Olajide Oyewole LLP

Managing Partner: Tunde Oyewole
Partners: Tunde Oyewole, Bola Tinubu, Sandra Oyewole, Abutu Odu, Dayo Idowu, Samuel Salako, Solape Peters, Muyiwa Ogungbenro
Number of partners: 8
Number of lawyers: 45
Languages: English

Firm Overview:
Established in 1965, Olajide Oyewole LLP ("OOLLP" / the "Firm") is one of the largest firms in sub-Saharan Africa and leads the market in client-centric innovation. OOLLP's attention to the minutest detail, ensuring that its solutions are adaptive and tailor-made for clients in relation to their problems, makes it one of the most sought-after business and legal solutions providers in the market. The Firm has and continues to deliver outstanding legal services to a broad range of clients, ranging from private clients to governments. OOLLP is the exclusive Nigerian member of DLA Piper Africa. DLA Piper Africa combines the resource and expertise of DLA Piper’s global practice together with leading business law firms across the African continent to provide unrivaled pan-Africa service. This approach makes OOLLP a leading firm in Africa.

Main Areas of Practice:  

Banking & Finance: 

2 partners, 9 fee earners based in Lagos 

■ USD$461 million Oando – Vitol/Helios downstream divestment;
■ Adviser to a multinational real-estate company on a USD4 million facility for the construction of affordable housing units in Nigeria;
■ USD$3 billion FPSO EPC Project by Samsung Heavy Industries;
■ Adviser to a syndicate of Chinese lenders, export credit banks, and development banks on a USD$2.2 billion-dollar debt investment for developing, constructing, maintaining and operating pipeline project;
■ USD$1.79 billion acquisition of ConocoPhillips Nigerian assets by Oando Energy Resources Inc.;
■ Adviser to First Modular Gas Systems Limited on a $5 billion equity and debt investment for developing, maintaining and operating a gas processing plant in South-EasternNigeria;
■ USD$450 Million Reserve Based Lending for upstream oil and gas acquisition;
■ USD$350 Million Corporate Facility for acquisition of oil and gas assets;
■ Oando Plc NGN108 billion Syndicated Medium Term Financing;
■ Adviser to Finnfund and Norfund (DFIs) in respect of cross border financing of solar panel/off-grid power solutions to Starsight Power;
■ Adviser to Txtlight Power Solutions Limited/Lumos on its USD$15 million OPIC financing for development and sale of rooftop solar kits;
■ SHI-MCI FZE Financing and Development of a US$270 Million development of a Fabrication & Integration and deep draught quay wall at the LADOL Free Zone; ■ Acquisition and Business Combination of 2 major oil companies – USD$500 million;
■ Acquisition of a major oil and gas company and its related assets USD$2 billion;
■ Financing package for acquisition of oil fields – US$525 million;
■ NGN60 billion (US$400 million) syndicated medium-term financing for an oil and gas company;
■ Establishment of a mass rail transport system in Lagos State—‘Blue Line’ US$900 million + N33 billion;
■ Legal advisory to Mainstream -concessionaire of Kainji and Jebba Power Plant;
■ Adviser to a Government SPV on the restructuring of a $40 million loan arrangement with the AfDB and a syndicate of local lenders;
■ USD$400 million syndicated medium-term financing for an oil and gas company; and
■ Establishment of a mass rail transport system in Lagos State—‘Blue Line’ USD$900 million + NGN33 billion.

