Our People

Afolabi Ogunsanya is a Nigerian-trained corporate and commercial lawyer with over 11 years of continuous legal practice advising businesses across diverse sectors of the Nigerian economy. He holds an LL.B from the University of Lagos, was called to the Nigerian Bar after completing his training at the Nigerian Law School, Lagos Campus, and has built his career within Nigeria’s dynamic commercial and regulatory environment. From early-stage startups to established Nigerian companies and international businesses entering the local market, Afolabi has worked closely with decision-makers navigating growth, regulation, and transactions in real time. His experience has been shaped by Nigeria’s unique business realities—policy shifts, regulatory complexity, currency volatility, and the need for commercially sound legal solutions that work beyond paper. As Head of Corporate & Commercial Law, he leads the firm’s corporate advisory practice, advising on corporate structuring, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, and strategic business transactions. He is particularly known for helping clients design structures that balance control, compliance, and long-term scalability. Afolabi’s approach to commercial contracts is practical and detail-driven. He drafts, reviews, and negotiates agreements with a strong understanding of how Nigerian businesses operate—ensuring that contracts protect value, allocate risk clearly, and remain workable in execution. His transactional work reflects a careful blend of legal precision and commercial awareness. In regulatory matters, he provides steady guidance to businesses engaging with Nigerian regulatory bodies, helping them interpret requirements, manage compliance obligations, and avoid regulatory exposure. His familiarity with regulatory processes—both formal and informal—allows clients to operate with confidence and clarity. Measured, confident, and deeply experienced, Afolabi is widely regarded by clients as a trusted adviser rather than just external counsel. He is valued for his sound judgment, calm disposition, and ability to give clear advice when the stakes are high.

Simisola Idowu is a highly experienced Nigerian lawyer, Principal Partner, and Head of Practice, with a career defined by rigorous advocacy, sound judgment, and a deep understanding of how law affects people, institutions, and risk in everyday life. She brings over a decade of legal practice to her work, advising and representing clients across employment law, insurance law, and general litigation. Simisola holds a degree in Economics from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, an academic foundation that continues to shape her analytical approach to legal problems. Her training in economics gives her a strong grasp of incentives, risk allocation, and commercial consequences—skills that are particularly evident in her handling of employment relationships, insurance disputes, and complex civil claims. She went on to obtain her legal education in Nigeria and was called to the Nigerian Bar, building her career firmly within the Nigerian legal system. As Head of the firm’s Employment and Labour Law practice, Simisola advises employers and employees on the full spectrum of workplace issues, including employment contracts, workplace policies, disciplinary processes, termination, redundancy, and employment disputes. She is known for her balanced, firm, and practical approach—helping employers manage risk and compliance while also ensuring fairness and procedural integrity. Her advice is clear, structured, and grounded in both law and workplace reality. In insurance law, Simisola acts for insurers, insured parties, and brokers in insurance claims, policy interpretation, regulatory compliance, and insurance-related disputes. She has a strong command of insurance principles and a keen eye for detail, enabling her to navigate complex policy wordings and contentious claims with confidence. Clients rely on her ability to cut through technical complexity and focus on outcomes that are legally sound and commercially sensible. Simisola is also a seasoned litigator with substantial experience in general civil litigation. She represents clients in personal injury claims, professional negligence, medical malpractice, and other tortious matters. In court, she is thorough, composed, and strategic—carefully preparing her cases while remaining adaptable to the realities of Nigerian litigation. Outside the courtroom, she is equally effective in negotiations and dispute resolution, always with an eye on her client’s broader interests. As Principal Partner, Simisola provides leadership not only through her legal expertise but also through her professionalism and work ethic. She is respected by clients and colleagues alike for her clarity of thought, intellectual discipline, and unwavering commitment to her clients’ causes. To those who work with her, she is a trusted adviser—direct, thoughtful, and deeply invested in delivering results.

Olujimi Adewole is the Founder and Immediate Past Principal Partner of the firm, with over a decade of experience advising clients on complex commercial, energy, and property-related matters within Nigeria’s legal and business environment. Trained in Nigeria and called to the Nigerian Bar, his practice has been shaped by sustained involvement in high-value negotiations, transactions, and regulatory-facing engagements. He holds an LL.B from the University of Lagos and completed his professional training at the Nigerian Law School, Abuja. Over the years, Olujimi has worked across law firm and in-house settings, advising local and international clients in sectors including energy, logistics, infrastructure, real estate, and financial services. As Head of the firm’s newly established Energy Practice, Olujimi advises clients in the oil, gas, power, and renewable energy sectors on licensing, regulatory compliance, project development, financing, and commercial contracting. His experience includes negotiating technical partnership agreements between energy service companies with multi-million-dollar share capital, advising on LNG infrastructure financing, and supporting capital raises of up to USD 50 million for energy projects operating in Nigeria. In negotiations and contracts advisory, he is known for his strategic approach and commercial awareness. He has successfully negotiated and drafted cross-border commercial and financial services agreements, advised on government-facing engagements, and recovered significant debts for corporate clients, including recoveries from federal government ministries. Olujimi also maintains a strong Property Law and Conveyancing practice, providing end-to-end legal support for real estate transactions, property development, land use compliance, mortgages, and property disputes. His experience includes conducting due diligence for large-scale developments and advising on regulatory and title issues critical to property investments in Nigeria. Practical, commercially minded, and deeply familiar with Nigeria’s regulatory and transactional landscape, Olujimi brings clarity and structure to complex matters. As Founder, he played a central role in shaping the firm’s values and practice focus, and he continues to be regarded by clients as a trusted adviser in high-stakes negotiations and transactions.

Ortega Opako is a trusted adviser in moments when businesses and families need clarity most—when structures are failing, assets are under pressure, or legacies must be protected with care and precision. With over a decade of experience in insolvency, restructuring, and estate administration, Ortega has built a reputation for steady judgment, technical depth, and an uncommon ability to navigate high-stakes situations with calm authority. His practice has been shaped by Nigeria’s economic cycles—periods of growth, contraction, distressed businesses, and the difficult decisions that follow. He advises companies, creditors, directors, and stakeholders on insolvency proceedings, corporate restructuring, liquidation, and bankruptcy, helping them understand their rights, obligations, and options under Nigerian law. Ortega is particularly respected for his work in business rescue—guiding struggling enterprises through restructuring processes aimed at preserving value, protecting jobs, and achieving orderly outcomes where possible. Beyond corporate insolvency, Ortega plays a key role in estate administration and trust matters. He regularly acts as a liquidator, trustee, and estate administrator, handling complex estates with discretion, fairness, and strict adherence to legal and fiduciary standards. Families and beneficiaries rely on him to manage sensitive matters with both professionalism and empathy. Ortega’s approach is firm but measured. He is known for cutting through emotion and uncertainty to focus on structure, process, and lawful resolution. Regulators, courts, and counterparties respect his thoroughness, while clients value his ability to explain difficult realities clearly and honestly. In practice, he is the lawyer people turn to when outcomes matter more than appearances—when assets must be safeguarded, liabilities resolved, and transitions handled properly. His work reflects a deep understanding of Nigerian insolvency law, commercial realities, and the human dimensions of financial distress.