Natural Resources
We act for several local and foreign clients in the Oil, Gas, Mining and allied industries. We have particular expertise in the areas of project finance, obtaining operational licences, regulatory, government, community relations and the environment. Members of our team have advised lawyers and operators in the oil and gas industry in several transactions. One of them led the team of solicitors that advised on and prepared the security documentation of a multi-million-dollar finance package of the Addax Oil Exploration Group of Switzerland arranged by lenders from the Republic of Ireland for its Nigerian oil exploration and production operations in Nigeria. The transaction involved various transborder legal and financial issues which had to be structured and harmonized in such a fashion as to ensure that the transaction documents satisfactorily addressed those issues to the satisfaction of the parties and their various solicitors. We are also involved in the streamlining of Nigerian operating companies arising from the international merger of ABB Lummus Global, Lummus Crest and ABB Randall Corporations of the Netherlands and United States respectively. A senior member of the practice was the principal legal adviser to Bredero Price Holding BV of the Netherlands in its acquisition of the minority interest of Nigerians in the Nigerian subsidiary of this pipe coating multinational to make it a wholly owned subsidiary of Bredero Price Holding B.V.
A member of our practice was active in documentation of the production sharing contract between two oil companies operating in Nigeria in respect of an offshore oil drilling contract. Our team acted for a Nigerian company in respect of its termination of a joint venture it had with a Canadian company for the exploration, production and development of the Nigerian company’s oil concession. We are currently involved in our client’s negotiations with an oil producing company that is currently producing in Nigeria for the establishment of a joint venture with our client for the exploration production and development of the concession.
Our team acted for one of the winners of the 2000 Open Acreage Bid Round in the production sharing contract and negotiations with the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources in respect of the oil prospecting license for the Block won by our clients. We act as retained solicitors to a gold mining company that is in joint venture with the Nigerian Mining Corporation. We acted for the company in negotiating the execution of geo-physical works to establish the reserves of the company’s gold concession.
Guidance in this context, spans government relations, regulatory, corporate and shareholders compliance and approval procedures. We are able to provide these services in-house because key members of our team have, in various capacities over a period in excess of fifteen years, guided leading conglomerates, multinationals and publicly quoted companies through the range of transactions described above.
These companies include Berger Paints Nigeria Plc, Academy Press Plc, Blackwood Hodge Nigeria Plc, Cutix Plc, Eko Hotels Ltd, Bredero Price (Nigeria) Ltd., ABB Oil & Gas Nigeria Ltd., FBN (Merchant Bankers) Ltd.
We are currently acting for international investors who are acquiring controlling shares in a second-generation Nigerian Bank. Key members of our practice were trained in the Legal Departments of some of the most active banks in the capital and money markets. We attend and actively participate in relevant seminars and workshops, locally and internationally in order to ensure that we continue to be up to date, innovative and versatile. We therefore have the added advantage of an extensive precedent base. We also offer ancillary services such as company secretarial and nominee services.
Members of the practice over the years in various capacities as functionaries of Government, political officeholders or professional advisers of government have amassed considerable expertise in the field of privatisation. They have acted with respect to the formulation, implementation, structuring, negotiation and execution of public divesture and privatisation of government owned or controlled enterprises
We acted for a foreign investor, a major producer of cement in Asia in its bid to acquire controlling interest in the Cement Company of Northern Nigeria PLC and are currently acting for prospective core investors in Federal Government enterprises that are being privatised.
We are active in the consortium of law firms led by our partner firm that is active in the privatization programme of the Federal Government as legal advisers to consortia of professional advisers appointed by the Bureau of Public Enterprises to advise the Bureau in respect of several Federal Government enterprises being privatized.