Kike Ojewale ( “The Velveteen Lawyer”) – Intellectual Property, Media and Entertainment Lawyer

Law was not my first choice.  I wanted to go into finance or something related to business, but my family (firmly) encouraged me to study law. I must say, I did not enjoy studying law at all, as I was so sure it was not for me; especially because I was somewhat “forced” and “pushed” into it. Somehow, I managed to get through a Bachelor’s degree, a Master’s degree and Law School in one piece.

When I finally made peace with studying law, I chose intellectual property, media and entertainment law because first, my love for fashion is unmatched and it is a love that has existed since I was 8 years old! I ran a successful fashion blog for about five years and worked in the fashion industry as a stylist for celebrities and fashion designers while I was in University and even for a few years after I graduated. My dream halfway through university, was actually to pursue a career in Fashion & Entertainment generally; particularly on the business side. Second was because I discovered Intellectual Property in my second year of university and I immediately took an interest in it. I thoroughly enjoyed the course because it seemed like the perfect balance between law and creativity. I loved it so much I decided to go ahead and get a Master’s degree in it. The more I studied this area of law, the more I discovered that this was an area established mainly for creatives and I was very excited to pursue a career in it. It was the perfect way to combine my profession and my passion.

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Despite my passion for my profession, I must confess that it is quite challenging to juggle law and life. Effective time management and the pursuit of excellence are some of the factors that have helped me succeed so far.

If I could be anyone else in this world, I would want to be a combination of my mum and Michelle Obama – I love a strong black queen and if I could be anything in this life, I would be the General Counsel of Chanel. That’s the dream job.

One thing I would like to change about Nigerian law and practice would be outdated laws. The laws in my area of practice are so outdated. The world has changed and unfortunately, most of our laws  have failed to move with the times and take into account the advancement in technology and the current challenges we face today.

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My advice for anyone who wants to be a lawyer and still follow their passion is “ It can be very difficult, but I believe the key to a successful career generally, is balance.  I was very fortunate to find an area of law which helped me combine my profession and my passion perfectly but this is not always the case. I’m a firm believer in excelling in all areas that are of interest to you, as long as you are able to manage your time wisely and manage expectations.”

One interesting thing about me that you won’t find on social media is – The theme song of my life is “Money” by Cardi B.