Career Biography

A seasoned corporate lawyer with over nineteen years of progressive experience across real estate, energy, petroleum, logistics, infrastructure, and regulated industries in Ghana. Widely recognised for providing strategic legal leadership on high-value commercial transactions, including complex mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, project finance, and public–private sector engagements involving multinational corporations and government institutions.

She currently serves as Senior Corporate Lawyer at Vaal Real Estate Ltd, where she established and structured the Legal Department, embedding effective cross-functional collaboration and governance frameworks across the organisation. She leads all real estate transactions, including land acquisition, legal due diligence, negotiations with joint venture partners, and the drafting and negotiation of sale and purchase agreements and related commercial contracts. She advises the Board and senior management on corporate governance, regulatory compliance, employment matters, and strategic commercial transactions, while maintaining strong working relationships with key government institutions, including the Lands Commission. In recognition of her leadership capacity and operational competence, she also acts as Chief Executive Officer during the substantive CEO’s annual leave.

Previously, she served as Group Manager, Legal and Compliance for CH Group Ltd, overseeing legal and compliance functions for a diversified group with interests spanning petroleum, logistics, real estate, energy, infrastructure, and environmental services. In this role, she set up the Group Legal Department, developed policies and compliance registers, and provided comprehensive legal oversight for multiple subsidiaries and affiliate companies. Her work included advising on a US$100m project finance transaction for the construction of a government head office and the issuance of US$40m in advance payment and performance guarantees. She played a central role in joint venture negotiations with government institutions and multinational corporations, upstream petroleum investment negotiations, land acquisition transactions, and complex regulatory compliance matters. She also provided company secretarial services and corporate governance oversight across the Group.

Earlier in her career, she spent seven years as Legal Officer at Cirrus Oil Services Limited, where she advised on petroleum sector transactions, negotiated and drafted industry-specific agreements, managed disputes, ensured regulatory compliance, and led the legal aspects of the sale and transfer of two petroleum storage facilities. She also served as Group In-house Solicitor at C&J Group of Companies, advising on corporate governance, health and insurance regulatory compliance, labour matters, contract drafting, and policy development.

She began her legal career at the Attorney-General’s Department and Ministry of Justice, serving as Assistant State Attorney and later as State Attorney on secondment to the Council for Law Reporting, where she contributed to the preparation, editing, and publication of the Ghana Law Reports.

Her professional excellence has been recognised through inclusion in the Legal 500 GC Powerlist: Ghana 2025 and the Best Manager Award at Vaal Real Estate Ltd. She holds a Master of Laws degree in International Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law and is known for her versatility, commercial acumen, and ability to drive sustainable corporate success in dynamic and evolving business environments.

How do you approach managing legal aspects during periods of instability or crises, and how does your legal strategy align with the broader business strategy to ensure the organisation’s resilience?

Managing legal aspects during periods of instability or crises requires a strategic, proactive approach aligned with Vaal Real Estate Ltd’s overall business strategy. Key areas to focus on include: Risk Assessment and Management; Legal Compliance; Communication and Coordination; Crisis Response Framework; and Strategic Alignment and Governance.

What do you think are the most important attributes for a modern in-house counsel to possess?

From my experience, a modern in-house counsel must combine strong legal expertise with strategic, operational, and leadership capabilities. Several attributes stand out as critical success factors.

First and foremost, quality. This encompasses legal competence, professionalism, sound judgment, effective communication, and strong negotiation skills. A modern in-house lawyer must also work collaboratively with management, ensuring that legal advice is clear, practical, and aligned with business realities.

Equally important is business orientation. Legal advice cannot exist in isolation; it must be integrated into the company’s operations and strategic objectives. This requires active participation in management meetings, engagement with stakeholders, and a deep understanding of how the business functions in practice.

Cost sensitivity is another key attribute. In-house counsel must manage legal budgets responsibly, optimise the use of external advisors, and identify cost-saving opportunities. This often involves implementing tracking and reporting tools to ensure transparency and accountability in legal spending.

Closely linked to this is efficiency and productivity. A high-performing legal function continuously improves processes, delegates non-legal tasks appropriately, develops clear corporate policies, and maximises available resources to enhance overall performance.

Modern counsel must also demonstrate flexibility and versatility, particularly in adopting technological solutions such as intranets, matter management systems, and digital workflows. These tools enhance collaboration and ensure effective stakeholder engagement.

In today’s fast-paced environment, speed and agility are indispensable. Providing timely and responsive legal advice — while maintaining accuracy and quality — is essential to supporting operational and strategic objectives. Technology plays a significant role in accelerating processes and enabling rapid turnaround.

Beyond operational excellence, in-house counsel must deliver strategic and proactive advice. This involves anticipating legal risks, supporting key initiatives, and enabling informed decision-making aligned with long-term corporate goals.

Finally, strong risk management and internal controls are fundamental. Identifying and mitigating legal and business risks, developing robust internal controls, and conducting regular compliance audits not only protect the organisation, but also position the legal function as a strategic partner that adds measurable value.