Practice areas/Trial and appellate advocacy
02 Litigation & Advocacy
Trial and appellate advocacy in commercial, constitutional and criminal matters, up to the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
The practice
What instructing us on litigation & advocacy looks like.
Advocacy is the spine of the practice. We appear in the Federal and State High Courts, the National Industrial Court, the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court, and we regularly take over part-heard matters where the case needs re-theorising rather than re-filing.
Before a process is filed we set out the realistic range of outcomes and the cost of reaching each of them. Clients who know their exposure settle better cases and fight the right ones.
Scope of work
- Commercial, contractual and shareholder disputes
- Banking, recovery and enforcement proceedings
- Criminal defence and asset forfeiture
- Judicial review and constitutional claims
- Injunctions and urgent interim relief
- Appeals to the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court
Who we act for
How we work
Judgement applied in a particular order.
The discipline changes; the method does not. These are the decisions we take first on every mandate in this practice.
Case theory first
We build the theory of the matter before we build the file — the facts, the forum, the exposure and what a court will actually care about.
Senior counsel on their feet
The partner who advises on strategy argues the matter. Instructions are not handed down a chain after the pleadings close.
Reporting that decides something
After each hearing you receive a commercial recommendation, not a recital of procedure.
Selected record
Where this practice has been tested.
Dismass Alu Adoon v. Federal Republic of Nigeria
Court of Appeal
Aerobell Nigeria Ltd v. Fidelity Bank Plc
Federal High Court
Thomas v. Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
Federal High Court
Common questions
Asked before most instructions.
Will you take over a matter already part-heard?
Frequently. We review the record, re-theorise the case where the pleadings allow it, and tell you candidly if the position cannot be recovered.
How are litigation fees structured?
Usually hourly or staged fixed fees by milestone. Recovery and enforcement work can carry a success-linked component agreed in writing before filing.
Consult us
Put the litigation & advocacy question to a partner.
Every enquiry is read by a partner, cleared for conflicts and acknowledged within one business day. Urgent injunctive or enforcement matters are triaged the same day by telephone.