Today on the LESA blog we introduce you to Charles Eluromma. Charles is an associate with McMillan LLP. His business law practice primarily focuses on M&A with a secondary focus on business immigration.
Dating back to as young as 10 years old, Charles can remember always feeling a sense of ambition. At the age of 11, when leaving primary school, Charles received a book as a gift for his academic achievement. Titled “The Incorruptible Judge”, the gifted book became a prized possession. With courtroom scenes and a glimpse into what life looked like for someone working within the legal profession, the book fascinated and inspired Charles. It was after reading this book that Charles said to his brother, “I want to become a lawyer one day”.
Fast-forward a few years, and the idea to pursue a career in law didn’t fade. At the time, Nigeria (where Charles is originally from) was still under military dictatorship and newspapers were filled with stories of lawyers fighting for civil rights. Upon entering university, Charles’ eyes were opened to the various areas one could practice in as a lawyer. His interests started to shift away from human rights and litigation to focus on business law. His passion for business law steadily grew, just as his practice has.
Charles was called to the Nigerian bar in 2007, and then to the Alberta bar in 2019. Prior to coming to Canada, Charles practiced business law at two prominent firms in Lagos, Nigeria where his focus was on finance transactions as well as corporate commercial matters. Currently, Charles primarily provides guidance on mergers and acquisitions along with a secondary focus on business immigration. Specifically, Charles advises clients on general business law relating to the purchase and sale of a business and corporate reorganizations, and drafting and review of commercial agreements. In the field of business immigration, Charles provides services related to labour market impact assessments, intracompany transfers, CUSMA, CPTPP and GATS professional work permit applications, temporary residence applications, as well as permanent resident applications for economic class immigration and provincial nominations.
When asked what motivates him, Charles notes:
“Generally, legal practice here is challenging but it is also very rewarding. Seeing companies that I have worked with make headlines in the news, and to see them thriving with continued success, is incredibly motivating.”
As an internationally trained lawyer, Charles has a few words of wisdom to pass onto others who are navigating the NCA process:
- You have to be patient, maintain hope, and manage expectations as you embark on the journey. It’s easy to look to other successful lawyers and to want to find that success for yourself right away. It will come, but the journey is a marathon–not a sprint–and it’s important to maintain patience and persistence.
- Practice leaving your comfort zone. Reaching out to people and cultivating connections within the Alberta legal profession is important to developing relationships and fostering growth. Networking is not as common practice in other parts of the world, but here it is an important key to success and fulfillment at work.
Charles is building a thriving business law practice here in Alberta. He is tenacious and future-focused. We look forward to seeing where his career takes him.
View Charles Eluromma’s LinkedIn profile here.
