The Grundnorm has obtained a notice by Olaniwun Ajayi Law Firm, advising lawyers in the Lagos office to work from home starting from Tuesday 24th of March 2020.

The notice titled “COVID-19: Our Commitment to your Health and Safety” states as follows:

Globally, the workplace continues to evolve in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, as events continue to unfold and the extent and impact of the crisis remain unknown.

As a leading service business, we believe it is imperative to remain well-prepared to adapt to these fast-changing circumstances, and to take such actions, however difficult, as may be required.

At Olaniwun Ajayi, right from the onset of this pandemic, we have taken necessary steps to ensure compliance with the guidance of healthcare experts. We have also been monitoring recent developments in Nigeria very closely, and as a result, we believe that further action is urgently needed.

Therefore, as an institution focused on the welfare of its clients, personnel and wider society, and in line with the social distancing guidelines from the Lagos State Government and the World Health Organisation, personnel at our offices in Lagos, Nigeria will work fully remotely for the time being commencing on Monday, 23 March 2020.

We are also minimizing all domestic (including interstate) and international travel, and will hold all meetings and other interactions on virtual platforms, save where absolutely necessary.
Thankfully, in keeping with global innovation, we had previously implemented robust remote working systems across all our offices. We have now deployed additional capabilities to facilitate full remote working for all our people, and established protocols and systems (including highly secure and reliable technology) to ensure full business continuity and seamless, uber-responsive service to our clients within and outside Nigeria.

As such, whilst physical interactions will be minimized, our teams remain digitally connected and with full access to all resources required to serve you as normal. Relationship partners and counsel remain fully accessible via email and mobile, and, with respect to very urgent matters, our core team can be reached at businesscontinuity@olaniwunajayi.net.
As is often the case with change, we recognize that these developments might be somewhat inconvenient for you, as they are for us.

However, we believe these measures are crucial to help minimize the spread of this pandemic, and accords with our responsibility to keep our people and clients safe and healthy.

Further, to help those in particular need of assistance in navigating these uncertain and turbulent times, we have also set up a dedicated team of experts to assist with constitutional, contractual and economic issues arising from fallout of the rising tide of this pandemic.

You may reach out to your key OA contact person(s) to learn more about our efforts in this regard. As before, we will continue to keep the situation under review and will keep you apprised of any changes.

We thank you for your continued custom, and assure you that, as always, you can continue to count on our full support, and the highest standards of professional service.