A Master Class With The Grand Master Of The Castle

By Stan Alieke

I always look forward to spending quality time with my “Oga” because anytime you visit him, you leave inspired, motivated and you admire him the more.

Yesterday was no different.

The moment I walked into his Asokoro home, I found myself saying:

“Sir, this ambience alone is inspiring!”, I was forced to ask him, sir when will I get to this level to be able to afford a home such as this, it was reassuring when he told me that I am on the trajectory. Well, to his mouth to God’s ears.

My Oga whom I have spoken so much about in every one of my interviews, whenever people who admire me and what we have built with Law Capitol reach out to interview me and for me to share our growth story, I don’t hesitate to name-drop my Oga and brag about how much of an impact he has had on my life and I’m the kind of lawyer I turned out to be today because of his mentorship.

The Oga is Dr Kayode Ajulo, Officer of the Order of the Niger, (OON), Senior Advocate of Nigeria, (SAN), Fellow of the prestigious Chartered Institute of Arbitrators of the United Kingdom, (FCIArb (UK)), and the Grand Master of the Castle and the Legend of Law as we his admirers refer to him.

I first met him as a university student when I joined Kayode Ajulo (SAN) & Co., Castle of Law, as an intern. I was young, curious, and eager to discover what the legal profession looked like beyond lecture halls and examinations. Fortunately for me, Dr Ajulo took a personal interest in me and the rest they say is history.

The first scolding he gave me was about my dressing; I remember the day he chased me home threatening that he doesn’t ever want to see me in his life dressed like that, and that a lawyer must always look impeccable, presentable, in proper attire. How was I dressed that day? I was in corporate but I didn’t put on a necktie. To Dr Ajulo, a lawyer not being in a tie is a disaster and not fit for a lawyer. Well, if you know Ajulo in person or have met him before you will know that he is a prime and proper man, always smartly dressed with a bow tie and suit, so it’s understandable now why he chased me away for not putting on a necktie.

The second scolding was when he was teaching me how to write; to draft a petition, articles, or court process. It’s a known secret amongst those who have worked under him that he’s never satisfied, once he sends you to write something, after you present it to him, Ajulo must see something to correct; it was through him that I developed an eye for the tiniest of details, Ajulo is that man who wants excellence in everything he’s doing, and that also should reflect on those under him.

After my call to the Bar, Ajulo took me in as a lawyer to be one of his Associates in his Law firm, Castle of Law, and, in the language of the Castle, I became a Knight of the Castle. Now, as a lawyer, his expectations of me became higher, so whenever he’s around I’m always trying to avoid him.

In retrospect, those pushing beyond normal by Dr Ajulo turned me into a fine gentleman and also a good lawyer. Today, I run a thriving law practice, Law Capitol with offices in Abuja and Lagos and over 15 lawyers working with us.

Yet yesterday reminded me of something I have learnt over the years:

You may leave the Castle, but the Castle never really leaves you and you cannot pass through someone like Ajulo and not have a reflection of him on you. In fact, those that have been to Castle of Law when it was located at No. 21 B Amazon Street, Maitama, and have visited my office will definitely see that we try to model Law Capitol after Castle of Law; for instance, the grand piano that captures everyone’s attention when they step into the lobby of Law Capitol is a mimical of the grand piano that Ajulo has in his Castle of Law, and numerous other examples.

Why “Grand Master”?

It has nothing to do with age. Dr Ajulo is still a young man.

It is about the way he thinks; you need to hear him speak to understand, he has ideas, the execution strategy, and one of the best brains. When you hear Ajulo’s lofty dreams you will think it’s a person who is just starting life and not a man who has achieved so much and climbed to a height many people may not dare to attain in life.

He has an unusual ability to look at an accepted way of doing things and ask:

“But why must it be done this way?”

That question runs through his practice, his ideas and the people he has mentored.

Even before our conversation began yesterday, his home had made an impression on me. It was elegant, thoughtful, and full of character; well, if I say I’m surprised I’d be lying because Ajulo has impeccable taste. His house is a reflection of that even though I was amazed by the beauty, he was still telling me about the renovation he planned to do in the house – yes, that’s the kind of man he is.

I thought: Of course.

The environment reflects the mind.

“So, Are You Retiring from Law?”

Our conversation took an interesting turn.

I asked him:

“Sir, now that Governor Aiyedatiwa has practically taken you away from us to Ondo State as Attorney-General, are you now saying goodbye to private legal practice for politics?”

I almost regretted the question.

It was as though I had touched the tail of a python.

He sprang from his seat.

“Never!”

He reminded me that this was not his first engagement with politics in Ondo State.

