Yvonne heads the Corporate and Business Advisory Practice focusing on corporate governance, compliance with company laws and regulations that govern businesses and on matters arising from transactions and commercial trading.
Yvonne Ezekiel is the Managing Partner of OAL. She sets the strategic goals and objectives of the firm, manages the operations, and drives OAL’s business growth. She has over three decades of combined astute experience in legal practice, business management and process re-engineering.
She leads the Corporate Commercial Practice group assisting companies across Energy, Oil and Gas, Maritime, Financial Services, Fintech and Engineering sectors navigate complex business issues, possible violations and legal challenges. She provides high level counsel and advisory on high -complexity business transactions and commercial obligations, business operations, board governance and on regulatory and compliance matters. Her legal advisory work is also anchored on financing transactions, debt capital financing.
She is sought after as an expert on Employment Law matters. She was invited as a recent expert contributor on Employment and Labour Law to the B-Ready 2026 World Bank Report.
Her prior experience working with multi- nationals and FMCGs is instrumental to the development of her commercial capabilities in business management, human resources, compliance and corporate governance.
Her experience in Business Process Re-engineering has been key to the re-organization of OAL into a world-class law firm supported by strong business and people processes.
- Led the legal advisory on a N25 billion syndicated bridge loan transaction ,providing legal counsel on the transaction structuring process, reviewing the Term sheet and all conditions precedent and subsequent. She was crucial to the structuring of the intercreditor agreements and securitization process.
- Provided advisory services to a foreign capital market operator seeking market entry into Nigeria on the regulatory and compliance requirements of the securities and exchange commission.
- Rendered a major tax advisory service to a large foreign corporate client, guiding it through its statutory tax obligations on its tax obligations and tax liabilities and ensuring alignment with applicable regulatory requirements.
- Led the advisory on the acquisition of a mid-sized technology company, conducting due diligence and supporting deal structuring, drafting of transaction documents, and completion processes.
- Provided a pivotal legal advisory service in connection with the acquisition of a local cement manufacturing company by a foreign company.
- Corporate commercial law
- Employment & Labour Law
- Corporate Finance
- Structured Finance
- Corpore Governance,
- Board Governance,
- International Trade.
- Energy .
- Oil and Gas Transactions Advisory,
- Tax Advisory
- ESG
- Intellectual Property
- Member Nigeria Bar Association
- Member Nigeria |Bar Association Section on Business Law
- Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators
- Association of Lawyers in International Trade (Founder)
- Association of European Attorneys
- LLB Bendel State University (Ambrose Alli University)
- BL Nigerian Law School
- MBA University of Liverpool
- PG. Dip. CIPD UK Organizational Design and Development
- PRINCE2 Certified – Project Management Practitioner
- Global Expert in Employment Law 2025
- National Association of Northern Nigerian (For national development and Educational Upliftment)
- Thought Leadership:
- Ship Management as a Commercial tool for business profitability. Published
- A review of the new Securities and Investment Act.
- The significance of voting rights for Preference Shareholders in Corporate Governance
- Risk Management for Companies