Contact: Tunde Oyewole
Tel: +234 808 888 1111 (m) +234 1 279 3677
Email: [email protected]

Contact: Dayo Idowu
Tel: +234 703 405 5428 (m) +234 1 279 3851 (d)
Email: [email protected]

Infrastructure, Transportation, Telecommunications: 

1 partner, 3 fee earners 

■ Joint legal counsel for the establishment and operation of a mass rail system of transportation in Lagos State—‘Blue Line’ and ‘Red Line’ for Lagos State Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA)/Lagos State Government – US$870 million;
■ Legal adviser to Mainstream Energy Solutions Limited on the installation of turbines 1G3 and 1G4 and recovery of 1G9 Hydroelectric Turbine at Kainji Power Plant to a total of 300MW–€ 80 million;
■ Legal counsel for the Build, Operate and Own Agreement for the construction of a 50MW IPP (Independent Power Project) for Lagos State Water Corporation;
■ Nigerian legal adviser to the project sponsor on a Port Expansion Project in Ghana – USD$400 million;
■ Legal adviser on the $73Million IHS /Visafone tower sale and lease back transaction;
■ Legal adviser on the acquisition of a 3G Telecoms Operator by Etisalat – USD$250 million;
■ Legal adviser on Alheri Engineering/ Alheri Mobile Services Limited transfer of 2Ghz Spectrum License;
■ Legal adviser to the project sponsor of a $300 million tower site development and financing transaction;
■ Legal adviser to Mainstream Energy Solutions Limited on the refurbishment of 2G6 Hydroelectric Turbine at Jebba Power Plant –€32 million;
■ Legal adviser to the Lagos State Government, (‘Project Owner’) on an Electronic Tolling System (ETS) Operation and Maintenance (O & M) Concession;
■ Legal adviser to Samsung Heavy Industries on a $3 Billion Floating Production Storage and Offloading (“FPSO”) EPC Project;
■ Legal adviser to the concessionaire on the concession of a data network, data centre and digital infrastructure - US$400 million;
■ Legal counsel and adviser to the sponsors Badagry Deep Sea Port Project (PPP Port Development); and
■ Joint legal counsel in the matter of Econet Wireless Ltd v. Delta State Ministry of Finance Inc. and others where the firm represented the interest of Lagos State in Ibile Holdings.

Contact: Tunde Oyewole
Tel: +234 808 888 1111 (m) +234 1 279 3677 (d)
Email: [email protected]

Contact: Solape Peters
Tel: +234 802 222 6268 (m) +234 1 279 3850 (d)
Email: [email protected]

Dispute Resolution (Litigation, Arbitration & Investigations):

1 partner, 10 fee earners 

OOLLP's Dispute Resolution team asists clients to effectively and economically resolve their issues using the best methods available in adjudicative or consensual processes. The Firm’s dispute resolution lawyers bring to bear a very rich experience in all aspects of dispute resolution within and outside Nigeria and its practice areas include arbitration, mediation, and litigation.

■ Represented a leading indigenous oil and gas engineering company against an international oil company in an action for recovery of its outstanding contract sum due for performing engineering works on the Escravos Export System. We successfully recovered the sum of USD$27 million in favour of the client;
■ Represented a leading indigenous oil and gas engineering company in an arbitral action for the recovery of outstanding invoices for engineering work done within Tubu field. We successfully recovered the sum of USD$3,850,784.92 in favour of our client'
■ Representing Rite Foods – a Nigerian non-alcoholic beverage manufacturer – in a passing off claim against Nigerian Bottling Company (Coca-Cola). The firm obtained interim injunctions against Coca-cola and filed contempt proceedings against Coca-cola and its managing director.
■ Represented Samsung Heavy Industries Nigeria in six (6) consolidated LCIA Arbitrations in London and a claim in Nigerian court on shareholders' disputes arising from a joint venture in Nigeria with LADOL.
■ Representing Samsung Heavy Industries Nigeria in a tax dispute with the Nigerian Export Processing Zone Authority (through its agent) on an alleged $33 million FOB Charge arising from importation of FPSO into Nigeria custom territory.
■ Representing and effectively managing numerous commercial cases for DHL for more than 30 years at various superior courts of records all over Nigeria.
■ Representing Samsung Heavy Industries Nigeria in land disputes with LADOL and Nigerian Ports Authority.
■ Representing Tata in dispute arising from sale of Nigerian assets and advising on some other disputes arising from the sale.
■ Represented Suburban Telecom in an LCIA Arbitration in London against PCCW over telecommunication contract disputes.
■ Representing Mastercard Foundation in an employment law dispute arising from a contract of service with Cellulant – a local fintech company – before the National Industrial Court of Nigeria.
■ Representing Tecnimont SpA (the turnaround contractor engaged by the Nigerian government to refurbish Port Harcourt Refinery) in a local content dispute with the host community in Rivers State, Nigeria.
■ Representing former expatriate employees of Children International School (a leading primary and secondary school in Nigeria) in employment disputes with their former employer.
■ Represented O&O Network – a subsidiary of Ecobank Transnational – against Bharti and other shareholders of Airtel Nigeria in a shareholders' dispute at the Federal High Court, Nigeria. We obtained an interim injunction that prevented the shareholders from passing a resolution to conduct rights issue of shares.
■ Represented Ibile Holdings Ltd – an investment company owned by the Lagos State Government – in an UNCITRAL arbitration seated in Lagos over sale of shares of Airtel Nigeria. An award was delivered in favour of Ibile Holdings.
■ Represented a private equity firm in recovering NGN234 million from a borrower and presented a petition before the Federal High Court to declare the debtor bankrupt.
■ Representing a foreign national in investigations and complaints at the Nigeria Police Force Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (FCIID), Alagbon and at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Lagos State.

