Young Business lawyer: Women’s month edition

Name: Princess Otah

Organisation: AELEX

Professional Bio: Princess Otah is an Associate in the firm’s Regulatory Compliance, Company Secretarial, and Corporate/Commercial Practice Groups. She has extensive experience advising local and multinational companies on regulatory compliance, business formation, corporate governance, and complex business restructuring.

She provides strategic legal advisory services to facilitate businesses in navigating Nigeria’s regulatory landscape, ensuring seamless compliance with statutory and sector-specific requirements.

She is committed to delivering practical, business-oriented solutions that enable companies to operate efficiently while ensuring regulatory and contractual compliance.

Five Questions with Princess

What inspired you to pursue a legal career?

I was inspired to pursue a legal career by the nobility of the profession and the power of logical reasoning. When I was very young, my dad had several novels with legal themes by authors like John Grisham and William Bernhardt. I read all of them and was captivated by the unique thinking process that lawyers used to navigate complex issues. The way they followed a thought process to its logical conclusion was mind-blowing to me. I wanted to be like those characters—strategic, analytical, and impactful. More than that, I wanted to change the world positively with my thoughts, using law as a tool for justice and meaningful transformation.

What was a defining moment in your legal career that shaped your professional trajectory?

There have been several defining moments in my legal career that have shaped my professional trajectory. One of the most pivotal was early in my career when I had the privilege of being part of a multi-billion-naira transaction involving the sale and restructuring of a well-known microfinance bank in Nigeria. That experience exposed me to the complexities of high-stakes negotiations, regulatory compliance, and corporate restructuring at an advanced level.

Beyond that, I have played a key role in assisting multinational clients with intricate restructuring processes, ensuring they navigate legal and regulatory frameworks seamlessly. One particularly fulfilling experience was helping a multi-million-dollar fintech successfully obtain its Payment Service Solution (PSS) license from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). The process required meticulous legal structuring, regulatory engagements, and strategic problem-solving, reinforcing my passion for corporate and regulatory law.

These experiences have shaped my approach to legal practice; strategic, detail-oriented, and impact-driven. Each transaction or regulatory process is not just about compliance; it’s about enabling businesses to thrive within the bounds of the law while fostering innovation and economic growth.

What role have networks and communities played in your career progression?

From the early days of my career, I learned that legal expertise alone isn’t enough as relationships, mentorship, and collaborations are just as crucial. Throughout my career, networks and professional communities have played a vital role in shaping my growth and expanding my practice.

One notable example was when through my network, I was introduced to a high-stakes transaction involving franchising in the power sector. It was a significant opportunity that reinforced the commercial value of legal advisory work. The deal required structuring agreements that aligned legal frameworks with business objectives while navigating a heavily regulated sector.

Beyond career opportunities, these relationships have provided a support system with people who challenge my thinking, share knowledge, and push me to continuously improve. I have also made it a priority to pay it forward by mentoring younger professionals and sharing insights from my experiences.

This has reinforced my belief that success is not just about what you know, but also about who you engage with and how you nurture those relationships.

How can the legal industry better support and accelerate the progress of women in leadership roles?

Fostering an inclusive legal environment requires flexible work arrangements, robust mentorship programs, and strict policies against harassment and discrimination. Beyond these foundational steps, targeted leadership development is essential. This includes structured leadership training, access to high-profile assignments, and proactive support for work-life integration, ensuring that women can advance without systemic barriers.

Senior leaders must go beyond passive support and actively advocate for women, pushing them into high-profile deals, strategic roles, and business development opportunities that position them for leadership. Law firms and corporate legal departments should prioritise women-focused networking initiatives and encourage more female lawyers to specialise in high-growth sectors where leadership opportunities are most abundant.

The goal isn’t just diversity. It is about equipping, empowering, and positioning women to thrive in leadership, ultimately shaping the future of the legal profession. By implementing these focused strategies, the industry can create a truly equitable and merit-based pathway for women to attain and excel in leadership roles.

What is one policy or initiative whose implementation would support gender equity in the legal profession?

One impactful initiative to support gender equity in the legal profession is the Client Diversity Mandate. This policy encourages large corporate clients to prioritise law firms with strong gender diversity in leadership when selecting legal counsel. To remain competitive, firms would need to publicly share their diversity data and demonstrate active inclusion efforts, making gender equity a key business consideration rather than just an internal policy.

Beyond client selection, the mandate fosters collaborative diversity initiatives between law firms and their clients, ensuring shared responsibility for progress. By tying diversity directly to business decisions, this initiative creates a powerful incentive for firms to prioritise gender equity, driving meaningful and lasting change in the legal profession.