Odein Ajumogobia SAN

H. Odein Ajumogobia, SAN, OFR

Partner
Mail: odein@ajumogobiaokeke.com
Phone: +234-1-2719368

Profile

Mr. Ajumogobia is a founding partner of the Firm. He was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1979 and admitted to the inner bar in 2003 as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria. Since the establishment of the firm in 1984, he has been involved in numerous high value corporate and commercial transactions. In later years before and especially since heading Nigeria’s Energy and Petroleum Ministries, he has specialized in the areas of Energy and Natural Resource law, and currently leads that practice group in the Firm leveraging on the considerable esteem in which he is held by the industry and in government circles, for the benefit of the Firm’s clients.

Mr. Ajumogobia’s rich experience as a negotiator and litigator of commercial disputes gives him an edge in advising clients in complex commercial transactions, building consensus and averting avoidable disputes that tend to delay transaction completion. As lead defence counsel to an international oil company in a multi-party, multiple tort oil spill litigation that spanned all the states of the Niger Delta, he developed the core strategy for the successful defence of all litigation.

Besides litigation, Mr. Ajumogobia is highly regarded in alternative dispute resolution especially arbitration. He has served two (2) terms (2001 – 2006) as a member of the ICC International Court of Arbitration, Paris, France. He is actively involved in in complex arbitration proceedings in the oil & gas industry and in international commercial arbitration and mediation proceedings (as arbitrator/mediator or counsel) within and outside the country.

Mr. Ajumogobia has been a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitration (UK) since 1996. He is currently Chairman of the Nigeria Natural Resource Charter (NNRC).

Areas of Specialization

Commercial litigation and arbitration; Environmental law and oil pollution litigation; Transportation law with a specific interest in Aviation law.

Education

Harvard Law School, Cambridge Massachusetts [LL.M], 1988

  • Full courses in international Commercial Arbitration; International Business Transactions; Conflict of Laws and International Law
  • Research Paper : Legal Limitations on the Extent of Foreign Money Obligations
  • Activities: International Law Journal Harvard – Radcliffe Collegium Musicum (The Harvard University Festival Choir)

Nigeria Law School. [BL], 1979

University of Lagos [LL.B Honours], 1978

Professional Experience

Partner, Ajumogobia & Okeke, 1987-present

Minister for Foreign Affairs 2009-2011

Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, 2007-2009

Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Rivers State: 2003-2007

Nigerian LNG Consultants 1983

Associations

Fellow: Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (London)

Member: Nigerian Bar Association; Nigerian Society of International Law; International Bar Association; American Society of International Law; American Bar Association [Associate Member] ; National Executive Committee, Nigerian Bar Association

Awards and Appointments

Order of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (OFR, 2010)

Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN, 2003)

Former member, ICC International Court of Arbitration and ICC International Commission of Arbitration, Paris (2001-2006)

Honorary Member, International Arbitration Court, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil since 2002; participated and delivered papers at numerous seminars, workshops and courses in Africa, Europe and the United States.

Consultant, World Intellectual Property Organizations: Preparation of Franchising Guide for Developing Countries, Geneva, Switzerland (1992)

University of Lagos Law Society award for distinction in the Legal Profession (1993)

Special mention in Chambers International Law Directory

Listed in Who’s Who Legal (International Who’s Who of Oil & Gas Lawyers 2004)

Prizes

Graduated top of the class

Faculty Prize for best results in Final Degree Examination

Semi-Final rounds of Philip C. Jessup International Moot Court Competition, Washington, D.C. (April 1978)

Fellowship and Prizes for best overall performance in Second Year and commercial Transactions Examinations.

Federal Government of Nigeria Merit Award for Academic Excellence at the University of Lagos. (1975-1976)

Publications

Chapters on Nigeria in ‘Aircraft Finance (Registration, Security and Enforcement)’ Edited by Mcbain and Harmes. (Longman 1990)

Enforcement of Foreign Judgments’ Edited by Louis Garb and Julian Lwe (Kluwer 1994)

Aircraft Lien and Detention Rights (Longman 2002)

International Product Liability (Aspatore Inc. 2004)