PRACTICE AREAS
1. Litigation, Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), Judgment Enforcement and Debt Recovery
Our firm is outstandingly litigious in orientation and outlook. We undertake criminal and civil litigation as well as enforcement of judgments within and outside Nigeria. The bulk of our civil litigation is on commercial transactions, contracts, labour and employment matters. We have also had some challenging but insightful briefs stemming from emerging trends and conflicts in information and communication technology and we have since expanded our litigation base in this area.
ADR practice has become more than a desirable practice but has become largely unavoidable in most commercial transactions and agreements. We encourage and assist our clients to take full advantage of developments in this area of practice.
2. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Law
We advise operators and participants or new entrants in the Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) sector on the processes and procedures leading up to issuance of relevant operational licenses as well as other ancillary matters.
We offer advice on all aspects of laws on information and communications technology in Nigeria.
Our firm helps clients draft or review terms and conditions, user agreements, non-disclosure and confidentiality agreements, MoUs and other relevant agreements and documentations to safeguard the interests of our clients while ensuring compliance with ICT Laws and regulatory requirements.
We conduct due diligence on companies, joint ventures or other entities involved in information and communication technology transactions and contracts and advise our clients on compliance with the provisions of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) Act and other relevant laws.
We provide legal advice and opinions to regulators, buyers and providers of ICT services and solutions ranging from start- up enterprises to joint ventures, multinational corporations and governmental agencies.
3. Property Law: Drafting, Conveyancing, Perfection of Title and Property Searches.
We are engaged in the formulation and preparation of legal documents, in this case, those affecting land or interests in land including deeds of assignment, mortgages, leases, trust deeds, debentures etc.
Our partners are privileged to have been exposed to vast and highly specialized data bank of precedents in the field of real estate, commercial property and mortgage financing. We are therefore able to rapidly create forms and structures to meet the diverse needs of our clients. We are also able to speedily process these transactions through all necessary legal or regulatory procedures including obtaining certificates of occupancy or Governor’s consent thereto, stamping or up-stamping, and effecting registration of same at the appropriate lands registry and/or Corporate Affairs Commission. We also conduct searches at the appropriate registries and render reports to our clients on the status of lands or land transactions in accordance with the foregoing.
4. Commercial Law: Banking Law, Project Development and Trade Finance, Loan Syndication, Equipment Leasing and Asset Financing.
Our firm specializes in the structuring and preparation of a variety of agreements, financial and other documentations for single or multi-currency denominated facilities for Nigerian and international banks and on international project and development finance for private and international finance organizations and export credit agencies.
Particular attention is given to the creation and perfection of security for these financing arrangements. Considerable in house expertise and experience has been amassed in this area of the law, equipping us to effectively represent the interests of either borrowers or lenders in these transactions.
5. Oil & Gas Law
We have built the capacity to render qualitative services to our clients in the Energy sector, particularly in the oil & gas industry spanning through all legal dimensions to the upstream, midstream and downstream activities. We assist both industry operators and regulators to ensure due diligence as well as firm compliance with regard to all applicable laws while ensuring transparency and avoiding conflict of interest of any shade.
6. Environmental Law
In keeping with global trends, the firm is actively involved in guiding and assisting its clientele on issues of environmental protection regulations. The objective is to ensure that the firm’s clientele, particularly those in the energy, communication and manufacturing sectors are sensitized to be abreast of developments in this area of the law. We assist such clients in the observance of environmentally friendly practices and policies in all aspects of their operations particularly the international exposure guidelines that have been developed over the years to provide protection against established effects of some of their field operations.
7. Intellectual and Industrial Property Law
Our intellectual and industrial property practice encompasses the following:
- Patent, trademark, litigation and unfair competition
- Licensing, promotion and execution of licensing projects
- Filing applications and providing services, including consultation, management and protection for domestic and overseas patents, trademarks and copyrights
- Dealing with official actions such as lodging amendments, conducting of searches and litigation opposition, invalidation, cancellation and compulsory licensing proceedings
- Administrative appeals and proceedings
- Legal opinions on patent and trademark validity
With the rapid increase in the incidence of faking/imitation of goods, piracy, and market competition, we have positioned ourselves for the anticipated continued growth in this area of practice.