Olaniwun Ajayi and Baker McKenzie lead the way as African lawyers honoured among international colleagues at IFLR Women in Business Law Awards

Leading African-based firm Olaniwun Ajayi LP, which broke new ground by opening its own London office in late 2021, has been shortlisted for a remarkable five Law Firm of the Year categories and three individual prizes, among several African firms and lawyers shortlisted for the IFLR 2025 Women in Business Law EMEA Awards.

Five African-based individuals for global firm Baker McKenzie were also shortlisted for Lawyer of the Year and Rising Star Awards across various practice areas..

Now in their 15th year, the Women in Business Law Awards recognise exceptional women lawyers, along with the law firms that cultivate their success and have developed the most progressive initiatives towards diversity and inclusion.

Established in 1962 by its namesake, a teacher turned lawyer from the small town of Isara who became a legendary Nigerian statesman, Olaniwun Ajayi has grown into one of Africa’s largest and most respected law firms. It is shortlisted among several European and Middle East firms for Law Firm of the Year prizes for Innovation, Career Development, Diverse Women Lawyers, and Women in Business Law. 

It was also shortlisted for African Firm of the Year alongside fellow Nigerian firms ALN Aluko & Oyebode, Banwo & Ighodalo, and Udo Udoma & Bela-Osagie, who were joined by North Africa-based ADNA, South Africa’s Bowmans, Ghana’s N Dowuona & Company, and the African offices of Baker McKenzie for that honour. 

Tanzanian firm Port Town Legal also received multiple nominations for Law Firm of the Year, joining Olaniwun Ajayi in the Innovation category, and being the only African law firm shortlisted for the Gender Diversity - CEEMEA category.

The winners of the IFLR 2025 Women in Business Law EMEA Awards will be announced at a special ceremony in London on 25 June 2025. 

Alongside the Firm of the Year accolades, 12 African women lawyers have been shortlisted for individual Lawyer of the Year, Rising Star, and Spotlight Awards.

Olaniwun Ajayi partners Folashade Oluyadi, Ibi Ogunbiyi, and Toyosi Alabi are shortlisted for Lawyer of the Year in the Energy, natural resources, and mining category, Project Finance category, and Trademark category, respectively. 

Johanne Hague, founder of CMS Prism in association with CMS, is shortlisted for Lawyer of the Year in the Tax Dispute Resolution category, while her senior associate Medina Torabally is shortlisted for the Rising Star Award in the Tax category. 

Three partners in the Johannesburg office of Baker McKenzie have been honoured in individual categories: Lydia Shadrach-Razzino shortlisted for Lawyer of the Year - M&A National; Virusha Subban for Lawyer of the Year - Tax; and Managing Partner Lerisa Naidu shortlisted for an Individual Spotlight Award as ESG Leader of the Year.

Lamyaa Gadelhak, a partner at Helmy, Hamza & Partners, Baker McKenzie Cairo, is shortlisted for Lawyer of the Year in the Project Finance category. 

Tanya Seitz, a director designate in Baker McKenzie's Corporate Mergers & Acquisitions Practice Group in Johannesburg, was shortlisted for the Rising Star Award in the Corporate/M&A – National category, alongside Oluwatomilola Tobun, a senior associate at ALN Nigeria|Aluko & Oyebode, and five European lawyers.

Gina Loko-Idoko, a Senior Associate at Dentons ACAS-Law in Nigeria, was shortlisted for the Rising Star Award in Intellectual Property, alongside seven European lawyers.

All of the 2025 IFLR Women in Business Law EMEA Awards category shortlists are available here

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