The Legal Business Network, founded by lawyer and entrepreneur Ifeoma Ben in 2017, has grown from an online community for business owners into a platform promoting collaboration between the legal profession and the business world, with its annual Legal Business Conference now entering its seventh edition.
The network began as a Facebook group created to educate entrepreneurs, startups and business owners on the legal requirements for establishing and growing sustainable businesses. According to the account of its journey, the community attracted more than 3,000 members at its peak before expanding into physical seminars and eventually the Legal Business Conference, which has addressed emerging issues in technology, entertainment, financial technology, economic development and real estate. The 2026 edition, held on 20 October at the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Victoria Island, Lagos, focused on the theme, “Law, Commerce & Creativity: Unlocking New Frontiers in Health, Sports & Fashion Law,” highlighting the growing intersection of legal practice, entrepreneurship and investment in emerging sectors.
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LEGAL BUSINESS CONFERENCE
From a Vision to a Movement: The Journey So Far
Every enduring initiative begins with a vision. A vision to challenge the status quo, bridge a gap and create something that makes a difference.
For the Legal Business Network, that vision was born out of a simple but important realisation: the law should not exist only in courtrooms and law offices. It should also be a tool for building businesses, enabling innovation, protecting ideas and unlocking economic opportunities.
What began as a modest online community in 2017 would grow into a platform connecting the legal profession with the wider world of business.
This is the story of that journey.
In 2017, Ifeoma Ben, a lawyer and entrepreneur, established the Legal Business Network as a Facebook group with a clear purpose: to educate entrepreneurs, startups and business owners on the legal aspects of running and growing a business.
Through practical content and legal education, she sought to help business owners understand the importance of legal compliance, protect their interests and build businesses on sound legal foundations.
The response was encouraging. At its peak, the community grew to more than 3,000 members, reflecting a clear appetite for accessible, practical legal knowledge.
But for its founder, the opportunity extended beyond educating people online. There was a need to create spaces where entrepreneurs could engage directly with professionals, ask questions, exchange ideas and develop a deeper understanding of the relationship between law and business.
That realisation marked the next phase of the journey.
In 2018, the Legal Business Network introduced the Legal Business Meet-Up, a free quarterly seminar designed to educate entrepreneurs, startups and corporate organisations on building legally protected businesses.
The first two editions held in Ikoyi in March and June 2018. The third, held on 29 September 2018 at Leadspace, Yaba, exploring entertainment contracts, merchandising, advertising regulation and digital entertainment.
In August 2019, the fourth edition examined Business Start-up Finance: Legal Issues, addressing legal considerations surrounding business funding.
These gatherings helped transform the Legal Business Network from an online educational community into a platform for in-person learning, professional engagement and business development.
Four physical meet-ups had taken place. And with each edition, the vision continued to evolve.
Having created a platform that primarily served entrepreneurs, Ifeoma Ben began to consider another important question: how could the same vision create greater value for lawyers themselves?
How could lawyers be better positioned to understand emerging industries, embrace technology, develop commercially viable practices and identify opportunities beyond traditional legal services?
The answer was the Legal Business Conference.
On 19 March 2020, the inaugural edition was held at the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Victoria Island, Lagos, under the theme: “Leveraging Technology to Build a Profitable Law Practice.”
The conference examined the role of technology in law firm management, how specialisation and technology could improve lawyers’ visibility, and the opportunities emerging in technology-driven areas of legal practice.
It was a deliberate step towards encouraging lawyers to think differently about their profession, their businesses and their place in a changing economy.
The Legal Business Conference had begun—not simply as an event, but as an extension of a vision to connect law, business and opportunity.
Since its inaugural edition, the Legal Business Conference has continued to evolve, responding to developments in technology, business, regulation and the wider economy.
In 2021, the conference provided a platform for discussions on entertainment law and business, exploring opportunities within Nigeria’s vibrant entertainment industry.
In 2022, it turned its attention to blockchain and financial technology under the theme “Regulating Blockchain and FinTech Innovations: Finding the Balance.” Held at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, the conference explored digital assets, regulatory policy and the emerging opportunities for lawyers in technology-driven sectors.
In 2023, the conference broadened its focus to economic development with the theme “Powering Tomorrow’s Economy Today.” Discussions examined energy and economic growth, the digital economy, and the business-enabling environment in Nigeria. Collaborations with committees of the Nigerian Bar Association, Section on Business Law, and the NBA Lagos In-House and Government Counsel Forum further strengthened the conference’s engagement with professional institutions.
In 2024, under the theme “Innovating for Law and Business: AI and Beyond,” the conference explored artificial intelligence, legal innovation, collaboration with technology companies, and strategies for building more efficient and profitable law practices. The edition was held in partnership with the Technology Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association Section on Business Law.
In 2025, the conference examined real estate as a driver of economic development. Under the theme “Real Estate as a Catalyst for Economic Development,” discussions focused on legal and regulatory frameworks, innovative financing models and public-private partnerships.
Across these editions, one principle has remained constant: the need to understand the legal dimensions of emerging opportunities, while equipping professionals and businesses with the knowledge and connections to participate in them.
Each year has brought a new subject, a new set of challenges and new opportunities for collaboration. Yet the underlying mission has remained the same—to make the law relevant to business, and business opportunities accessible to the legal profession.
Now, in 2026, the journey enters another chapter.
On 20 October 2026, the seventh edition of the Legal Business Conference will hold at the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Victoria Island, Lagos, under the theme:
“Law, Commerce & Creativity: Unlocking New Frontiers in Health, Sports & Fashion Law.”
This edition turns the spotlight on three dynamic sectors where legal expertise, entrepreneurship, innovation and investment increasingly intersect.
In health, the conversation will explore healthcare innovation, technology, regulation and investment.
In sports, it will examine the legal and commercial structures that can transform talent and sporting activities into a sustainable industry.
In fashion, it will consider how intellectual property protection, sound commercial arrangements and strategic business structures can help Nigerian creative brands grow and compete globally.
These conversations reflect the broader ambition of the Legal Business Conference: to identify emerging opportunities, address the legal and commercial challenges surrounding them, and encourage the partnerships needed to turn ideas into sustainable enterprises.
The seventh edition is not a departure from the original vision. It is a continuation of it—an expansion into new frontiers where law can help unlock creativity, facilitate investment and support economic growth.
From a Facebook group in 2017 to a growing professional platform. From the Legal Business Meet-Up to seven editions of the Legal Business Conference.
The journey reflects the vision and persistence of its founder, the contributions of its speakers and partners, and the participation of the community that has continued to make these conversations possible.
What started as an effort to educate entrepreneurs about the law has grown into a platform for examining how legal knowledge can support business development, professional growth and innovation across industries.
As the Legal Business Conference celebrates its seventh edition, the mission remains forward-looking: to educate, connect, empower and create opportunities at the intersection of law and commerce.
Because the future of the legal profession is not defined only by the matters lawyers handle today, but also by the opportunities they recognise, the industries they help shape and the value they create for society.
Seven editions. One evolving vision. A future of possibilities.
Legal Business Conference 2026.
Law. Commerce. Creativity.
Unlocking New Frontiers.
20 October 2026 | Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Victoria Island, Lagos.
The journey continues.