Kow Abaka Essuman is the Legal Counsel to the President of the Republic of Ghana. He is a lawyer by profession, qualified to practise law in three jurisdictions: England and Wales, New York State, and Ghana. Before public service, Kow practised law in Ghana’s top and largest law firm, Bentsi-Enchill, Letsa and Ankomah. He rose to Senior Associate in the firm’s litigation and dispute resolution practice group within four years of joining the firm. He represented several top corporate clients during this period, including mining, telecommunications, real estate companies, and a billion-dollar hedge fund in New York in a dispute against Argentina. In addition to practising law, Kow worked with Web Legal Education and New York Bar Company to prepare candidates for the New York Bar Exam. He also lectured the law of Trusts on the University of London, Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) degree offered by Zenith University College in Accra. He was a part-time lecturer at the Ghana School of Law, tutoring students in Advocacy and Professional Ethics. Kow is a former Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators in England. Since 2017, he has served as a Conciliator on the Panel of Conciliators for the International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes of the World Bank. Kow is a Founding Board Member of the State Interests and Governance Authority and the Minerals Income Investment Fund.
In 2013, Kow was selected as a Global Shaper of the World Economic Forum. In June 2015, he was chosen as one of 80 Africans to represent the Global Shapers Community at the World Economic Forum on Africa in Cape Town, South Africa. In May 2015, Kow was featured and described as “Internationally Known and Locally Accepted” in the Future of Ghana’s 30 Under 30 Maiden Edition. In June 2015, he was featured on the front page of the widely read Business and Financial Times under a story titled “Smart Suits, Fine Legal Brains.” He has appeared on various radio and television shows, including Speak Up, an anti-corruption advocacy show on ETV Ghana, and Just The Law. This show educates the public about the law on Viasat One television. In 2017, Kow was voted the Most Influential Young Ghanaian and was nominated as part of the Class of 2018, 100 Most Influential Young Persons of African Descent under the auspices of the United Nation’s International Decade for People of African Descent. In December 2019, he was presented with an Honorary Award by the President of Ghana and Chief Patron of the Head of State Award Scheme for his contributions and support towards the growth and development of young people in Ghana through the Award Scheme.
Kow was educated at the University of Westminster and BPP Law School, both in London in the United Kingdom and Cornell University in New York, where he obtained a Masters-in-Law degree (LL.M.) with honors in International Mergers and Acquisitions and Financial Institutions. Kow holds an Executive Education Certificate in Oil, Gas and Mining Governance from the Blavatnik School of Government at the University of Oxford. He also has an Executive Education Certification in Negotiation and Leadership from Harvard Law School. In 2020, he won the Outstanding Achievement Award from the University of Westminster. Kow is a Christian and an ardent advocate for Jesus Christ. Even with his busy schedule, Kow finds the time to spread the Gospel through his writings on social media, on his blog, in the pulpit and at Christian gatherings. He is married to Lady-Ann, and they have two children, Papa Kwesi and Ewuradwoa.