Diversity Business Profiles…
From a student to the boss in 3 years – Charles is not done yet!
He has won most respect and recognitions there are out there to win but he still continues to provide excellent legal services to clients, promote access to justice, and inspire younger folks that look like him to pursue their dreams without any hesitation.
Charles is the Managing Partner and CEO of Osuji & Smith. He is one of the leading young lawyers in Canada.
As young as he is, he’s just been named one of Canada’s 25 most influential lawyers by the Canadian Lawyer Magazine.
The passionate young lawyer joined a Calgary-based law firm in 2013 as an articling student and was called to the Alberta Bar in 2014. He became a named Partner in 2016, and the sole owner of the firm in 2017. He’s CEO, leading one of the fastest-growing law firms in Calgary.
At an age when most lawyers are busy learning their craft, Charles is not only doing that, but also ensuring that he’s providing mentoring and leadership for his staff of associate lawyers, legal assistants, and articling students.
The young dedicated lawyer obtained a Bachelor of Laws (LLB, magna cum laude) from the Faculty of Law, Imo State University, Nigeria, graduating at the top of his graduating class, before proceeding to the Nigerian Law School where he graduated with a Barrister-at-Law (BL, Honours) in 2010.
Charles also has a charitable side to his successes. He volunteers as a Mentor for other young professionals through the Calgary Region Immigrant Employment Council (CRIEC), and as a panelist at numerous professional events.
He is also on CRIEC’s Board of Directors. Elizabeth Fry Society, the Alberta Civil Liberties Research Centre, Alberta Legal Aid, the Alberta Law Society Lawyer Referral Service, Igbo Cultural Association of Calgary, pianist at his Church, the Mustard Seed, and Habitat for Humanity are but a selection of organizations that have benefited from Charles’ volunteerism. I must add that he also runs a free legal clinic, serving primarily the newcomer population.
This rising star in the Canadian legal terrain has been featured by multiple news outlets such as the Lawyers’ Daily, Canadian Lawyer Magazine, The Sprawl, IAF Canada, and CityNews.
He has also been celebrated by different organizations such as; 2020 Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers in Canada by the Canadian Lawyer Magazine, Canada’s 2020 Top 40 Under 40, Calgary 2020 Top 40 Under 40 by Avenue Calgary, 2020 Canadian Bar Association’s Douglas Miller Rising Star Award, 2020 Employer Awards for Newcomer Employment by the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), 2020 Immigrant of Distinction– Achievement under 35 award by Immigrant Services Calgary, 2020 Entrepreneurship and Innovation award by Immigrant Services Calgary, 2019 Hope Awards by Aspen Family and Community Network Society, and the 2019 Professional of the Year Award by Diversity Magazine.
In his spare time, Charles enjoys spending time with family and friends, playing piano, playing and watching soccer, other sports, and reading.
For more information about Charles and his excellent work, please go to www.osujismith.ca
(Frankline will be on a mini business tour of Calgary this weekend. Should you want to meet and chat on sharing your work with our 60K+ platforms, our upcoming Diversity TV, 2020 AC Awards in Calgary, or any Diversity+ related stuff, please text 780.709.0965).
