Global Business Development Manager at Legal 500, David Freeman, has harped on the significance of in-house counsel in shaping governance, regulatory engagement and business transformation.
Freeman, who spoke during the recognition of the General Counsel of Moniepoint, Okechukwu Eke, on the GC Powerlist Nigeria 2026 by Legal 500, said in-house counsels are strategic leaders.
The recognition marked Eke’s second appearance on the list, having first been recognised in the inaugural edition in 2024.
The GC Powerlist Nigeria spotlights the most influential and innovative in-house counsel driving significant change within Nigeria’s leading companies.
Now in its third year, the 2026 edition continues to recognise legal professionals navigating complex regulatory environments, advancing technological transformation, and shaping the commercial direction of their organisations.
Every year, the Legal 500 invites law firm partners and in-house counsels to nominate in-house lawyers who have been instrumental in driving their organisations and businesses forward.
In-house lawyers are especially recognised for changing or forming commercial opinions; developing outstanding technical solutions to complex issues; creating innovative structures to ensure that the in-house legal function is supporting and driving the business and providing business working models that other in-house counsels can follow.
Eke’s return to the 2026 list follows sustained achievement for Moniepoint’s legal function in the years since his first recognition.
Since joining the company in 2022, he has led a strong legal team to drive proactive, commercially aligned legal support across the group’s banking, payments, credit and remittance businesses.
“Being recognised on the GC Powerlist again reflects the exceptional work of our entire legal team and the confidence Moniepoint places in us as strategic partners to the business.
“Our role has grown substantially from structuring complex cross-border transactions to embedding the legal function deeply into the company’s commercial and product operations.
“We continue to raise the standard for what in-house legal excellence looks like in Africa’s fintech sector”, said Eke.
Legal 500 has been analysing the capabilities of law firms and in-house lawyers across the world for over three decades, with a comprehensive research programme that assesses legal strength in over 150 jurisdictions.
Research is based on feedback from 300,000 clients worldwide, submissions from law firms, and interviews with leading private practice lawyers.
Since the launch of the Powerlist in 2013, more than 3,000 individuals, 2,000 teams and 100 law firms have been recognised across 38 regions and countries worldwide.
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