Biography
Omolara (Lara) Kayode is the Founder and Managing Partner of O. Kayode & Co. She was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1992 and has practised in intellectual property for over 30 years.
Lara read law at the University of Buckingham, England, and completed an LLM in intellectual property law at Queen Mary, University of London in 1994. She is a CEDR-accredited mediator (since 2005), a Notary Public (since 2014), and a member of the panel of neutrals at the Lagos Multi-Door Courthouse.
Her practice concentrates on trademark, patent, and design portfolio management for domestic and international clients across Nigeria and sub-Saharan Africa. She advises on regulatory matters and handles anti-counterfeiting and trademark portfolios for multinationals and FMCG companies. Advertising law and mediation are particular interests.
Lara has served the international IP community through INTA for over a decade. She served as Co-Chair of the 2026 INTA Annual Meeting in London, one of the world’s largest gatherings of intellectual property professionals, and chairs the INTA Global Advisory Council for Africa. She is a recipient of INTA’s President’s Award (2019), which recognises a lasting career contribution to the Association, served on the INTA Board of Directors from 2012 to 2015, and has contributed to the Building Bridges Committee and the Unreal Campaign Committee. In 2010 she helped organise INTA’s first official anti-counterfeiting programme in Nigeria.
Beyond the firm, she heads the legal commission on the management board of the Lycée Français Louis Pasteur in Lagos, co-curates activities that promote the arts and culture of Nigeria and the United Kingdom, and is an active advocate for women in intellectual property and for mentorship across the profession.
Rankings & Recognition
- Ranked by Chambers & Partners as an intellectual property luminary, regarded as a leading IP lawyer in Nigeria
- Described by World Trademark Review (WTR 1000) as a professional the market looks up to
- Managing IP Top 250 Women in IP
- MIP Practitioner of the Year 2023
- INTA President’s Award 2019
Memberships
- INTA (International Trademark Association): Chair, Global Advisory Council for Africa; Past Co-Chair, 2026 Annual Meeting; Past Member, Board of Directors (2012–2015)
- AIPPI: Vice President, Nigerian National Group
- GALA (Global Advertising Lawyers Alliance)
- FICPI, PTMG, and ITMA
- Nigerian Bar Association, Section of Business Law