Joan Akpokere

JOAN AKPOKERE is a Senior Associate at Platinum & Taylor Hill LP, where she advises at the intersection of cross-border corporate commercial transactions, intellectual property, data protection, and strategic business development.

She has been central to the firm’s expansion across Africa and beyond, leading high-level business development initiatives and executing market entry strategies in East and West Africa. Through direct, in-country engagement with regulators, counterparties, and commercial stakeholders, she has identified and unlocked market opportunities, facilitating the firm’s successful penetration into key African jurisdictions.

Joan is recognized for her ability to originate, structure, and execute cross-border mandates, combining commercial sophistication with a nuanced understanding of regulatory and operational landscapes across multiple markets. Her practice spans corporate commercial advisory, trademark prosecution and portfolio management, market entry structuring, and strategic partnerships, particularly within growth sectors such as technology, fintech, media, and entertainment.

She is a relationship-driven deal originator with a strong track record in developing and converting high-value opportunities through executive-level engagement, targeted market intelligence, and strategic positioning. Her work consistently aligns legal strategy with commercial outcomes, contributing directly to client growth and the firm’s regional footprint.

Joan is an alumni of the University of Benin and the Nigerian Law School, Yenagoa Campus. She is a member of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and the NBA-Section on Business Law: ICT and Intellectual Property Committee.

With a strong focus on value creation and market expansion, Joan operates as more than a legal associate – she is a strategic partner to clients navigating growth across complex and emerging markets. Her ability to renew structures and translate legal frameworks into actionable business strategies positions her at the forefront of cross-border deal execution and market entry advisory.