About AJ
Ayuli Jemide (AJ) is a model contrarian who finds excitement in championing concepts that go against the grain and true to type in January 2005 on the back of a failed merger he founded Detail Commercial Solicitors which is Nigeria’s first commercial solicitors’ firm to specialize exclusively in non-court room practice with a vision to be top 10 in 10 years.
According to the Chambers & Partners Corporate and Commercial Rankings, Detail Commercial Solicitors is currently a top 7 corporate and commercial law firm in Nigeria and has received several awards, including Business Day’s Most Innovative Law Firm Award in 2019. Detail Commercial Solicitors has been described by International Financial Law Review and Chambers and Partners Global with words like; Responsive and Articulate; Offering Workable Solutions and Thoughtful Insight; Proficient at structuring transactions; Protective of the Clients Positions.
Since 2005 as Lead Partner of Detail Commercial Solicitors, he has navigated key aspects of the firm’s service delivery and has personally advised on transactions creating novel structures that saved clients millions of dollars, including Beloxxi Industries 80m USD equity raise, Lagos State Blue Line Railway; UPDC Plc N30 billion REITS; Heineken BV’s purchase of 5 breweries in Nigeria; 2nd Niger Bridge Design Build Operate & Transfer; Ladol/Samsung JV for Total’s Egina FPSO integration.
AJ considers himself fortuitously to have diverse skills and experiences – knowing a lot about a several things and a little about many things, from being a transactions lawyer to negotiator, mediator, trusted adviser, board director, public officer, writer, speaker and more.
In AJ’s early days when he thought lawyers did not make enough money, he wanted to be a businessman. He dabbled into the oil service industry, furniture making, water treatment, building renovations and more. All business failed, but there were successes in the lessons learnt. These and other experiences have helped him in advising clients and pursuing some of his passions like conceiving and supervising personal building projects where space management, cross ventilation, natural light are key
Work
AJ was named the “Best Lawyer, Nigeria, 2013’’ by World Finance and has professional affirmations from Chambers Global Guide commentary who cited him as having “A vibrant, creative mind’’ and as ‘’an excellent negotiator’’. ThisDay Law named Ayuli as one of the Lawyers to Watch in 2015.
AJ is currently the elected Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association, Section on Business Law, President of the IE Business School Nigeria Alunmi, Chair of the Ebola Containment Trust Fund; a Member of the Institute of Directors, Nigeria (IOD).
Influences
AJ attributes his values and ethos to parents who were unwavering in teaching undiluted life lessons. His father a lawyer and mother an educationist, both trained in the UK in the 60’s, had a book full of sayings that shaped his early life: Rome was not built in a day; Do not be like the Joneses; A stitch in time saves nine; Life is not a bed of roses; Every benefit has a burden; There is dignity in labour and more. AJ has been fortunate to work with and professionally advise many great minds and successful people like Goodie Ibru, H.I.S Idisi, AK Mirchandani, and has learnt life lessons from several of them.
Learning environments have been a big influence. Attending boarding school at Federal Government College Enugu and studying law at the University of Benin was arguably the best time of his life and a good underlay for AJ’s social and intellectual fabric. His time at IE Business School Madrid, introduced AJ to numbers and improved his entrepreneurship tangibly. A masters’ in law from the prestigious Northwestern University Chicago, introduced him to the Socratic method of gaining knowledge which has helped his problem-solving skills and brainstorming abilities.
Creativity & Intellect
Writing – AJ is a prolific writer. He has written weekly columns for This Day, Business Day (links to columns) where his simplicity and wit bring his message home. He has written two unpublished books (Negotiating for Value and Be an Ant).
Teaching – AJ loves to design simple communication techniques that makes a talk resounding, informative and transformational. He is a regular public speaker at various forums including, Lagos Business School Centre for Infrastructure, Policy, Regulation and Advancement (CIPRA) were his class feedback average is usually 8/10.
Game – He also is currently working on launching a game he invented to teach professionals the intricacies of time and income.
Interests
When AJ’s official hat comes off, he dons one of his over 50 baseball caps and is happiest exploring his passions.
Amateur photography – AJ is happy zooming into nature – mostly sun and sea – with an old Nikon D60. See some of his photos HERE.
Boating – getting lost at sea or on the marina is a favourite getaway
Kayaking – A recent discovery during the COVID19 Lockdown in Lagos, seems like walking on water. He even wrote a Twitter thread on lessons learnt from kayaking that went viral.
Swimming – AJ has been swimming since the age of 5. Seawater preferably
Tennis – Favourite cardio exercise
Food – AJ is an extremely adventurous foodie – he prefers a table full of a little of this and a little of that. “I love a fusion of tastes and flavours at once” he says.
Golf – classic definition of off and on. AJ’s golf kits are regular citizens of beneath the stairs.