Contact: Muyiwa Ogungbenro
Tel: +234 803 725 1487 (m) +234 1 279 3673 (d)
Email: [email protected]

Real Estate: 

1 partner, 6 fee earners based in Lagos

■ Structured finance for real estate development valued US$125 million
■ Financing package for development of commercial real property valued at US$170 million
■ Transaction solicitors in the acquisition of over 40 hectares of land at Eko Atlantic City, Lagos for the development of the proposed Eko Energy City valued at over $400 million
■ Advisers to the developer of one of the largest property developments in Nigeria covering 145 hectares for the acquisition, development, financing, construction of a residential estate valued at over $1 billion
■ Successfully defending the corporate owner of approximately 1,500,000 square metres of prime property in Lagos State, valued at over $1 billion, against all disputes regarding title, ownership and legal challenges to government revocation pertaining to that development (dispute resolution)

Contact: Abutu Odu
Tel: +234 805 096 0009 (m) +234 1 279 3853 (d)
Email: [email protected]

Media, Entertainment & Technology: 

1 partner, 7 fee earners 

■ Advised the Middle East and Africa arm of a global digital asset exchange on the establishment of its business in Nigeria. This involved advising on corporate/commercial considerations, regulatory landscape of the cryptocurrency business in Nigeria as well as other pertinent issues;
■ Advised a Nigerian fintech company with a focus on the electricity and power sector on regulatory compliance issues for its business. This covered advising on the licensing regime for providing its electronic payment platform to power distribution companies in Nigeria;
■ Advised an international payments solution company on Nigeria’s licencing regime in respect of the provision of transaction switching services and third party processing services to commercial banks;
■ Advised a US based manufacturing, construction and financial service entity on the regulatory framework and considerations for the provision of telematics services in Nigeria;
■ Advised a chatbot for financial services on ownership of copyright in the software the business relied on to provide its fintech services.
■ Advised a global investor on IP considerations and issues in respect of a potential investment in a fintech startup;
■ Provided strategic advice to an international music festival on global protection, registration, use and licensing of its brand;
■ Advised one of Nigeria’s largest sporting events promoters on contractual issues pertaining to the organizing of a football tournament, broadcasting and player transfer issues;
■ Preparation of chain of title documentation for a number of major film projects, from pre-production to post-production;
■ Advising on the production of a television series commissioned by one of Nigeria’s foremost cable television companies including review of the production contract, drafting cast and crew agreements, location and other agreements;
■ Advised IMG Worlds, the owner of the world’s largest indoor theme and amusement park in the United Arab Emirates, on copyright and brand protection matters in Nigeria;
■ Routinely advise on the licensing the music catalogue of one of Nigeria’s greatest musicians, involved in synchronization licenses in respect of this catalogue for some of the biggest film productions in the world;
■ Reviewed Amazon Studios global content standards policy and the Nigerian content standards addendum in line with the applicable laws;
■ Reviewed the production of one of its first Nigerian local productions LOL to ensure compliance with the content standards;
■ Consultancy and legal services to a group of investors seeking to establish a creative industry fund valued in hundreds of millions of naira to invest in the Nigerian creative industry;
■ The preparation of the production, finance and distribution documents for a film with production costs valued at over NGN200 million;
■ Licensing the music catalogue of one of Nigeria’s greatest musicians to one of the highest grossing computer game of all time;
■ Negotiating and licensing of the life story rights of one of Nigeria’s music legends for a stage production;
■ Reviews, attendance at key meetings and the lobbying in relation to the redraft and promulgation of Nigeria’s Copyright Act and draft bill respectively; and
■ Working with the relevant ministries, departments and agencies within the Federal Government to establish an anti-piracy task force in Nigeria and strengthen the country’s intellectual property regime.

