AJUMOGOBIA &OKEKE is a leading full service commercial law firm with its head office in Lagos, Nigeria. We embrace our local and international knowledge to complete our clients’ transactions and enable our clients to achieve their objectives. Our correspondent relationships with international firms complement our ability to provide effective and cost efficient services.
The Firm was founded in 1984 by H. Odein Ajumogobia SAN and C. Nonyelum Okeke. It has established its reputation by acquiring unrivalled knowledge of its clients’ business sectors, as well as strong and long-standing contacts throughout the commercial sector. The Firm is a multi-partner law practice with diverse expertise at the partner level and firm-wide. In 2011, Babatunde A. Sodipo and Patrick A. Osu were admitted as partners of the Firm.
The Firm has established a reputation for providing cutting-edge legal advice using best practice techniques and solutions to meet our client’s demands. Our currently lawyers are organized into dedicated practice groups, which enable us offer a full complement of commercial legal services from our offices, which are strategically located in the commercial capital, Lagos, the centre of the Oil and Gas Industry, Port-Harcourt and the seat of government in Abuja. In addition, A&O has competent paralegals that support the work of its lawyers.
Over the years, A&O has drawn on the unique expertise and experience of its staff, acquired from within the public and private sectors of the Nigerian economy. Mr. H. Odein Ajumogobia SAN served the Government of Nigeria at the State and Federal levels. In the private sector, members of the Firm have represented private interests in diverse commercial undertakings.
The Firm and its Partners have been bestowed with several prestigious legal awards and honours over the years.
Founded in January I984 by C. Nonyelum Okeke and H. Odein Ajumogobia, the practice has become “the firm of choice”. A leading commercial law practice based in Lagos, Nigeria, the firm has established its reputation by having an unmatched knowledge of its clients business sectors, as well as strong and long-standing contacts throughout the commercial sector. The firm is a multi-partner law practice with diverse expertise at the partner level and firm-wide.
The partnership practices under the name and style of Ajumogobia & Okeke, with its main offices located in the central business district of Lagos, at Sterling Towers on the Marina. Our offices are fully equipped with a three-city integrated networked IT System, comprehensive law libraries and competent Para legal/research support teams. After three decades, A&O remains one of the oldest continuing Law partnerships – the leading commercial law practice in Nigeria.
Founded in 1984
50 people in their team
Our Banking and Finance team represents numerous domestic and foreign banks, other financial institutions in both general advisory (Banking Regulation) and transactional capacities. We regularly represent clients in a broad spectrum of syndicated and non-syndicated financing transactions, including secured and unsecured loans, liquidity facilities for structured finance transactions, commercial paper back-up facilities, senior and subordinated credit facilities, acquisition credit and leveraged buy-outs involving both public and private companies, asset based loans to middle market companies.
Our banking and finance lawyers offer expertise in securitization and international capital markets projects and asset finance, syndicated and bilateral lending, debt conversion, global depositories and collective investments securities, trade finance.
Subject to client interests we are able to drive finance transactions to early close from documentation to security with cost-effective objectives in pre-eminent consideration.
A & O routinely works with financial institutions, asset managers, investors, borrowers, mortgagors, mortgagees and other third party capital users. Members of the firm led the drafting of the Mortgage & Property Law 2009 and the Home Ownership and Mortgage Scheme (HOMS) for Nigeria’s Commercial Capital.
ln this area, lawyers work with litigation groups in asset and financial recovery and in providing early dispute resolution advice where necessary.
The firm provides a full range of legal services relating to the protection, exploitation and litigation of intellectual property rights. The practice group for lntellectual Property combines strong expertise and local knowledge of specific industry sectors such as pharmaceutical and general consumer products, communications, Information Technology and the media, to provide the ability to give more bespoke and specific advice.
In particular the firm represents multinational consumer product companies and delivers unparalleled services in allied areas of franchise and distributorship agreements, merchandise marks and property rights licensing.
A&O gives commercial advice in transactions covering industrial and intellectual property acquisitions, royalties, franchises, licensing and other international trade protection measures.
Corporate and Regulatory – an excellent working relationship with Trade Mark, Patent and Design registries, provision of timely and accurate filings, affords protection of clients‘ interest to both local and international businesses in Nigeria.
This group provides unique services in litigation in opposition of registration and actions for passing-off, protection of mercantile marks and products, seizure and disposal of offending goods, injunctions and actions related to; parallel trading activities; copyright collecting society and IT protection actions.
The firm participated in the committee for the revision of the Intellectual property Laws in Nigeria and is a contributor to the Trademarks study group for the proposed draft bill for a consolidated enactment. A&O is a member of International Trademarks Association [INTA] and the Intellectual Property Law Association of Nigeria [lPLAN]. Ajumogobia & Okekesupports the “Asia-Pacific IP Forum”.
Our litigation team emphasizes the firm’s commitment to its clients by responding aggressively with formidable and resourceful litigation capability, when they become involved in disputes that cannot be settled by the parties themselves. The firm handles a range of corporate and commercial disputes before the Federal and State High Courts, the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Nigeria. This group is led by a member of the inner bar whose distinguished rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria is Nigeria’s highest mark of distinction, quality and experience.
An invaluable contributor to positive results for A&O clients is a modern and resourceful litigation support and paralegal team. We have developed many methods to keep costs in good perspective. Our litigation practice draws on its intimate knowledge of our clients’ businesses and our ability to respond creatively to their problems. This knowledge enables us to resolve their disputes efficiently. The firm is a leading practice in the area of product liability.
Our litigation lawyers offer expertise in: Company & Corporate law litigation, Contract claims of varied complexity; Admiralty and Shipping; Insolvency and Tax appeals; Intellectual property actions; Environmental and product liability defence involving multi-suit and multi-party representative actions. The firm acts as leading defence to the largest tobacco multinational in multiple reimbursements instituted by State Governments in Nigeria, the remedy of medical expenses allegedly arising from the use of tobacco products. The firm contributed the Nigerian chapters in the following “Getting the Deal Through – Product Recall 2010”. Subsequently updated in the 2011 edition of the Journal – published by Law Business Research Limited. ADR and Arbitration services are provided firm-wide, this is actively encouraged, for the very peculiar interests of commerce-quick, effective, binding and final resolutions are recommended. At A&O our experienced and highly qualified arbitration counsel provide vital expert advice and representation.
The firm is a member of Nigeria’s International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) with one of its senior partners serving on the ICC International Court of Arbitration and the Commission of Arbitration in Paris between 2000 and 2005. A&O is a member of the Lagos Court of Arbitration; the firm is also a founding member of Maritime Arbitrators Association of Nigeria (MAAN).
With counsel in the firm being associates, members and Fellows of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, the firm often acts as counsel in international and domestic arbitration. Ajumogobia & Okeke is clearly a leader in ADR with members holding International Mediation accreditation and practice experience in construction adjudication. Our knowledge base, vast and specific, led to the firm playing a significant role in both National Arbitration Law reform and the evolution of the Arbitration Law 2009, for Nigeria’s commercial capital.
