Born to lawyer parents and having older siblings as lawyers, no one should then wonder whyFolake Elias-Adebowale turned out to be a lawyer too. In fact, the family’s involvement in diverse legal functions on the bench, incorporate, administrative, government, international and private practice as well as academics and authorship is legendary and was more than enough to incentivize her to go into the profession as well.

Coupled with this was her deep fascination for the power of language and how it can creatively impact outcomes.

Thus Folake, who took her O’Level, A’Level and S’Level exams in Felixstowe College, Suffolk, England not only went ahead to obtain a Bachelor in Jurisprudence from Oxford University, London, but also a Master in International Business Transactions, International Trade, Foreign Relations Law and Evidence from the University College, London before returning to Nigeria to attend the Nigerian Law School and got called to the Nigerian Bar. In 1996, she joined UdoUdoma and Belo-Osagie Law Firm, a firm where she has remained since.

Today, she is a Partner in this top law firm, a role she had assumed since 2007. At present, she is the current co-Head of Mergers and Acquisitions as well as the Head of the private equity, venture capital and oil and gas teams. She says: ‘‘Outside oil and gas, my specialisations are sector-agnostic. I get to advise across diverse industries and sectors on domestic and cross-border matters including equity and asset investments, acquisitions, divestments, restructurings and on a range of compliance matters. I have been privileged to advice local and foreign investors and other stakeholders on transactions in financial services, fast-moving consumer goods, food and beverages including breweries, industrials, oil and gas, renewables, fintech, agriculture and agribusiness, health, pharmaceuticals, real estate, construction and entertainment sectors among others.’’

‘‘My grand plan was to stay in private practice for no more than a year before exploring options in DFI, finance or impact investing. Life however happened and I found that I enjoyed private practice. Senator Udoma’s founding philosophy of fostering a meritocratic culture of excellence at UUBO has helped it achieve unparalleled gender parity. This appealed to me and aligned with my learning and career ambitions, even as my husband and I were growing a young family. It is still a great place to work-it’s probably why we have so many lifers.’’

‘‘I have had opportunities to work on significant transactions and provide strategic advice to a fantastic plethora of local and international clients, and with every assignment, I learn something new. The journey has been both challenging and rewarding but has allowed me to grow professionally and personally. 28 years later, having never left after my first year of corporate and commercial practice at UUBO, I can safely say that my original plan has completely derailed’’.

On the people that have been most influential in shaping her life and career, she says her family comes first because they shaped her values, conscience and ambitions. According to her, her father, Prof Taslim Olawale Elias of blessed memory, was a man of unparalleled productivity, unwavering principles and unmatchable work ethic and he taught his children to disregard limitations and prejudices even as he instilled in them the belief that they could achieve anything. Coupled with this was her mother and her grandmother who imbued her with values of female independence, self-sufficiency and compassion. In addition, she stated that her husband has been very supportive and invaluable in helping to maintain a balanced perspective in everything she does.

“My daughters teach me resilience, humility and the importance of dreaming big. I am committed to these values which have led me to wonderful mentoring opportunities. I have also been fortunate to meet individuals whose intellect, far-sightedness, empathy and ethics have profoundly impacted my core values, life experiences, outlook and aspirations’’.

Nostalgic about her parents and grateful to them, she is ever proud and happy with what the Saile Foundation set up by her brother, Gbolahan and his wife Aramide Elias is doing to honour them. She revealed that the foundation hosts the annual Taslim Olawale Elias football tournament and literary competition amongst Lagos Island children.

Asked of the most memorable experiences that she had had in the profession, Elias-Adebowale was quick to point out that there is no one favourite experience. She is however grateful for the many memorable transactions that she’d been part of. Said she: ‘‘The thrill of navigating and resolving issues to meet the unique challenges and objectives of each deal never gets old of me. I suspect I’m a bit addicted to the rollercoaster adventure of every deal-every ‘‘ride’’ is unforgettable’’.

Continuing she noted: ‘‘A great privilege of my career has been the recognition of my practice in independent legal rankings such as Chambers Global, Chambers Fintech, The Legal 500, The International Financial Law Review and Lexology/Who’s Who Legal and ranked as an IFLR 1000 Woman Leader, an honour for women lawyers distinguished by their expertise, experience, and leadership in complex deals, is truly a remarkable recognition’’.

Offering words of advice to aspiring female lawyers, she counselled them to be ready to work hard and continually upskill while seizing every opportunity to distinguish themselves ‘‘Confidence is paramount’’, she maintained. ‘‘Accept that you deserve a seat at the table, earn it, then own it. Allow yourself grace, but also hold yourself accountable for your mistakes and learn from your failures. Embrace your strengths and vulnerabilities, they keep you grounded. Tackle challenges with resilience. Actively listen and cultivate empathy. Pace yourself to maintain balance and avoid burnout. Prioritize your health and above all, your faith’’.