Services
Our Practice Areas
Dispute Resolution
The firm undertakes arbitration as well as alternative dispute resolution (ADR) procedures, particularly mediation, on behalf of its clients. We have represented clients in at different fora in matters involving banking, construction contracts, shipping, international trade, telecommunication contracts, and energy projects, under major arbitration and mediation rules. The firm’s primary objective is to ensure that disputes arising from the business and commercial activities of clients are effectively resolved with minimum expenditure of time and resources by clients. Our Litigation, Arbitration and ADR Practice Group is comprised of dispute resolution experts with commendable experience in the Firm’s other core practice areas.
The firm prosecutes and defends litigation matters for its clients in courts and tribunals located in various states of Nigeria. Our litigation practice supports our corporate law practice, while the former is in turn enhanced by our competence in the latter. Litigation has long been one of the core competences of ALIMI & Co. The firm has experienced, resourceful and well – trained team of lawyers who regularly appear in all of Nigeria’s superior courts of record including all its appellate courts.
Our dispute resolution work also extends to:
- Real estate – We successfully represented Mrs. Elizabeth Obileye, a World Bank senior official in respect of some of her landed properties in Nigeria before the Lagos State High Court. We are currently representing Harboni Ltd in respect of an industrial estate valued at over N3 billion before the Lagos State High Court. We successfully represented Nigerian Law School, Lagos Co-operative Society Ltd in respect of its proposed housing estate at Ogijo, Ogun State both at the High Court and the Court of Appeal. We successfully defended Council of Legal Education at the Lagos High Court in respect of its building at Igbosere Road, Lagos. We have real estate matters currently pending before the Court of Appeal, Akure, Abuja, Ibadan and Lagos Divisions.
- Administration of estate – We successfully represented Mrs Confort Adeola Ogundepo in respect of the multi-million Naira estate of her late husband before the Kano State High Court. We are currently before the Abia State High Court, Umuahia in respect of the multi billion Naira estate of Late Lord Chief Dike Udensi. We are at the Court of Appeal, Lagos Division in respect of the estate of Dr. Omolara Okonzua, wife to the renowned Parapsychologist, Late Professor Gabriel Okunzua.
- Share ownership and company management – We are currently representing Mr. Emmanuel Ijewere and Ebako & Company Ltd in respect of shareholding and management of the company. One of the cases is currently pending before the Court of Appeal, Lagos whilst the others are before the Federal High Court, Lagos.
- International Trade/letters of credit – We Successfully defended Unity Bank PLC against a claim based on letters of credit to tune of N143 million excluding interests.
- Contracts, torts and other claims – We have successfully represented and are currently representing clients before various courts across Nigeria.
The firm has a team of first class dispute resolution experts who have acquired extensive experience of delivering results at all levels of the Nigerian legal system. Members of the team pride themselves as being able to get the best deals for clients, no matter how complex the disputes.
Banking, Recoveries and Insolvency
The Firm advises some of the major investment and commercial banks as well as other financial institutions operating in Nigeria on all types of structured financing. We provide comprehensive advice on all domestic and international banking operations. We offer advice on compliance with banking and regulatory legislation. We also negotiate, draft, review and advise on every kind of legal documentation and transaction.
We have advised and represented clients either as creditors or as borrowers. The firm serves a number of financial institutions and private lenders and have established several practice areas that will suit the needs of your business. In addition, the firm understands the unique needs of banking and financial organizations in these areas of practice. We routinely assist in closing complex financing and loan transactions, workouts, and loan acquisitions. We have also represented companies in private loan and equity investment transactions.
We have worked with a number of financial institutions, locally and internationally, to achieve their objective of securing repayment of their exposures. In this regard, we have conducted due diligence and perfection in respect of a number of big ticket transactions. We have also engaged in recoveries by various means including negotiations/mediations, receiverships as well as litigations, including winding up proceedings. Some creditor clients we have serviced in the past include Unity Bank Plc, Guaranty Trust Bank Plc and Diamond Bank Plc. We represented the receiver, the Late Prince Ade Babington Ashaye, appointed by International Finance Corporation (IFC) over the assets of DSNL Ltd at the Federal High Court in collaboration with Professor Abiodun Adesanya SAN of blessed memory who represented IFC. The recovery in that case was over $19 million. The firm is also engaged in recovery of statutory contributions on behalf of government agencies. Our main client in this regard is the Governing Council of Industrial Training Fund (ITF), on whose behalf we have recovered billions of Naira from recalcitrant contributors through litigation and other legal means.
