Nigeria’s foremost law firm gets four new partners

Corporate Commercial law firm, Banwo & Ighodalo (B&I) has announced the addition of four new Partners to its fold, bringing the number of Partners in the Firm to eleven. The new slate of Partners affirms the Firm’s preference for organic growth and its unwavering commitment to assisting clients achieve their goals.

The elevated four are Olumide Osundolire, Isa Alade, Toyin Bashir and Azeezah Muse-Sadiq and their promotions took effect on Monday January 9, 201

Olumide Osundolire joined the firm in 2007 and has been a key member of the firm’s Securities, Finance, Corporate & Commercial Practice. He is a versatile, intelligent and resourceful lawyer and has been involved in many of the firm’s mergers & acquisitions, capital market and PPP transactions. He has a passion for technology and telecommunications law and has been involved in most of the firm’s transactions in that field. His clients include public and private entities as well as start-ups and multinationals.

He supervises the firm’s company secretarial practice where he leads teams rendering company secretarial and legal advisory services to companies operating in various sectors of the economy. He also leads the Intellectual Property Practice Group and is involved in provision of trainings to clients’ legal teams. In this capacity he has delivered training on various areas of law including company law, probate, technology transfer documentation and intellectual property law.

Olumide’s core practice areas include Foreign Investment & Divestment, Mergers & Acquisition, Corporate & Commercial Law, Company Secretarial services, Property and Construction Law, Family law and Probate and Intellectual Property Law.

Toyin Bashir joined the Firm in November 2005 and since joining has superintended all of the Firm’s regulatory compliance matters as well as all interactions with Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies located in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

Prior to her admission into Partnership, Toyin, who is best described as a lawyer with commercial Nous!, held the position as the Team Lead with charge of the Firm’s corporate office in Abuja. Toyin has unrivalled expertise in advising multinational companies, investors and international non-governmental organisations, on all regulatory matters from the point of incorporation to every point during their operations in country and when they seek to exit Nigeria.

She also provides general corporate commercial advisory services on several projects and transactions spanning several sectors. Given her extensive experience in advising clients who are keen on doing business in Nigeria, she was invited to join the team assisting the Federal Government in overhauling the “Doing Business In Nigeria” regime and following this invitation, she is currently a key member of the Enabling Business Environment Secretariat, set up by the Federal Government to improve ease of doing business in Nigeria”.

Isa Alade joined B&I since 2006 and was a Senior Associate & Team Leader in the Corporate Securities and Finance Practice Group of the Firm.

He has extensive experience and is widely regarded as an expert in the areas of corporate finance, banking, project finance, securities and capital markets, and mergers & acquisitions. Over the last decade, he has advised local companies and multinationals on structuring a significant number of novel/complex transactions covering various sectors including the banking, insurance, manufacturing, telecommunication, energy and mining sectors. Some of the major transactions he has advised on include the US$240 Million fibre optic submarine cable project sponsored by Main One Cable Company Limited, the US$270 Million financing of the acquisition of Ibadan Electricity Distribution Plc and the Yola Electricity Distribution Plc., the US$250,000,000 ARM-Harith Infrastructure Fund and the Shareman HOAYS Fund (launched in connection with the financing and production of the Film, “Half of A Yellow Sun”).

Isa is a member of the Nigerian Bar Association and the International Bar Association. He is also one of the representatives of the firm at the Capital Markets Solicitors Association, the International Project Finance Association and the Loan Market Association. Isa has authored several articles in leading law publications, including the International Financial Law Review. He has also delivered several presentations on diverse subjects, including papers at seminars organized by the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies and the Loan Market Association.

Azeezah Muse-Sadiq joined the firm in 2006 and has since grown to be an integral member of the Firm’s Corporate Securities and Finance practice. She has advised clients across a wide range of industries and has extensive experience structuring, negotiating and executing corporate commercial transactions. She has particularly distinguished herself in the areas of capital markets and mergers and acquisitions, and in 2010 was named as Team Leader in the Firm’s Securities and Finance Practice with responsibility for managing many of the Firm’s most complex and pioneering transactions. Azeezah is brilliant, passionate about her work and has a reputation for being analytical about results. She has authored numerous articles and is frequently called upon to participate in rule development initiatives of the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Azeezah is a member of the Nigerian Bar Association, the Institute of Islamic Banking and Insurance and an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria.