Boma Ozobia has always been a favourite of TNL. Sometime last year on TNL, we did a review of the book, Sisters in Law, a book she Co-authored. She is one lady who had distinguished herself in ways so numerous it is almost impossible to keep track.
A graduate of the Rivers State Univesity, she moved over to the United Kingdom to pursue a Masters at the Kings College of the Univesity of London. Despite the gender issues and the obstacles an ethnic minority had to face at that time, she overcame all that to become Senior Partner of Sterling Partnership Solicitors LLP, which was voted “Best of Southwark” in 2008. Sterling Partnership has offices in London, Paris, Lagos and Ghana.
Amongst her many accomplishments, in 2005 Boma became the first person of minority ethnic origin to become the national Chair of the Association of Women Solicitors (AWS) since it’s inception 83 years earlier.
Therefore, it is with great pleasure and excitement that TNL presents to you, Mrs Ozobia. Relax and peep into the mind of this beautiful lady.
Thank you for this wonderful opportunity to visit with you Mrs. Ozobia. I have read several of your interviews and meeting you leaves one with the conviction that you are a principled and fair person who is overflowing with warmth. How did you get to the height of the profession and still remain true to the person you are inside?
As a professional, my focus is always on my clients – ensuring that they are given timely and appropriate advice that is relevant to the particular circumstance. Since my focus is external rather than internal, my professional competence does not impact on my individuality and interaction with people. They are entirely separate in my view, and rightly so.
You are a qualified Lawyer in Nigeria and in the UK and have practiced in both jurisdictions; what is the technological disparity between the two and how can the bridge be gapped?
We have many excellent lawyers in Nigeria as we do in England, however, the lawyers in the United Kingdom do have an advantage in the tools available to them to carry out their work. Research is very easy as most of it can be conducted online. The same applies to standard forms and precedents. In addition, there are various services lawyers can access on a subscription basis which, effectively carry out legal research for you in your chosen area of law and keep you updated on any significant changes in the law. To that extent, lawyers in the UK have an advantage. Fortunately, this is also beginning to happen in Nigeria so we hope to see that gap bridged in the near future.
To what extent have technology and the internet in particular enhanced your development as a legal practitioner?
Technology and the internet have been invaluable. I could not conduct a cross border practice without these tools, for which I am most grateful. It has also meant that I can achieve the work/life balance that would ordinarily not have been possible as I would have had to make a choice.
How successfully can a lawyer practice the profession over the internet?
The internet is a great tool and invaluable in modern day practice but there is no substitute for a personal meeting with your client. Also, the internet is not that secure, I would be very concerned about confidentiality and security of my clients’ information if all client business was conducted on the internet.
Does Sterling Partnership make use of online tools such as software-as-a-service, video conferencing, webinars and virtual assistants, to mention a few?
Yes we do. We also have a blog!
Has there been a significant reduction in your overhead and general expenses as a result?
These tools enhance productivity and mean that you do not always have to travel to attend meetings. The reduction in travel cost and time is certainly a significant saving.
What do you think are the possibilities of achieving a paperless society and do you see Nigeria as a country, eventually pulling her weight in the need to make the society as eco-friendly as possible?
I have been striving for a paperless office for years but have sadly come to accept that in this profession, at least for the time being, there is no substitute for paper in a lot of cases. Nigeria is actually a very eco-friendly nation as we recycle a huge amount. Papers, bottles, plastic, metal scrap etc are usually collected and re-cycled albeit by manual labour rather than the mechanised and organised format available in Europe.
What is your opinion of facebook.com and linkedin.com? Do you consider social networks necessary tools for any professional or are they completely superfluous?
Social networks are a great way to stay in touch, particularly with friends in far flung places. I have not used (facebook – which is the only one I have subscribed to thus far) as a professional networking tool.
And finally, could you name one gadget each, which neither you nor Sterling Partnership can do without?
Mobile telephone with a push email function – either via Mobile Express or Blackberry.
Thank you so much Mrs. Ozobia for taking this time out of your busy schedule to chat with us. You have always been a favourite of The Nigerian Lawyer and we look forward to having you here more often.
The previous spotlight was on George Etomi of George Etomi and Partners. Read the interview here.
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