Practice Areas

Banking & Finance

We advise financial institutions, investment banks, asset managers, trustees, and private equity firms on anti money laundering and financial crimes, and regulatory compliance. We carry out enhanced due diligence and AML/KYC checks on high risk individuals and business entities to help financial institutions minimize risks and avoid sanctions.

We also advise on security and financial documentation such as loan agreements, inter-creditor deeds, guarantees, international project finance agreements, corporate finance documentation, debentures, debenture trust deeds, bills of sale, share pledge agreements, mortgages and debt rescheduling agreements.

Our firm has experience assisting different organizations in structuring and negotiating contracts, obtaining necessary regulatory approvals that are needed to safely do business in a highly regulated and scrutinized industry.

We are rightly structured to deliver sound legal advice on syndicated lending transactions, off shore lending, acquisition or formation of business entities, acquisition of financial assets, mergers, creations of strategic alliance, debt recovery, financial institutional investment funds and legal due diligence.

Construction Law

Our construction law practice spans across commercial leasing, construction law, real estate joint ventures, infrastructure finance, regulatory compliance, contract negotiations and construction disputes.

In the construction and infrastructure industry, it has become imperative that legal advice is taken before transactions are consummated. We advise on the type of documentation required, identify, assess and manage risks associated with such projects and ensure that the goals for venturing into such projects are achieved.

We advise on contract drafting /management mechanisms that ensure early delivery of projects with minimal / managed risks, for example:

Early warning procedures, which could help avoid increase in costs, delay in completion or impair the performance of the contractor.

Risk register; identify the risk associated with the project, set out how those risks can be managed, identify the time & cost associated with managing the risk.

We also advise on Dispute Avoidance Procedures such as mandatory discussions between representatives of the parties and also on Dispute Resolution Mechanisms using international best practices such as mediation before arbitration to avoid delay.

Corporate/Commercial Law

We advise clients on company incorporation, internal and external restructuring, expansion, reconstructions, mergers and acquisitions and winding up.

We also advise on corporate structures, corporate governance, capital subscription, share transfers, board composition and management, labor and employment and pensions.

Mergers & Acquisition (M&A)

Legal due diligence, deal structuring & documentation:

During an M&A process, legal advice is as important as the technical, financial and tax considerations to the success of your transaction. We work with the different experts involved in the M&A process to ensure that the right steps are taken during the process to cover all legal loopholes.

We identify and fully assess all possible legal risk, then proffer solutions to mitigate such risks related to the corporate status, assets, contracts, securities, intellectual property and employment matters of the target company.

Joint ventures

  • We carry out a thorough legal analysis and inventory of the existing employment conditions to help our clients determine the human resources legal impact on the proposed deal and anticipate possible burdens to any post-deal harmonization of employment conditions and management structure of the joint venture company.
  • We ensure that the complex corporate legal documentation is done properly during the implementation of the deal transaction structure.

Legal challenges

  • Joint Ventures, acquiring a minority/majority interest or forming a strategic alliance.
  • Re-organizing internal group structure or business model, streamlining from a legal viewpoint.
  • Assessing the material legal risk of an M&A or joint venture transaction.
  • Legal expertise at the negotiation table and drafting transaction documentation.

Legal advice

  • We support our clients by providing sound legal advice throughout the transaction.
  • We advise on the contractual domain for the full transaction cycle, from negotiations to drafting the letter of intent/confidentiality and exclusivity agreements / the share purchase agreement (SPA), joint venture agreements, the representations and warranties and so on.
  • We conduct a full legal due diligence assessing the main risks and providing solutions to mitigate them.
  • We examine the legal aspects of the deal structuring and handle its legal implementation, including cast extraction mechanisms (e.g. equity strip and exit strategy).
  • Organizing the closing of the deal and giving advice during the post- deal phase (e.g. on enforcement of indemnities for breach of representations and warranties)

Public Private Partnerships (PPPs)

Over the years, we have been involved in several PPPs, advising both the private and public sector. We have advised on:

  • Bus Route Concession Scheme
  • Engineering Infrastructure for District, Abuja
  • Agro-Allied Ventures
  • Private Sector Investment in Electricity Distribution
  • ICT Content Delivery and Management Platform

Intellectual Property (IP)

This practice area will give clients detailed advice by our team of specialist lawyers on how to protect intellectual property against infringement, how to acquire ownership of intellectual property and what to do where intellectual property is being infringed by others. Our team of lawyers, in this practice have vast networks of overseas contacts to assist clients in dealing with international issues relating to IP rights.

