Banwo & Ighodalo ("B&I") was established on the 1st of February, 1991 with a resolve to create a world class law firm. Today, we are known for providing innovative, competent, cost-effective and well-timed solutions.
Industry sources speak highly of the firm's "legal service excellence across the board, from partners to junior staff," adding that the group is "highly responsive and flexible."
Chambers & Partners 2019
Banwo & Ighodalo is structured as a partnership and is a fairly large-sized Nigerian firm, presently comprising, over Seventy (70) Solicitors. We undertake work for public and private companies, governments, Nigerian and foreign investors, financial institutions, foreign law firms and international consultancy firms. Our lawyers are often called upon to serve as resource persons at local and international seminars/workshops and as public and private sector office holders and advisers.
Vision Statement: To be the foremost Nigerian legal services and business solution provider, delivering high quality services to our clients, with global outlook.
Mission Statement: To continually deliver excellent, innovative and effective solutions to our clients
We are consistently ranked as a leading Nigerian law firm in the areas of Capital Markets, Securities, Mergers & Acquisitions; Corporate Finance & Restructuring, Project Finance and Foreign Investment & Divestments and one of the top five law firms in Shipping, Aviation & International Trade, Energy & Natural Resources and Intellectual Property. We also have a tested and dependable track record in Commercial Litigation.
The firm prosecutes and defends litigation matters for its clients in courts and tribunals located in various states of Nigeria. The firm's primary objective is to ensure that disputes arising from the business and commercial activities of clients are effectively resolved with minimum expenditure of time and resources by clients. B&I’s Litigation, Arbitration and ADR Practice Group is comprised of dispute resolution experts with commendable experience in the Firm’s other core practice areas.
Our litigation practice supports our corporate law practice, while the former is in turn enhanced by our aptitude in the latter. Thus, B&I lawyers have helped to extend and clarify the frontiers of commercial law and practice in Nigeria, especially through litigation.
The Intellectual Property and Technology Group (IPTG) works with clients to attain effective protection for their brands, intangible assets, concepts and business operating plans.
The group is "very good and quite knowledgeable."
Chambers & Partners 2019
We provide well thought through, practical and commercially sensible legal solutions to clients with respect to their intellectual property and technology acquisition needs. This entails provision of legal advice on their Intellectual Property (IP) rights in relation to brand names and their usage, creative works and inventions, product development, licensing and exploitation of intellectual property rights and acquisition and transfer of technology. Our anti-counterfeiting practice involves conducting investigations and working with the relevant agencies of the government to prosecute offenders and remove the offending products from the market.
Our property and Real Estate practice covers a wide variety of clients, transactions and interests. We have acted and continue to act, for governments, financial institutions, investors, dealers, developers and owners of property. We have been engaged in all aspects of real estate transactions, including acquisition, investment, development, redevelopment and refinancing.
The Firm has vast experience in investigating and deducing title; preparation of conveyancing documentation, obtaining governmental consents and registering land instruments. B&I lawyers are familiar with the different perfection processes that obtain in different parts of the country and are able to close clients' transactions, without geographical limitations. The firm also institutes compensation claims and obtains land dispute settlements either by negotiation or litigation/arbitration.
Banwo & Ighodalo’s Mergers & Acquisitions (“M&A”) practice continues to be the leading M&A practice in Nigeria; measured by the number and quality of our transactions and recognition by our clientele, leading legal publications and also our colleagues.
The firm has been actively involved in recent industry-wide recapitalizations and mergers within the Nigerian banking sector, which resulted from the Central Bank of Nigeria's 2010/2011 findings that eight banks were distressed.
Banwo & Ighodalo has a strong competitive edge for clients, who value its commercial and good value service ”
2016 Legal 500 US Special Edition
Between 2010 and 2011, B&I's M&A Team was engaged by a number of different prospective investors to conduct legal due diligence reviews on all eight (8) banks for prospective investors. The Team acted as transaction counsel in two (2) of the four (4) successful mergers which resulted from the recapitalization process. When considered against the backdrop of a very competitive legal industry and mindful that the transactions herein relates only to the banking sector, the extent of our involvement in the recapitalizations is testament to our leading position in M&A legal practice in Nigeria.
Our ability to deliver first class legal service to our clients is hinged on our expertise and knowledge across all sectors, with a deep understanding of the issues and challenges facing our clients.
Our transactions include:
Equity Investments and Divestments
Privatizations
Cross-Border and Domestic Acquisition as well as Negotiated Acquisitions
Take overs
Joint Ventures
Leveraged Buyouts
Tender & Exchange Offers
Management Buy outs
Competition and Anti-trust
Mergers
Corporate, Securities & Finance
