Osborne · Law Practice
Courthouse steps at dusk

Landmark matters

A record, nota brochure

Assessments vacated, convictions overturned, forfeitures discharged and secured debt recovered. These are matters we argued, with the forum and the outcome stated plainly.

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National offices

The ledger

Selected matters

Filter by discipline. Each entry states the forum, the year and what the client walked away with.

Taxation
Tax Appeal Tribunal2019

Nestlé Nigeria Plc v. Federal Inland Revenue Service

Challenged a multi-year additional assessment raised against a listed manufacturer, arguing that the revenue's reconstruction of taxable income ignored statutory deductions already allowed on audit. The tribunal vacated the assessment in full.

Assessment set aside

Appellate
Court of Appeal2018

Dismass Alu Adoon v. Federal Republic of Nigeria

Appellate defence in a criminal matter where the trial court convicted on evidence that had never been properly tendered. The appeal turned on the record, not on sympathy, and the conviction was set aside.

Conviction quashed

Banking
Federal High Court2017

Aerobell Nigeria Ltd v. Fidelity Bank Plc

Commercial claim arising from disputed facility charges and the bank's treatment of security. We rebuilt the account history from primary documents and obtained judgment on the reconstructed figures.

Judgment for client

Banking
High Court of Lagos State2020

Guaranty Trust Bank Plc v. Obosi Microfinance Bank Ltd

Recovery and enforcement mandate against a defaulting institution, including garnishee proceedings and the realisation of secured assets without protracted satellite litigation.

Recovery enforced

Regulatory
Federal High Court2021

Thomas v. Economic and Financial Crimes Commission

Resisted an interim forfeiture order over assets said to be proceeds of crime. We demonstrated a lawful provenance for each asset and the order was discharged with the property released.

Forfeiture discharged

Constitutional
Federal High Court2016

National Employers Consultative Association & Anor v. Attorney-General of the Federation

Constitutional challenge to the validity of levies imposed on employers without statutory backing. The court granted declaratory relief restraining further enforcement.

Declaratory relief granted

Banking
Out of court2022

In re: Receivership of a Nigerian manufacturing group

Appointed on behalf of a syndicate to take control of a distressed manufacturer, stabilise operations and negotiate a restructuring that preserved the business and repaid the secured debt.

Facility restructured

Taxation
Federal Inland Revenue Service2023

Assessment review for a multinational FMCG group

Negotiated review of a disputed transfer pricing position ahead of formal proceedings, closing the exposure at a fraction of the sum originally demanded.

Liability reduced materially

How outcomes are won

Three things decide most matters

01

The record decides it

Most matters are won or lost on what is properly in evidence. We build the record before we build the argument.

02

Forum is a strategy

Tribunal, court or negotiation — choosing where a dispute is resolved often matters more than the pleading filed in it.

03

Settle when settling wins

We tell clients when the commercial answer beats the legal one, and we have the standing to close on favourable terms.

An empty judicial bench

Client perspective

“They took over a matter three years into trial and turned it. The clarity of advice was the difference — we always knew our exposure.”

Group General Counsel · Listed manufacturing group

Documents being signed at the close of a matter

Instruct us

Bring us the matter others have called difficult

Urgent injunctive and enforcement matters are triaged the same day. Everything else is acknowledged within one business day.

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