Our expertise in this area includes:

  • Patents and patents applications including registration
  • Copyrights
  • Designs
  • Consultancy IP contracts
  • Intellectual property licensing
  • Intellectual property acquisition
  • Intellectual property disputes

Information Technology, Telcommunications & Media Law

Our services in these sectors set us apart; our deep understanding of these industries and market is our strength. We are highly experienced and posses in- depth knowledge in these sectors ranging from advising telecos, tech companies, gaming companies from providers to carriers to suppliers of equipment, banks, government and other private individual and companies as it relates to these sectors.

Transportation Law

AVIATION
The firm provides advice on aircraft lease and finance, recovery of aircraft by lessors and, licensing and regulatory compliance in Nigeria. Our lawyers have acted for international airlines, lessors, pilots and passengers on issues ranging from aircraft recovery by lessors, employment disputes between airlines and pilots, passenger and cargo claims against airlines and insurance disputes.

SHIPPING
The firm’s practice covers both wet and dry shipping. We advise on contentious matters such as bill of lading and charterparty disputes, as well as non-contentious matters such as ship finance (lending and security), drafting commercial agreements (charters and shipbuilding contracts) and maritime insurance.

We also advise clients on enforcement maritime claims through arrest of ship or cargo, maritime liens, and other modes of enforcement.

We advise local and international clients seeking to participate in the Nigerian shipping industry on the legal and regulatory requirements imposed by Nigerian law such as the Coastal and Inland Shipping (Cabotage) Act 2003, and the Nigerian Local Content Act.

Energy

POWER
The firm has the requisite expertise to advise foreign and local investors on the legal, regulatory and institutional requirements of entering and operating in the Nigerian electricity sector. Our lawyers have transaction experience in advising shareholders and investors in power generating and distribution companies. The firm also advises on financing of power projects in Nigeria and is familiar with the project financing techniques and the requirements of lenders in this regard.

Our expertise includes the negotiating and preparing various power sector agreements such as Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs), Engineering Procurement and Construction (EPC) contracts, and Gas Sales and Purchase Agreements (GSPAs).

ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES
The firm advises clients on the negotiation and preparation of various oil industry agreements such as Joint Venture Agreements, Joint Operating Agreements, Production Sharing Contracts, Risk Service Contracts, Farm in Agreements among others.

We conduct due diligence on commercial assets and provide legal advice on energy mergers and acquisitions, and joint ventures. Our lawyers are specialised in energy finance, taxation, construction, oil and gas concessions and energy infrastructure.

Entertainment Law

The entertainment industry continues to expand across borders, giving rise to market segment collaboration, creating new markets and companies benefiting from each other. We combine legal expertise with an in-depth knowledge of the industry to keep abreast with the rapidly changing way technology affects how entertainment is created, distributed and consumed.

We are highly specialized in this area, and our expertise covers the entire sphere of the entertainment industry from financing, production, distribution, consumption to licensing.

Notary Services

Our Partners provide Notary Services to individuals, corporate bodies, government organizations, international organizations and embassies.

A full range of Notary Services are offered, our Notaries take declaration and affidavits, certify original documents and verify identity & corporate entities. Assist with the obtaining of authentications from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; obtain legalization & documents from Embassies and Consulates.

Notary Services

Pursuant to the Notary Public Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, we provide the following Notarial Services;

  • Notary Administers oaths for the giving of evidence
  • We do certification of documents
  • We note Bills of Exchange
  • We obtain Authentication from Ministry of Foreign Affairs
  • Prepare Notarial certificates of Law & Good standing
  • Engage in taking Affidavits, Declarations & Depositions
  • Verification of company documents
  • Verify identity and/or signature
  • Witness/authenticates execution of local and international documents such as Sale & Purchase Agreements, Transfers of Land, Assignments of Intellectual Property, Power of Attorney, Deeds, Security Documentation, Mortgages, Company Resolutions, Minutes & Reports and a host of other commercial documents and agreements.