal, has successfully published six books in the oil and gas sector. She is said to sit on the board of several companies as well as provide company secretarial services to many more.

She is an Alumni of Harvard Law School Executive Education Leadership in Law Firms Course, Swansea University, Wales, and the University of Lagos. She is a member of the Nigerian Maritime Law Association, the International Bar Association, and the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators UK.

In 2018, the ESQ Nigerian Legal Awards conferred on her, one of the 40 under 40 awards as one of the Country’s successful legal practitioners yet to attain the age of 40.

Being an author herself, in 2014, she was appointed to the board of Law Publishing and Conference Services Ltd, and was elevated to the role of Managing Director in 2015.

Mojisola Olugbemi is very passionate about issues relating to women and children.  She practically founded the Strive and Thrive Foundation that offers transformational leadership and entrepreneurial training for the younger ones.

A member of the Young Women Christian Association, she has worked with Awesome Treasures Foundation to create awareness and work on addressing domestic violence and children’s rights.

She made the list of Courtroom Mail’s 30 most influential female law firm founders in Africa 2020. Courtroom Mail is an online media that covers and connects the law community in Africa.