Years ago, under Governor Olusegun Mimiko, he served as Chairman of the Ondo State Media Group and the Ondo State Radio-Vision Corporation, at a time when he was also National Chairman of the Labour Party.

But he eventually resigned.

Not because of a quarrel or disagreement, but because, as he stated in his resignation letter, he needed to return to the practice of law.

That answer said everything.

Public service may be a calling and he always finds time to give back to the people of Ondo State through service whenever he’s called upon, but as for the Ajulo I have come to know, law remains home and his first love, he’s not leaving this Law Practise for any of us; I still need to compete for briefs with him and, fortunately, still learn from him as the master of law.

The Lawyer Before the Crisis

That led us into a conversation about the legal profession and how we define the value of lawyers.

There is a common perception that you need a lawyer only when something goes wrong.

You are sued; call a lawyer.

The police invite you; call a lawyer.

A contract collapses; call a lawyer.

A business partner takes the money; call a lawyer.

A property dispute erupts; call a lawyer.

The lawyer becomes an emergency service.

But the Grand Master asked:

Why should the lawyer enter the room only after the problem arrives?

Why should we call the lawyer when the house is already burning, instead of having the lawyer help design the house?
This reemphasized what he always says lawyers should be crisis preventers and not merely crisis managers.

That question opened up a much bigger conversation.

The Lawyer Before the Money

One of the strongest lessons I took away was that lawyers should think beyond protecting wealth after a dispute.

They should help create the structure through which wealth is built.

An entrepreneur may need a lawyer before the first naira is made.

Before incorporating a company: ownership and structure.

Before accepting an investor: control and governance.

Before signing a major contract: risk and liability.

Before launching a product: intellectual property.

Before employing people: rights and obligations.

Before expanding: regulation.

Before wealth is accumulated: preservation and succession.

The lawyer should be at the table when the enterprise is being built, not merely summoned when it begins to collapse.

That is enterprise law.

That is strategic lawyering.

The Legal Victory Nobody Sees

None of this diminishes litigation. The courtroom remains one of the great places where lawyers defend rights and pursue justice.

But some of the most valuable legal work never makes the headlines.

A contract that prevents a lawsuit.

A corporate structure that prevents a shareholder dispute.

A negotiated transaction that saves years of litigation.

A succession plan that prevents a family conflict.

Sound advice that keeps a business out of regulatory trouble.

Sometimes the lawyer’s greatest victory is the crisis that never happens.

Beyond Fintech

We also spoke about the tendency to define the future of commercial law largely through fintech and technology.

Certainly, artificial intelligence, digital assets, data protection and financial technology are transforming the profession.

But Nigeria’s opportunities are much broader:

Agriculture. Energy. Infrastructure. Real estate. Construction. Healthcare. Entertainment. Sports. Aviation. Maritime commerce. Investment. Capital markets. Tax. Intellectual property. Public-private partnerships. International trade. Family businesses and succession.

The modern lawyer must therefore understand more than statutes and authorities.

He must understand enterprise.

How does the client make money?
Where is the risk?
Where is the opportunity?
What does the industry require?

The lawyer must be able to translate legal knowledge into commercial value.

Then I Thought About My Own Journey

Listening to him, I thought about where I started.

A university intern at Castle of Law.

Then an Associate.

Today, building a thriving law practice.

But I am only one of many. Today there’s the Citadel of Law, Law Fortress, Law Empire, Law Corridor, Law Shield etc

The alumni of the Castle include Senior Advocates of Nigeria, professors, doctors, congressmen, judges, public servants, entrepreneurs and accomplished lawyers who have gone on to build practices, institutions, and careers of their own.

That, to me, is the real measure of a mentor.

A law firm can produce briefs, cases, and revenue.

But a great mentor produces people.

He gives you confidence before you have evidence.

He exposes you to possibilities before you are ready for them.

He pushes you beyond the boundaries you have set for yourself.

Then he watches you leave and build something of your own.

That is what it means to make men.

The Lesson I Took Home

Perhaps that is why visiting him is never merely a visit.

You encounter a mind that refuses to stand still.

Dr Ajulo keeps learning, building, writing, questioning, strategizing, and reimagining. And that restlessness is contagious.

The lesson is simple:

If someone who has achieved so much can remain hungry for the next idea, none of us has any excuse to become complacent.

I went for a visit and expected a conversation.

However, I received another master class.

And I left reminded that some mentors teach you a profession.

The rare ones teach you how to think.

Grand Master Kayode Ajulo, SAN is one of those rare ones.

You may leave the Castle, but the Castle never leaves you.

*Stan Alieke, Esq, is Managing Partner, Law Capitol.