ǼLEX is a leading Commercial & Dispute Resolution law firm. We are one of the largest full-service law firms in West Africa with offices in Lagos, Port Harcourt and Abuja in Nigeria and Accra, Ghana.
We provide legal services involving commercial practice areas that cover a broad spectrum of matters relating to Project Finance, Litigation & Arbitration, Oil & Gas, Agriculture, Capital Market & Securities Law, Power, Tax Law, International Trade Law, Securities Law, Energy & Infrastructure, Banking & Finance Law, Aviation & Maritime Law, Intellectual Property Law, Technology Law, Telecommunications Law, Media & Entertainment and Financial Technology.
The corporate and commercial law practice of ǼLEX has won the respect of clients and practitioners for the quality of its advisory and transaction work. Our team of skilled and experienced lawyers has consistently demonstrated an ability to deliver clear, frank and timely responses to client’s enquiries. Members of the team also bring a firm grasp of commercial realities to bear in structuring and documenting transactions.
ÆLEX corporate and commercial law practice offers a wide range of services, including due diligence and company secretarial services. The firm also has an impressive advisory portfolio traversing such diverse issues as corporate structure, corporate contracts, corporate governance, regulation of corporations, the organization and mode of subscription of capital, transferability of shares, composition of the board and management, labour, compensation, staff welfare and pension issues and finance.
ÆLEX acts for a wide range of clients from various industry sectors. The firm acted as sole Nigerian counsel to the project sponsors in the financing and establishment of a US$10billion 22 MTPA natural gas liquefaction facility, captive power plant, private port and associated gas pipeline infrastructure within a Free Trade Zone, providing legal advisory support on business start-up, reviewing proposed project finance structure and documentation. We also acted as sole Nigerian counsel to a UK private equity fund in its successful acquisition of a US$14million acquisition of majority stake in a major manufacturing concern; including advising on structuring of transaction. We are solicitors to a South-African owned target in a sale of business to oil servicing entity; advising on transaction structure, negotiating and drafting transaction documentation.
ǼLEX’s Insurance Practice has been involved in all aspects of insurance. Lawyers in our firm act for underwriters, brokers and reinsurers in product liability, personal injury and damage/total loss claims. We have also acted as advisers to insurance companies on mergers and acquisitions and capital market transactions.
We have extensive litigation and alternative dispute resolution experience regarding insurance matters in oil and gas and aviation industries. We advise and represent clients both on the enforcement of their rights under various insurance contracts and in hearings before the National Insurance Commission respectively.
Our clients operate in a diverse range of industries and we have honed our skills in special risk areas including oil and gas, aviation and shipping. We also work with corresponding firms in the Lloyd’s market.
Our lawyers have a depth of experience and have therefore earned a superior reputation for the quality of advice they render to clientele.
ǼLEX’s Intellectual Property (IP) Law Practice is recognised as one of the leading practices in Nigeria and Ghana with its lawyers consistently ranked in the leading directories such as Chambers Global, WTR 1000 and Who’s Who Legal.
The practitioners in the firm are experts in different areas of Intellectual Property such as Trademarks Law, Patent Law, Copyright Law and Design Law. With dedicated IP personnel in our different offices situated in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Accra Ghana, we are able to effectively meet our clients’ needs.
We offer comprehensive legal services in every aspect of (IP) and provide both established and innovative legal methods of protecting clients’ interests.
With lawyers having backgrounds scientific disciplines, our clients are sure that we understand issues presented in complex technical and financial innovations and we assist them in meeting their desired goals.
Being a full-service law firm, the Intellectual Property Law Practice is able to draw on the experience of members of other practice groups within the firm including corporate/commercial, dispute resolution and regulatory compliance. By this we are able to, at all times, provide holistic and cost-effective solutions to our clients.
The firm handles matters (both of a contentious and non-contentious nature) relating to trademarks, patent, copyright, franchising, licensing, distributorship agreements and technology transfer. We file trademark, patent and design applications in Nigeria and in Ghana directly and in ARIPO and OAPI countries, through an agent. We manage opposition proceedings, litigation and arbitration disputes that could arise in contentious matters involving the protection of IP rights.
We assist our clients with the registration of their products with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and also coordinate the filing, and processing of applications for clients seeking to register their agreements with the National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP).