Contact: Sandra Oyewole
Tel: +234 802 223 0170 (m) +234 1 279 3674 (d)
Email: [email protected]

Corporate Services: 

2 partners, 10 fee earners 

The firm’s Corporate Service Group provides its client with a broad spectrum of tailor-made bespoke legal services including and not limuted to mergers & acquisitions, joint ventures, IPOs, debt offerings, venture capital and private equity investments, regulatory compliance, company secretarial services, employment, company law and strategic transactional matters. Its corporate practice is complemented by dedicated experts across the Firm's other practice Practice Groups such as banking and finance, tax, competition/antitrust, employment and pensions, financial services, real estate, IP, technology and regulatory & compliance.

■ Advised Cappa & D’Alberto, a leading construction company with the reregistration from a public limited liability company to a private limited liability company;
■ Advising an international client on regulatory compliance issues on taxation, import and export regulations, company statutory filings and reports, local authority byelaws;
■ Advising a leading internet service and data provider in Nigeria in establishing governance frameworks in accordance with global standards and best practices;
■ Acted as legal advisers to Pfizer, a leading multinational pharmaceutical corporation in relation to the proposed global divestment of an arm of its business;
■ Advised the Receiver-Manager in the sale of the business assets of Nigerian-German Chemical PLC (In Receivership) following the enforcement of security by a syndicate of creditors (First Bank of Nigeria Limited, Guaranty Trust Bank Plc and Union Bank of Nigeria Plc) acting through FBN Quest Trustees Limited and security trustee;
■ The firm advised General Electric, a multinational conglomerate on the reorganization of its transport, healthcare and power business in Nigeria;
■ Advised Africinvest Group in relation to the USD$25 million Series B Preference Stock Investment in 54 Gene Inc;
■ Advised Nampak International Limited on the US$300 million acquisition of Alucan Packaging, an aluminium beverage can manufacturer based in Agbara, Nigeria; and
■ Advised R-Jolad Hospital Nigeria Limited, a family owned hospital business in the divestment of 80% of its shares to AfyA Care Nigeria Limited, a private equity investment company.

Contact: Bola Tinubu
Tel: +234 802 777 1001 (m) +234 1 279 3672 (d)
Email: [email protected]

Contact: Samuel Salako
Tel: +234 802 377 0456 (m) +234 1 279 3852 (d)
Email: [email protected]

Taxation, Compliance, Private Client: Due-Diligence:
As in-depth and thorough due diligence is a bedrock for financing transactions, the firm has been involved in numerous due diligence exercises. Subject to the nature of the transaction, in such assignments, the firm regularly carries out investigations and inquiries into all relevant areas and subject matters. The firm also provides advice as to the outcome of the exercise to assist clients in making an informed decision regarding the transactions or project.

Contact: Tunde Oyewole
Tel: +234 808 888 1111 (m) +234 1 279 3677
Email: [email protected]