SBL Vice Chair, Seni Adio and Funke Agbor sworn-in as Senior advocates of Nigeria
The current Vice Chairman of the NBA Section on Business Law, Seni Adio, SAN and Council member, Olufunke Agbor, SAN were among those sworn-in on Monday September 19, 2016 at a swearing-In/Conferment ceremony which took place at the Supreme Court of Nigeria, Federal Capital Territory, Abuja during the commencement of the 2016/2017 legal year.
FUNKE, a Senior Partner in the International Trade, Shipping and Dispute Resolution Group of Adepetun, Caxton-Martins, Agbor and Segun (ACAS-Law) is one of the only two women conferred with the rank this year. The ‘Learned Silk’ has expansive expertise in admiralty law, shipping and marine insurance law and dispute resolution with emphasis on international trade, contracts of carriage and collision claims. Her practice also includes, general civil litigation and commercial arbitration.
A member of the Nigerian Bar, the New York and the Massachusetts Bar Associations in the United States of America, the Vice Chair of the NBA Section on Business Law, SENI ADIO complements his business litigation background with extensive expertise in Admiralty (Maritime), Energy (Oil and Gas), Telecommunications, and Capital Markets transactions and counseling.
He has been involved in various landmark matters including legislative, dispute resolution and transactional. These have include providing counsel with respect to an Executive Bill and testifying before the National Assembly in support of same, which became enacted as the National Lottery Act 2004; appearing as lead counsel and successfully arguing a constitutional matter before the Federal High Court which declared as unlawful and unconstitutional and enjoined the use of the Armed Forces to monitor General Elections under a democratic dispensation.
It would be recalled that the Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee (LPPC) at its 123rd meeting held on Monday July 6, 2016 released a list of 22 legal practitioners to be elevated to the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN). The list includes, the Director General of the Nigerian Law School, Olanrewaju Onadeko, the Secretary of the 2014 National Conference, Dr Valerie Azinge, Nnamso Udo Ekanem, Prof. Mohammed Tabiu, Olusola Oladimeji Ojutalayo, Richard Ayodele Akintunde, Oyesoji Gbolahan Oyeleke, James Njeze Ikeyi, Elisha Yakubu Kura and Adewunmi Ogunsanya.
Others are Olatubosun Olanipekun, Kalu Ikwuonwu Umeh, Adewale Sunday Adesokan, Andrew Igboekwe, Fredson, Chijioke Okoli, Olasheni Ibiwoye, Abdulakeem Mustapha, Uba Ekpezu Ukweni, Edward Gwang Pwajok and Chukwu Omaka.
Congratulating the new senior advocates at the ceremony, the President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Abubakar Balarabe (AB) Mahmoud, SAN reminded them of the huge responsibilities accompanying the rank, affirming the level of excellence and responsibility expected of them as members of the inner bar.
He further noted the burden and responsibility for professional leadership that the rank of SAN imposes, saying, “This, is indeed a mark of professional excellence that each and every one of you richly deserves. You have all made indelible marks in your various areas of endeavors as legal professionals. You now share with other leaders of the Bar the burden and responsibility for professional leadership that the rank of SAN imposes. By your new position, you are role models for the profession. The rank must carry with it some notion of quality assurance.
He continued, “Our fellow countrymen and women would expect from you, provision of legal services with highest standards of excellence. Legal practice always has a business side to it. We must recognize however, that if the idea of the award of the rank to a few of us every year is merely to grant commercial advantage above our other colleagues, then there will be hardly any justification for it.
“The responsibility to promote justice delivery to fellow citizens on the basis of the highest ethical and professional standards. There is a solemn duty to mentor, groom and develop younger members of the bar who will carry forward the rich traditions of the legal profession. We have a duty to promote the independence and integrity of the legal profession.
“We must recognize that the prosperity of this country depends, amongst everything else, first and foremost, on our ability to promote the rule of law and guarantee justice and fairness to our communities and our fellow citizens. This is by no means an easy task in a country of such great diversity and several potential fault lines. However, we have every confidence that our colleagues being sworn in today will join other members of the inner and indeed other leaders of the profession in the tasks ahead.”
He closed, congratulating them once again on their elevation to the rank of Senior Advocates of Nigeria and admission into the inner Bar, while extending the felicitations of the bar to these distinguished few, as well as their families and associates.
The rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) is a title conferred on legal practitioners in Nigeria of not less than ten years’ standing and who have distinguished themselves in the legal profession. It is the equivalent of the rank of Queen’s Counsel in the United Kingdom, from which Nigeria became independent in 1960 (Republic 1963).
The conferment is made in accordance with the Legal Practitioners Act 207 Section 5 (1) by the Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee, headed by the Chief Justice (as Chairman), and consist of the Attorney-General, one Justice of the Supreme Court, the President of the Court of Appeal, five of the Chief Judges of the States, the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, and five legal practitioners who are Senior Advocates of Nigeria.
The title was first conferred on April 3, 1975. The recipients were Chief F.R.A. Williams and Dr Nabo Graham-Douglas. As of July 7, 2011 344 lawyers had become Senior Advocates of Nigeria.
Theodora Kio-Lawson