As regards borrowers, we have a number of individual and institutional clients on behalf of whom we have engaged in advisory and litigation services for the purpose of limiting or restructuring their liabilities. We provide immediate help to stop creditors’ takeover of assets or businesses which gives clients time to re-order their financial situations. We have, through negotiations and litigations, assisted clients agree realistic repayment plans relative to their budgets. Cel-line Service Ltd and Azego and Company Nig. Ltd are some of the clients we have serviced in this regard. We are currently defending the Governing Council of ITF against a claim of over N1.6 billion excluding interests by National Housing Fund at the Federal High Court, Abuja.
Our Banking Recoveries and Insolvency team is made up seasoned banking and corporate law practitioners who have devoted several years of study and practice to these areas. Members of the team constantly ready to provide dynamic and up to date solution to the firm’s clients at very short notice.
Corporate and Commercial
ALIMI & Co provides a broad range of commercial and corporate services to local, multi- national and International companies on all aspects of Nigerian and International business and commercial law.
Our firm has assisted its various corporate clients to ensure compliance with all regulatory requirements for establishing business in Nigeria, for example, structuring negotiation and documentation of their joint ventures with local partners and subsidiaries. We also counsel our commercial clients on corporate reorganizations, commercial loans, Bonds and Guarantees, Indemnities and Letters of credit.
Our firm has gained considerable in advising on commercial agreements that provide the structure under which business activities are conducted. These include shareholders’ agreements, stock purchase and transfer agreements, distribution and supply contracts as well as instruments for
securities of debts.
ALIMI & Co. serves as company secretary to many local, commercial and international organizations from all the major sectors of the economy. In addition to assisting in the formation and establishment of companies in Nigeria, the firm also attends Board and Company Meetings, filing annual and other statutory returns, transaction documents generation and reviews as well as tax advisory services
We also provide services to companies who do not require a full–fledged legal department but require in-house legal services on a day-to-day basis or for short durations.
Our seasoned legal team is well versed in serving the needs of small businesses. We advise clients that are both new ventures as well as established small businesses. As a small business owner or CEO, the legal landscape can be daunting. We act as a fractional in-house counsel, advising our clients on various state, federal, and corporate requirements.
Our firm understands the unique legal needs of small businesses and the evolving legal requirements. Whether establishing new contracts, dealing with a myriad of human resource issues, or negotiating a difficult financial transaction, we have a practice area that serves your needs. We have experience with all forms of business organizations, including sole proprietorships, general and limited partnerships, corporations and multi-member limited liability companies.
Our firm is committed to learning the complexities and needs of our clients’ businesses, whatever their size. We can address a particular issue or legal question or provide a thorough legal review of a client’s entire business on a singular or on-going basis. We can also assist a client’s internal legal staff to provide a full-service legal team. Whatever the legal needs of your business, we provide efficient, effective day-to-day and strategic counsel across a wide variety of legal disciplines.
For investors that seek to acquire an interest in existing Nigerian businesses, we offer specialized legal due diligence services that focus on identifying the legal risks associated with the companies in which they wish to make investment. The firm conduct a thorough search and prepare due report on individuals/companies that a prospective investor intends to do business with.
Some of the entities to which we have rendered or are still rendering different aspect of secretarial or advisory services include Supreme Colour Laboratory of Nigeria Limited, ECOBANK Nigeria Plc, First Bank of Nigeria PLC, Biovensis Nig Ltd, Cards Technology Nig Ltd, B24G Networks Limited, Ebako And Company Ltd, Cel-Line Services Ltd and Nigeria Agro Business Ltd/Gte.