Our clients range from large multinational corporations who are engaged in telecommunications, oil & gas, biotechnology, software, pharmaceuticals and banking, to fintechs and startups in emerging industries. We help them with their trademarks, patent, copyright, franchising, licensing, distributorship agreements and technology transfer matters. Our firm also offers investigative services to clients whose products are being adulterated and sold locally.
As pacesetters and key figures within the IP industry, we are members of the International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property (AIPPI), the International Trademark Association, the Chartered Institute of Trademark Attorneys, the Intellectual Property Lawyers Association of Nigeria (IPLAN), UK Chartered Trademark Attorneys, the IP Committee of the American Bar Association and the International Bar Association.
ǼLEX is a market leader in Labour and Employment law in Nigeria. The team is highly experienced and is composed of lawyers whose expertise cut across all aspects of labour and employment law. The firm’s proactive advice helps clients minimise risk and avoid potential liability.
ǼLEX offers full range advisory services in matters of employment including counselling, dispute resolution through arbitration and mediation, litigation, employee benefits, pension, workplace health and safety, out-sourcing, collective bargaining, immigration and employee issues arising from corporate restructurings and take-overs. We draft standard employment contracts and employee handbooks for several local and multinational clients. We work closely with our clients, advising on strategic and operational employment issues and designing efficient policies taking into account, development in the legislative, judicial and commercial arena.
We render proactive advice, helping clients minimise risks and avoid potential liability relating to all aspects of employee matters. We advised a multinational company on employment issues arising from the reorganisation of its operations in Nigeria. We represented a major flag carrier in a matter pertaining to the breach of collective bargaining arrangement and helping to avert an industrial action. We also represented the acquirers of a privatised entity in the aviation sector in dealing with employee matters post privatisation.
We have one of Nigeria’s largest and most experienced commercial litigation and dispute resolution practice in Nigeria. The department is headed by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria with over 30 years experience, and comprises other highly skilled practitioners who always seek creative solutions to disputes.
We focus on helping clients to manage risk in all areas of their businesses. We are skilled in resolving disputes whether by way of litigation, mediation, arbitration or expert determination. Keys areas of strength of our litigation practice are contractual disputes, receiverships, insolvency and corporate restructuring claims, professional negligence, intellectual property, competition, real estate particularly in construction and engineering issues, financial fraud, debt recovery, expropriation, insurance claims, tax matters, employment, libel, product liability, class action matters, immigration, multiparty litigation, probate matters, trusts, transport, specifically in areas of aviation, admiralty and maritime. The department also offers support to all other practice groups within the firm.
ǼLEX Litigation & Dispute Resolution practice in Nigeria and Ghana represents corporations, partnerships, airlines, banks and individual entrepreneurs in commercial, financial and business litigation of all types. Recently, we represented a major tobacco manufacturing company on a product liability claim made by the Federal Government and four local State Governments. We are currently advising a multinational oil exploration company on a $200m arbitration with an offshore contractor. We are also representing an offshore client in series of first ever mass torts/medical recoupment claims brought by State governments against manufacturer.
AELEX remains a clear leader when it comes to advising clients in the telecommunications sector. Our team of seasoned experts advise clients on the diverse areas of telecommunications law covering financing, licensing, regulatory compliance, corporate restructuring, mergers & acquisitions and dispute resolution.
We are reputed as being one of the first law firms in Nigeria and Ghana to establish a telecommunications practice group and this has earned us the reputation as a practice that understands the policies, laws and our clients’ businesses.
Our clients include leading telecommunications service providers, mobile network operators, infrastructure owners and investors, technology suppliers and equipment manufacturers and financial institutions.
We offer a solutions-oriented approach to a range of transactions, including acquisitions of rights of way, financing, operations, competition law, complex cross-border M&A and joint ventures, content acquisitions, network sharing and outsourcing, as well as advice on global regulation, disputes, license bids and investment amongst others. We recently acted for an international telecommunications’ company in the USD 1.6 billion acquisition of Nigeria’s then second largest mobile telephone network operator. We are currently acting for a mobile telephone company in the USD1.2 billion non-course financing of its infrastructure roll out. We also acted for a leading mobile telephone company in the resolution of a dispute with a syndicate of 13 banks over the interpretation of loan documents in respect of a multi-billion-dollar financing transaction.
We counsel our different clients on a range of issues which include:
