Nigeria’s corporate law firms stand at the forefront of the nation’s economic transformation.
These legal powerhouses provide essential guidance on high-stakes transactions, including mergers, acquisitions, capital raising, and major infrastructure projects.
Their expertise helps both local businesses and international investors navigate Nigeria’s complex regulatory environment while maximizing opportunities in Africa’s largest market.
The success of these firms rests largely on their managing partners – accomplished legal minds who blend courtroom expertise with boardroom strategy.
From negotiating billion-dollar energy deals to structuring cross-border investments, Nigeria’s top legal professionals have earned global recognition for their work.
In this review, we examine ten standout managing partners whose vision and track record continue to elevate Nigeria’s legal industry.
Oghogho Akpata is the Managing Partner of Templars, a premier Nigerian commercial law firm he founded in 1995. With over three decades of experience, Akpata has built a distinguished career advising a wide range of clients across the oil and gas sector, including multinational corporations, international oil companies, and oilfield service providers operating in Nigeria.
- Akpata is widely recognised for his transactional and dispute resolution expertise. He has advised on some of Nigeria’s most significant and complex deals, including Sinopec’s negotiated exit from four oil mining leases in partnership with Addax Petroleum and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC).
- He was also instrumental in securing a US$2 billion-plus arbitral award for ExxonMobil and Shell in a high-profile crude entitlement dispute with the Nigerian government.
- His contributions extend beyond oil and gas. He advised on the restructuring of the now-defunct state electricity monopoly, NEPA, as well as on BTG Pactual’s $1.53 billion acquisition of Petrobras’s Nigerian assets.
Templar’s clients include Tolaram Group, Halliburton West Africa Limited, Aggreko Holdings, Enjoycorp Limited, Onix Data Centre Limited, Actis LLP, General Atlantic, Emple Capital Group Limited, Fidelity Bank Plc, and others.