Our Company Secretarial and Advisory Services team consist of professionals who are committed to providing innovative and cost effective solutions to our commercial and corporate clients
Real Estate
The firm engages in all aspects of real property transactions including the preparation and perfection of leases, assignments, tenancy agreements, acquisition, investment, development, redevelopment and refinancing, transfers and mortgages as well as obtaining relevant governmental consents and approvals. Our real property practices also include litigation involving land transactions, compensation claims and land dispute settlements. The firm has experience in investigating and deducing title, title registrations generally, as well as the preparation of building leases, agreements and contractors- finance contracts.
ALIMI & Co has a number of clients in the real estate industry including real estate developers, contractors, real estate brokers, property management/landlord companies and commercial construction companies. Through these clients and working the relevant practice areas, ALIMI & Co is experienced and capable of handling all your legal real estate related needs.
The firm provides quality counsel and representation through all phases of property acquisition and construction, from initial planning and development to contract preparation and performance. We are also well versed in litigation and dispute resolution and can draw from a wealth of experience to help your business make informed decisions quickly and cost effectively. ALIMI & Co has a dedicated commercial real estate practice committed to serving your needs and routinely advises clients with respect to federal and state environmental statutes and regulations.
Some of the clients we have serviced and are still servicing in this regard include We Do Design And Construction Ltd, Hahonsee Ltd, Administrators of the Estate of Alhaji Aremu Lawal, as Well as the Administrators of the Estate of Chief Gbenle Ogundepo in addition to several individual clients amongst others
Intellectual Property
ALIMI & Co advises and represents its clients in registration of trademarks, patents, copyrights, franchises and licenses. We advise on the procedure for protection against and redressing of violation of intellectual property rights. We equally advise on compliance with the various legislation governing trademarks, patents and designs as well as copyrights.
The firm services a number of technology companies and research and development phase companies. If you are a technology or R&D company, the needs of your company are especially unique with respect to managing your intellectual property.
ALIMI & Co has an established intellectual property practice area and can help your company develop an intellectual property strategy to protect your valuable technology under development. We represent businesses in the preparation and prosecution of patent and trademark applications, and provide advice on related intellectual property matters. We are also experienced in negotiating sale and licensing agreements helping to monetize your assets in the form of trademarks, copyrights, patents, trade secrets, and technology.
The firm also works directly with individual inventors. Some of our clients have developed a great idea or a new technology and want to protect that idea before pursuing plans to monetize it.
The firm has an established intellectual property practice area and can help you develop an intellectual property strategy to protect your idea and also advise you on the many different options (eg. forming a new venture, licensing) that you can pursue as the next step. We also can help protect you against the infringement of your intellectual property
ALIMI & CO serves a number of manufacturing and distributing businesses locally and internationally. Establishing new manufacturer and supplier agreements or negotiating these agreements is essential to managing your business. The firm is experienced in intellectual property rights and dispute resolution; confidentiality agreements, and unique financing agreements as it pertains to managing complex inventories
Maritime and Aviation
The Firm acts for clients in respect of the purchase, sale and hire of vessels. We also advise clients on the regulations and guidelines of the National Maritime Authority and registration of vessel under the merchant shipping cabotage laws. The firm provides comprehensive legal services to ship owners, their local agents or representatives’ shippers, marine insurers and other contracts of affreightment, agency agreements and ship sales and purchase. We provide advice in respect of marine enquires or claims relating to general average and salvage. The firm has litigation experience in cargo loss and damage claims involving ship arrest and detention.
With respect to aviation law, we assist clients in the lease, purchase, and acquisition of aircraft. This advisory and transactional process includes conducting due diligence prior to prospective purchases, reviewing all documents related to the transactions, and dealing with requisite regulatory agencies. The firm also has vast experience in registering aircraft with the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority and the Corporate Affairs Commission. We have successfully handled many high-profile aviation transactions.
We provide comprehensive legal services to our clients in all areas of the transportation sector. Whether a dispute involves contract issues, litigation, regulatory issues, or ongoing legal advice as to operations, we have the specialised knowledge and skills to successfully advise and represent clients in these matters with a team made up of experienced practitioners who understand the intricacies and ever dynamic issues involved in these areas of practice