As every entrepreneur knows, getting the right legal advice for a growing business is essential, yet it can often be out of reach from an affordability perspective in the early days. But in Nigeria, entrepreneur and lawyer, Morenike Okebu, founder of Reni Legal, is bringing legal advice and expertise within reach of all SMEs.
LoA chatted to Morenike recently in Lagos to find out more….
What does your company do?
Reni Legal is a law business that offers high quality legal services to SMEs at an affordable rate. We specialize in connecting SMEs to professionals in the legal industry who can help them with their legal needs, without these SMEs having to break the bank.
What inspired you to start your company?
I got pregnant with my second child and it was quite unexpected. This made me quit my job at a top tier law firm which I loved at the time and I stayed at home. I saw a lot of entrepreneurs and I wanted to do something. So, I prayed about everything and soon I met Mr. Gabriel Dafeakeh and started working with him on a project. He recommended a course called The Hustle Bootcamp. Apparently, this was the entrepreneurship for dummies course I needed and was appropriate since I didn’t know a thing about entrepreneurship. I did the course and realized just how hard it is to be an entrepreneur. With all the associated costs, I finally understood why SMEs did not get legal advice. They simply could not afford it, but I knew they needed it. I decided that enough is enough of DIY and started an SME focused law business.
“I finally understood why SMEs did not get legal advice. They simply could not afford it, but I knew they needed it. I decided that enough is enough of DIY and started an SME focused law business.”
Why should anyone use your service or product?
My business is focused solely on SMEs. I am a partner in a larger law firm, GM George Taylor & Co. which is a full-service law firm. However, Reni Legal is a law business aimed at helping people and saving SMEs from avoidable legal mistakes.
Tell us a little about your team
I work with a network of lawyers who have similar visions. I engage them whenever I get a new client who needs services in areas in which they specialize. My company doesn’t provide legal services, it simply connects clients to law services they need, and I negotiate lower prices on their behalf. I work with lawyers all over Nigeria and hope to expand to the UK soon.
Share a little about your entrepreneurial journey. And, do you come from an entrepreneurial background?
Wow, this journey has been a little tough. My husband, Gideon Okebu, really helped me with my initial set up by letting me use his office as my base of operations. I have had ups and downs and didn’t make any money for two months when I just started. A few months later and my business is already making money without me having to work 9-5. I’m a woman of faith and I can only thank Jesus for the grace to have come so far so soon. I sit on the boards of companies around the world and have avoided countless litigation cases by ensuring proper documentation is done from the very beginning.
“We specialize in connecting SMEs to professionals in the legal industry who can help them with their legal needs, without these SMEs having to break the bank.”
What are your future plans and aspirations for your company?
My dream is to make Reni Legal a global company. I want to discourage DIY law and make it easy for the average person to prevent legal mistakes.
What gives you the most satisfaction being an entrepreneur?
Knowing I am doing what I love and that I am making a difference in my own little way in the legal field.
What's the biggest piece of advice you can give to other women looking to start-up?
Don’t give up! Believe in yourself! You can do it!
Contact or follow Reni Legal
WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | EMAIL info@renilegal.com
Why LoA loves it….
Finding a need in the marketplace is often the starting point for anyone embarking on an entrepreneurial journey. For legal expert, Morenike Okebu, her inspiration for starting a business came from identifying a need amongst SMEs for good, affordable legal advice. Today, she is building a business that connects SMEs with access to such advice, provided by a network of highly qualified and experienced lawyers who understand the challenges of being in the startup world. This is smart entrepreneurship in action. — Melanie Hawken, founder & ceo, Lionesses of Africa