Alliance Law Firm held her annual Retreat, a two-day event (Thursday -Friday June 29th – 30th, 2019) which took place at the prestigious La Cour Hotel, Ikoyi, one of the highbrow areas of the Lagos Municipal. The event was a mix of lectures; musical presentations; team bonding; glitzy photographs and uninterrupted tea breaks and assorted dishes for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

The importance of the retreat which was designed to ensure further cohesion amongst members of the firm via team bonding activities. The retreat also serves as a time when the Management team of the Firm gather together to set strategic goals, deliberate on key decisions, create future projections and retooling of the Firm; for the overall growth and expansion of the Firm. The retreat also serves as a time when the Firm takes stock and measure performance, assess milestones reached.

The first day of the retreat accommodated three lectures from Mr. Chidi Okoro, Consultant/Head, Strategy, Lagos Business School; Mr. Isaac Obi, Partner, Alliance Law Firm; and Mr. Simeon Okoduwa, Partner, Alliance Law Firm.

Mr. Okoro spoke on “Making The Vision a Reality Strategy; Execution as a Priority”. He emphasized the importance of executing plans rather than just making the plans. His lecture was robust, rich and edifying, as members of the retreat benefited immensely.

Mr. Isaac Obi gave his lecture on Dispute Resolution, he extensively discussed the importance of knowing the business angle of litigation and how legal practitioners could excel at it. On litigation, he advised that lawyers should always take brief writing seriously; the importance of encouraging room for settlement rather than going through the tedious process of litigation. He emphasized the issue of decorum before the courts and understanding the temperaments of judges.

Mr. Okoduwa gave his practical lecture on Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), he noted that KPIs are a very essential tool the firm uses to grade the performances of the members of staff of Alliance Law Firm. He emphasized that the staff of the firm should develop and understand the concept of emotional intelligence (EI).

The second day accommodated four lectures from Miss Angela Yusuf, Chief Accountant & Admin Manager, Alliance Law Firm; a representative of Healthcare International HMO; Mr. Uche Val Obi, the Managing Partner, Alliance Law Firm and Mr. Anayo Nwosu, an invited speaker.

The firm was lectured by Miss Yusuf on the topic of Understanding Financial Statements & Accounts. The lecture focused on Key Financial terms such as financial statements, profit, loss, Balance Sheets, e.t.c.

The medical representative from Healthcare International HMO centered on the topic, “You are What You Eat”. It was a very enlightening and interactive session. The members of staff were motivated as to how to treat themselves better on what they eat.

The Managing Partner (MP) had his session, with his lecture focusing on the title, “The Scale Game 2” In his lecture, he stated the history of the firm, the core values of the firm. He stated the different kinds of people in the firm and their work performances. In his lecture, he discussed the importance of aiming high. He also spoke extensively on responsibility, stating that the foundation of responsibility begins from a personal mindset. He encouraged team leaders in the firm to give credit to their team members, as such act has not made some members of staff rise in the firm. He also stated that the firm’s expectation of all ALF staff are to be high flyers and reputable legal practitioners. The MP encouraged all staff to be decently dressed and well cultured. He also emphasized the importance of foresight and setting targets which should be executed. He proceeded further to state the goals of the firm which were all embedded in Project Marathon. He mentioned that to realize project marathon, tools such as emotional intelligence, judgment, problem solving, people management, decision making and negotiating skills need to be deployed. He also emphasized the importance of business development for the firm.

Mr. Nwosu spoke on the topic: “Effective Marketing and Relationship Strategies” He mentioned that as a firm, there is need to maximize our strengths and manage our weaknesses. He emphasized the importance of maintain a balance of getting more clients and maintaining the old ones. He mentioned that the importance of effective marketing is a tool that legal practitioners should develop. He stated that the most effective tool of marketing is through our skills.

There is no doubt about the refreshing impact the retreat had on members of staff.