SESSION 8 in the webinar series “Crisis Management for African Business Leaders” features a discussion led by Harvard Professor David B. Wilkins on the topic of “Law and Crisis Management: Working with Lawyers in Business, Government, and Society to Manage the Challenges of COVID-19.”
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused unprecedented disruptions to businesses, governments, and societies across Africa and the world. Addressing this crisis requires innovative thinking and collaboration between businesses, governments, and societies in new and creative ways. The law plays a crucial role in this process, whether through the development of new public-private partnerships or ensuring that the least advantaged are not left behind. This webinar draws on insights from leading lawyers across Africa and focuses on how the law connects businesses, governments, and societies. Understanding Africa through this legal lens provides a unique perspective on the continent’s short, medium, and long-term responses and strategies. In a time of legal uncertainty, this webinar also explores some of the substantive questions facing legal practitioners, as well as the developmental and social challenges the pandemic presents for African societies.
PANELISTS:
- Moderator: David B. Wilkins, Lester Kissel Professor of Law, Vice Dean for Global Initiatives on the Legal Profession, and Faculty Director, Center on the Legal Profession, Harvard Law School
- The Honorable Eric Holder, 82nd Attorney General of the United States
- Gerald Abila, Founder and Executive Director, BarefootLaw
- Dr. Myma Belo Osagie, Co-Founder, Udo Udoma Belo-Osagie
- Michel Brizoua-Bi, Partner, Bilé-Aka, Brizoua-Bi & Associés
- Stephen Chege, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, Safaricom
- Prof. Vincent O. Nmehielle, SJD, Secretary-General, African Development Bank Group Office of the Secretary-General and General Secretariat
- Prof. Ruth L. Okediji, Jeremiah Smith, Jr. Professor of Law, Harvard Law School, and Co-Director of the Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society
- Sandie Okoro, Senior Vice President, and General Counsel, World Bank Group
- Thandi Orleyn, Chairperson, Legal Resources Trust
- Dr. Godfred Penn, General Counsel & Director, African Development Bank
This timely and valuable video conference series is produced by Africa.com in partnership with faculty from Harvard Business School. It aims to address the unprecedented humanitarian and economic crisis brought about by COVID-19, providing a platform for thought leaders to share strategies and insights on navigating these challenging times through the lens of law and governance.