MR ABIODUN OLANREWAJU OLALERU ESQ. (SAN)
Was born on the 24th of December 1970, to his parents Late Hon. Isaac A Olaleru and Madam Rachel Bolatito Olaleru. An indigene of Kwara State, He attended Offa grammar school from his early learning years til his ‘O’ levels and proceeded to Kwara state college of technology , Illorin for his ‘A’ levels in 1989.
He attended the University of Ibadan Oyo state, going on to acquire a LLB in 1992 and proceeding to the Nigerian Law School Lagos for his BL. He was subsequently called to the Nigerian Bar in 1993 and Is currently the Principal Partner\Founder of HEADWATERS LEGAL ADVISORY a law firm founded in 2016 as a mid-tier corporate commercial Law Firm that specializes in General Civil Litigation, Admiralty and Maritime Law, Contracts/Govt. Liaison/Consultancy, Corporate and Commercial Law, Energy Law, Intellectual and Industrial Property Law, Project Finance, Telecommunications Law while also being experienced in comparative studies in Company, Labor and Criminal Laws being areas in his field of expertise
He would go on to work on various transactions in his field of expertise including:
- Matters involving a dispute in a warehousing finance transaction in the course of which I had cause to ask the court to refer the dispute to arbitration.
- Matters involving a petition to wind up a client company involved in the business of industrial gas- acted for the Respondent and successfully moved the court to dismiss the petition for a winding up order on the grounds that the amount alleged to be owing was not determinate.
- He handled a matter involving goods under a receivership in which the debenture holder intervened in an action pending against the debtor whose debenture it held and successfully moved the court to dismiss the application of the intervener, same having been brought without first seeking leave.
4.The Senior Associate counsel acting for the International Finance Corporation (IFC) as Consultants on a Technical Assistance Project on a proposal for the development of a leasing legislation for the leasing Industry in Nigeria.
- Member of the contract review panel acting for Pentascope International B.V. in the Management Contract entered into between NITEL PLC, The Bureau of Public Enterprises (B.P.E.) Nigerian Mobile Telecommunications Limited (M’TEL) and Pentascope International B.V. of the Netherlands.
- Prosecuted a claim on behalf of the United States Export and Import Bank arising out of an assignment to the Bank of the obligations due from a Nigerian company to Webster Bank, Connecticut under an arrangement whereby the Export Import Bank guarantees loans given to finance U.S. exports.
7.Was the lead counsel in the Merger/Consolidation process of what is now First Inland Bank PLC and had the responsibility of advising on the pending litigations (due diligence) and also argued the applications for Court sanction.
- Also advised on the acquisition of Midas Bank Limited by First City Monument Bank.
Just to mention a few
Prior to Headwaters, He held the position of Head of Chambers/ Partner in charge of litigation at George Ikoli & Okagbue August 2002-October 2017: Where he had the sole responsibility of managing the litigation of the Firm and the litigation Team comprising at sometimes, up to fifteen (15) associates in various practice groups. In the course of this period, He proffered legal advice to clients who are mainly big-time corporate citizens and Public Corporations. The practice of the firm encompasses litigation, arbitration and intellectual property. The client base of the firm ranges from Banks to other Financial Institutions, as well as Public Corporations and International Financial Agencies; some of the more notable clients including Ecumenical Development Cooperative Society (EDCS Netherlands), United States Export Import Bank (EXIM), International Finance Corporation (IFC) Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG), ChevronTexaco etc.
Prior to that, He held the position of Manager of the litigations department at Matrix Solicitors October 2001-July 2002: This was an emerging partnership. He efficiently managed the litigation department of the firm as charged by the founding partners, having been in the same case together with the firm. His office here had to do majorly court appearances in the high courts and Court of Appeal. He also had the duty of coordinating the junior counsel as the most senior person in the litigation department of the firm.
Prior to that, He held a Position at Shola Abidakun &Co.Feb 1997-March 2001: Where he handled with very minimal supervision, cases bordering on the rights and duties of a Receiver vis a vis the Company upon appointment; the procedure to be followed when the Receiver intends to institute an action, or intends to intervene in\continue an action in the name of the company, matters dealing with winding up in relation to the obligations owing to the company\petitioner as well as another corporate commercial litigation in divergent areas. This position also entailed frequent travels outside Lagos to other States such as Ilorin, Port Harcourt, Oshogbo.
Prior to that, He held a position at Bisi Braithwaite & Co March 2001-October 2001: Where he served as the Secretary to the Companies associated with the chambers numbering about Seven. This entailed the attendance of Board meetings and offer of on-the-spot advice on issues arising from the deliberations at such meetings, preparation of the minutes of such meetings and the keeping of the companies’ books. He was also responsible for obtaining work permits for the expatriates in some of the companies. He was responsible for the court appearances\representation of the firm in all cases involving these companies whenever the occasion arose and has handled in this wise, a claim against one of the companies in excess of N500 Million under a warehousing finance agreement whereby he was able to ‘defend’ the company successfully, as it were. He also represented one of the companies, a shipping conglomerate, against the National Maritime Authority and was able to force discussions towards a settlement out of court.
Prior to that, He held a position at Peak Merchant Bank Ltd. April 1994 – January 1997: Having made an impressive showing as a Youth Corper in the Legal Department of the Bank Where he was exposed to the drafting of commercial agreements such as guarantees, memoranda of understanding, collateral management agreements etc.as well as third party legal mortgages and debentures, the Bank retained him as a substantive staff to assist the Company Secretary in the Legal and Secretarial Department of the Bank. He served as the Secretary to the sub-Committees of the full Board of Directors such as the Audit, Establishment, and Credit Committees amongst others.
He was also charged with the duty of the conducting of searches\investigations on properties and titles proposed as security for advances by a borrower and giving opinions on the suitability or otherwise of same as security. He was responsible for giving advice to the Credit Committee on the adequacy or otherwise of credit proposals by prospective customers on whether the same offers enough comfort to the Bank. He traveled far and wide within the country. He was also responsible for the preparation and filing of Statutory Returns required to be filed by the bank with the Corporate Affairs Commission and this entailed constant liaison with the Companies Registry at Abuja while liaising with the external Solicitors of the Bank to monitor their handling of litigation on behalf of the Bank.
CONTACT INFORMATION
PHONE NUMBER: 08023153448
ADDRESS: Headwaters Legal Advisory 10th Floor,
Eleganza House15B Joseph/Wesley Street, Off Broad Street, Lagos
E-MAIL: bolaleru@headwaterslegal.com
