Nigeria has one of the world’s largest proven oil reserves and has been ranked as the highest oil producing country in Africa and is rapidly transforming into a leading investment destination amongst the emerging markets. Our oil and gas team is on the front lines of the oil and gas industry. Our lawyers have led and at other times participated in some of the most complex transactions in the industry representing operators, contractors, banks and financial institutions, underwriters, equity investors and sponsors in the successful structuring and documentation of oil and gas projects and transactions.

We have been involved in the negotiation, drafting and review of various types of oil and gas agreements including production sharing contracts, joint operating agreements, drilling contracts and all types of contracts for the supply of products and services in the Nigerian oil and gas Industry.

Our team has considerable experience in advising both foreign and indigenous investors in the Nigerian Energy sector not only on projects and transactions but all aspects of their day to day business and operations. We also advise and assist our clients in processing the various investment, regulatory and operational permits and approvals required for doing business in the energy, mining and oil and gas sectors.

Since the announcement and launching of the Roadmap for Power Sector Reform in August 2010, the Nigerian power sector has undergone significant reforms in recent times with the unbundling and eventual privatization of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN). In many quarters, the industry continues to remain the critical measure of the Country’s progress towards industrialization and development. There has also been significant interest in the use of renewable energy as a source of power for communities as well as businesses.

In line with these enormous opportunities, Gbenga Biobaku & Co, has provided legal support and positioned herself to play a vital role both as advisors and catalysers in this renewed wave of growth especially in aspects relating to project development as well as project finance in the energy, power and infrastructure sectors. Our Power Project Team has considerable experience both in regulatory matters and in commercial transactions relating to power and infrastructure projects.

Gbenga Biobaku & Co has a vibrant corporate commercial practice. Our lawyers have extensive experience and expertise in conducting and managing large-scale commercial transactions largely gained from advising clients on the full range of corporate finance transactions such as mergers and acquisitions, corporate and financial restructurings as well as capital market transactions. Our lawyers have an in-depth understanding of the financial services industry and have represented private equity investors, banks and other financial institutions, lenders and borrowers in a variety of transactions in the financial services industry.

The activities of our corporate commercial team span advising clients on complex transactions such as mergers, acquisitions and restructuring to day-to-day matters, such as employment contracts, service level agreements, commercial property transactions to commercial agreements generally. Our goal is always to add value and ensure we secure business-oriented results for our clients within the framework of applicable laws and regulations.

We have a Business Advisory Unit within our Corporate/Commercial Department that provides advice to clients regularly on establishing businesses in Nigeria and assisting with all the pre-investment and some of the operational permits and approvals. In addition, the Firm also provides Company Secretarial support to several companies and advises and assists with regulatory compliance issues.

At Gbenga Biobaku & Co., we have a vibrant Dispute Resolution Department comprising of highly skilled and experienced litigators who have successfully represented top corporate and private clients over the years in diverse areas of Nigerian law.

Our approach is to understand the background of our clients’ problems and the ultimate business objectives which the client seeks to achieve. We then apply our vast knowledge and understanding of the law and the judicial process in developing the most effective strategy for resolving the problems and achieving our clients’ objectives. Our litigation department is mindful of the firm’s principle of achieving a quick and satisfactory result in disputes and therefore conducts commercial and other litigation matters in a professional manner and with business efficacy. We ensure that our litigation strategy is fashioned in such a manner that will secure the immediate commercial objectives and the overall future interests of our client.

We have successfully applied our expertise in litigation and dispute resolution over the years for our numerous clients in a wide range of matters including oil and gas matters, shareholder disputes, claims for compensation, taxation, asset recovery, disputes arising from corporate governance, breach of contracts, employer/employee/industrial disputes, breach of fundamental rights claims, debt recovery, winding up of Companies, land disputes, claims for negligence, judicial review of administrative actions and other similar matters.

In the last 15 years, the Nigerian Economy has recorded significant growth and has now overtaken South Africa to become the largest economy in Africa. A lot of the growth has been spurred by the emergence and high level of activities in such new sectors as telecoms, entertainment, information technology and e-commerce. This has been accompanied by the development of new ideas and innovation. The importance of protecting these ideas and innovations cannot be over-emphasized.

GBC provides legal support to its clients on all aspects of intellectual property protection and enforcement. We provide practical and commercial legal advice at every stage in the life and development of an intellectual property right, from creation and exploitation to protection and enforcement. In particular, we assist in the registration of Patents, Trademarks and Industrial designs, and processing of approvals from NOTAP for Technical Services Agreements, Licensing Agreements and other Technical Transfer Agreements.