Team size: Five

Derin is a Group Executive within the emPLE Group. She holds the positions of Group General Counsel, Company Secretary and Chief Compliance Officer.

Her career spans in-house legal and compliance experience in digital marketing, banking and, currently, the insurance sector. She is experienced in change management, mergers and acquisitions, regulatory compliance, corporate governance, best practices and ethics, data privacy, stakeholder management, AML/CFT, and company/board secretarial matters. She has over 25 years’ corporate experience gained in various roles across different sectors.

Her past roles include Solicitor at Union Bank of Nigeria Plc; Group Head Legal at Multibanc Savings & Loans Ltd; Head of Legal and Corporate Affairs at Naijasounds Limited; Associate at Udo Udoma & Belo-Osagie; and a brief stint as a Service Consultant at Halifax Bank of Scotland, UK.

Derin graduated in 1992 from Queens College Lagos, where she obtained her secondary education. She then obtained an LL.B (Hons) degree from Cardiff University of Wales, United Kingdom, and subsequently qualified as a Barrister and Solicitor of the Nigerian Bar in 2002 (BL).

She is a WIMBoard Fellow and a Chartered Secretary (ICSAN), obtained the Oxford University Fintech certification with distinction (Said Business School), was recognised as one of 50 Leading Ladies in Corporate Nigeria by Leading Ladies Africa, is an Advisory Board member of Women in the Profession (WIP), Nigeria Chapter (affiliated with the New York City Bar WIP programme), and is a 2025 recipient of the GC Powerlist Nigeria, issued by the Legal 500.

Her interests include women’s advocacy, health awareness and legal reform.

What are the most significant cases or transactions that your legal team has recently been involved in?

The most significant transaction was the acquisition of the existing company, formerly the multinational parent company Old Mutual, in a bid to exit operations in the country. The process involved negotiations with interested companies through a bid process, culminating in emPLE acquiring all the shares of Old Mutual and effecting a change of ownership.

Our role in the transaction involved managing the detailed due diligence exercise, which entailed a thorough review of all corporate records, material contracts, and a comprehensive financial and operational assessment.

We also liaised regularly with external counsel on both sides for clarification on documents provided and to ensure alignment on the detailed transaction documentation.

Additionally, we were involved in change management planning and in negotiating the detailed transition services arrangement and contract to ensure a smooth handover from the seller to the buyer. This aspect was crucial, as it was necessary for business continuity and to ensure operations were seamlessly carried over into the new entity. Other matters of note included detailed engagement and alignment with stakeholders, both internal and external.

What role does corporate counsel play in strengthening corporate governance in light of Nigeria’s recent reforms and stakeholder expectations? 

We, as corporate counsel, serve both as a strategic business partner in governance and as the guardian of legal risk and compliance. Stakeholder expectations increasingly require a pre-emptive approach to strengthening corporate governance, which includes embedding ethical standards in the business, providing proper board advisory and administration, and integrating compliance risk by interpreting regulations, ensuring statutory compliance, and monitoring regulatory trends.

What strategies has your legal team adopted to manage disputes and mitigate risks in Nigeria’s dynamic business environment? 

Dispute prevention is the strategy we adopt. Disputes often involve operational, reputational, and sometimes regulatory risks. To prevent these risks from materialising, we ensure that the legal team is involved early during planning and at key stages of business execution. We also include clear dispute resolution clauses in all contracts, with litigation considered only as a last resort. There is always the option of mediation and alternative dispute resolution, which is faster, as the litigation process in the country is extremely slow and protracted.

In our practical experience, most cases have been resolved speedily via the Lagos State Multidoor Courthouse. Indeed, some litigious cases have been referred by the courts to mediation at the Multidoor Courthouse.

How is your legal department leveraging technology to improve compliance monitoring, contract management, or governance reporting?

In today’s world, especially as technology evolves, it would be foolhardy not to leverage it, as the ideal scenario is to embed technology in all processes. Despite some local nuances and a growing awareness of the technological need, in practice our compliance monitoring utilises technology in a proactive manner. We have always employed tracking tools to monitor all regulatory alerts and changes; we also review historical audit findings to identify risk hotspots based on past trends.

We use technology to assist in sanction screening of individuals and potential clients, and we are currently reviewing the use of artificial intelligence to enhance our processes. Technology enables legal teams to perform the work they have always done, but with greater evidence and at scale.