Chief Bayo Ojo, SAN, CON
Principal Partner LL.B., LL.M(Lond), BL. Dip. ICArb. FCIArb. Chartered Arbitrator
Christopher Bayo Ojo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria graduated from the University of Lagos, Nigeria in June 1977 where he obtained his LL.B and was called to the Nigerian Bar in July 1978. He started his Law practice before obtaining his LL.M from the London School of Economics and Political Science, University of London in 1982. He also obtained a Certificate in Legal Drafting from the Royal Institute of Public Administration, London and a Diploma in International Commercial Arbitration from the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, London. He is a fellow of the same Institute, and a Chartered Arbitrator. Bayo Ojo is a former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice of Nigeria, former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, past Chairman of the Nigerian Branch of Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, and past Chairman of the Legal Aid Board of Nigeria (1999-2004). He is a former member of the International Law Commission of the United Nations in Geneva and Council member of the Section on Energy and Natural Resources Law of the International Bar Association. He was a former member of the Board of Trustees of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, London, the panel of International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) in Washington DC and the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), Hague, Netherlands. He is a past President of the Africa Users’ Council of the London Court of International arbitration (LCIA) and former Alternate Chairman of the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) Appeals Tribunal in Paris. He is an expert member of the Chinese International Commercial Court (CICC) and on the Board of the Cairo Regional Centre for International Commercial Arbitration CRCICA). He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Mediators and Concilliators (ICMC) and the Institute of Construction Industry Arbitrators (ICIARB). He is also a Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal studies (FNIALS), West African representative of the Foundation For International Commercial Arbitration (SICA/FICA), a Patron of the Nigerian society of International Law and a recipient of the Nigerian National Honour of Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) Bayo Ojo has extensive experience in all aspects of International Law, Corporate and commercial Law, Litigation and International Commercial Arbitration. In the course of his career, he has acted as counsel, sole arbitrator and presiding arbitrator in quite a number of Domestic and International Arbitrations, which includes mining, investments, power, oil and gas, telecommunications, construction, banking and finance. He has delivered several public lectures and written articles on diverse legal topics. He is the Editor-in Chief of the Nigerian Journal of Arbitration and Mediation (NJAM) and African Journal of Arbitration and Mediation (AJAM). He is the co-author of The Handbook of Arbitration and ADR Practice in Nigeria. His hobbies include reading, community work and playing golf.
Chief Duro Adeyele, SAN
Managing Partner LL.B., LL.M., B.L, ACIArb, Notary Public
Chief Duro Adeyele, SAN who is also a Senior Advocate of Nigeria is the Managing Partner at Bayo Ojo & Co. He was called to the Bar in 1986 after graduating from the University of Lagos in 1985. He started practice with the Cornell O. Nwosu and Associates between 1986-1987 from where he joined Bayo Ojo and Co in 1987. Duro later obtained a Masters Degree in Law at OAU, Ile-Ife and rose to become the Managing Partner of the firm. His areas of specialisation over the years has been corporate/commercial practice, privatisation, ADR and litigation.
He is particularly skilled in Legal drafting and perfection of legal documents and agreements. He acts as external Legal Adviser to several companies and is an active member of the Nigeria Bar Association, International Bar Association (IBA) and the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (UK). He was appointed a Notary Public in 1996 by the Chief Justice of Nigeria and conferred with the prestigious Rank of a Senior Advocate of Nigeria in 2006.
Chief Sheni Ibiwoye, SAN,
Partner LL.B., LL.M., B.L, FCIArb. Notary Public
Sheni Ibiwoye is a Partner in Bayo Ojo & Co. a law firm with offices in Abuja, Lagos and Ilorin involved in corporate and commercial law practice, civil and criminal litigation and Alternate Dispute Resolution amongst so many other services rendered to clients within and outside Nigeria. He obtained his Bachelor of Law degree from the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife and was called to the Nigerian Bar to practice as barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria. He later obtained a Master’s Degree in law at the same University in Ile-Ife. Sheni started his career as an Associate with the law firm of Afe Babalola & Co. in Ibadan, Nigeria from where he acquired considerable skills in the art of advocacy and litigation while traversing the hierarchy of courts all over the country. He later moved to Bayo Ojo & Co and rose to become a partner. Over the years, he has been able to acquire cognate experience in Corporate/Commercial Transactions spanning Finance, Joint Ventures, Acquisitions, Foreign Investment, Litigation, Oil & Gas and Arbitration. He has offered extensive Legal Advisory Services to the Federal/State Government and private companies with a track record of satisfying clients’ interest by demonstration of creativity, innovation and exceptional managerial capabilities. He was appointed a Notary Public for Nigeria by the Chief Justice and later became an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators UK. He is currently a Fellow of the same Institute and former member of the Executive Committee of the Nigerian branch. The Chief Justice of Nigeria on the recommendation of the Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee conferred him with the prestigious rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) in September 2016. Other professional bodies he belongs include Nigerian Bar Association, Chartered Institute of Taxation, International Bar Association, Commonwealth Lawyers Association and Foundation for International Commercial Arbitration & Alternative Dispute Resolution (SICA/FICA).