Morgan Cole snares major client on web

Morgan Cole has won a major new international client - thanks to its website.

Geoff Hewitt, Morgan Cole's head of upstream commercial oil and gas, has won work as lead counsel to Lagos' attorney general and commissioner for justice on a major electricity power generation project in the Nigerian city.

The initial approach to Morgan Cole came as a result of London-based Nigerian lawyer Funso Olukoga surfing the web and hitting the firm's energy page.

He was charged by the commissioner for justice with finding a UK firm for the project to give it credibility with international investors.

Paul Dillon, Morgan Cole's energy head, says further work for Lagos is expected.

Dillon says the firm has already carried out some asset tracing on the back of fraudulent activity in Nigeria, but that this is the energy group's first foray into projects work there.

He says there are always worries about billing in Nigeria, which are fears his clients are keen to allay.

Dillon says: "[The Nigerian authorities] are very keen to put that right - that is, assuming the government doesn't get hit by another coup."