Laura Alakija

Laura is the Managing Partner of Primera Africa Legal - a top tier commercial law firm in Lagos, Nigeria. She leads the Primera Africa Legal’s Commercial Transactions and Commercial Disputes (Arbitration and ADR) practice groups. Laura has over 15 years’ experience in the disparate yet connected fields of transaction advisory services and commercial disputes with specialties in arbitration, project finance, power & infrastructure, hospitality, asset acquisition, energy and natural resources. She has served as counsel and arbitrator in several market-defining disputes and led the team representing multinational companies in a number of big-ticket transactions in Nigeria.

Laura currently serves as the International Chamber of Commerce Young Arbitrators Forum (YAF) Representative for Africa, Middle East and Turkey and as the Programs Director for Africa Arbitration Academy. She was part of the team that drafted the widely celebrated Africa Arbitration Academy Protocol on Virtual Hearings in Africa – which won the Innovation in Arbitration at the Africa Arbitration Awards 2020.

She is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, member of the - International Council for Commercial Arbitration’s network for young practitioners (Young ICCA), member of the Association of Young Arbitrators (AYA), member of the Nigerian Bar Association and its section on Business law; travel, tourism and hospitality amongst other professional bodies in which she holds membership.

She was awarded by the Association of Young Arbitrators in 2020 as one of Africa’s 50 Most Promising Young Arbitration Practitioners, and in 2019 was awarded the Nigeria Legal awards as one of Nigeria’s 40 Under 40 Rising Stars.

Education

• LLM University Of Derby, 2015
• BL Nigerian Law School, 2006
• LLB University Of Jos, 2005

Professional Memberships And Positions

• Member – Planning Committee of the annual Lagos Pre-Vis Moot
• Member – Lagos Court of Arbitration Young Arbitrators’ Network (LCA YAN)
• Member – Young Practitioners Group under the auspices of AIAC (YPG)
• Member – International Bar Association (IBA)
• Member – Nigerian Bar Association (NBA)
• Member – NBASBL Committee on Energy, Natural Resources and Environment