Mr. Abiodun Olaleru (SAN, FCIARB, FBR) is the Founder and Managing Partner of Headwaters® Legal Advisory, an emerging mid-tier sized law firm nestled in the Central Business District of Lagos, the heartbeat of Nigeria's financial hub.















1993
Called to Bar
After graduating from University of Ibadan in 1992, He was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1993 and was appointed as a Notary public in 2012. His experience cuts across several areas of law notable of which is Banking, Finance and Commercial Law as well as Insolvency and Business Combinations/Mergers and Acquisitions.

15 Years
Head of Chambers & Partner
After a fifteen year stint as Head of Chambers and later Partner in charge of litigation at the commercial Law Firm of George Ikoli & Okagbue, one of the largest commercial law firms in Lagos, Nigeria, he branched out in 2017 to establish Headwaters® Legal Advisory with a vision to be the commercial law firm of choice offering qualitative legal services to our esteemed clients at competitive rates and changing the face of law practice across the African continent and even globally

A Superior Court Litigator
He is a vastly experienced superior court litigator in the areas of corporate/commercial law, international contracts documentation and negotiations; corporate management and finance; secured credit; energy (oil and gas, and power); for private and government Institutions.

Varied Experience in M&A
He has advised on corporate restructuring especially with respect to Mergers and Acquisitions, Management Buyouts, and hybrid business combinations to suit the objectives and aspirations of the client and has varied experience in alternative dispute resolution as well as transactional work.

$2.8B
High Ticket Cases
He has defended many high-ticket cases notable among which, is a $2.8Billion claim against a Russian conglomerate; UC Rusal Aluminum of Russia concerning the privatization of the Aluminium Smelter Company of Nigeria located in Ikot Abasi, Akwa Ibom State.

Continental Industrial Gases LTD
He represented an indigenous gas producer (Continental Industrial Gases Limited) in a winding up action which was a fallout of a National Economic Reconstruction Fund (NERFUND) dollar–denominated loan granted to the company and succeeded in moving the court to dismiss the petition on the grounds that a winding up action was not a Common Law action for debt recovery.

Switzerland
He acted for Indagro S.A of Switzerland in an admiralty action in rem for the recovery of due and unpaid demurrage.

United States Export and Import Bank
He represented the United States Export and Import Bank in the recovery of loans under an export guarantee scheme whereby the United States Export and Import Bank guaranteed the repayment of loans granted for transactions involving the exportation of US products.

N500M
Litigation
Advised Marine Technical Services International in respect of litigation arising out of a warehousing finance contract worth over N500million in a claim involving N.V. Theobroma Amsterdam, one of the major Cocoa Importers in the Netherlands.

$10M
NIMASA Negotiation
Advised National Maritime Authority (now NIMASA) in respect of litigation involving the regulation of the shipping industry and the incoming and outgoing of merchant vessels in Nigeria in a claim involving over $10Million and succeeded in negotiating a settlement.

CBN
Banking Consolidation Exercise of 2006
He has undertaken advisory work which led to the business combinations of at least three of the big banks in Nigeria during the Banking consolidation exercise of 2006 ordered by Nigeria's Banking Regulator, the Central Bank of Nigeria.

Currently a Fellow, BRIPAN
He is a member of the Business Recovery and Insolvency Practitioners Association of Nigeria (BRIPAN) which is an Affiliate of the International Association of Restructuring, Insolvency and Bankruptcy Professionals (INSOL) International.

2019-2021
Honorary Secretary of the Ikoyi Country Club 1983
Between February 2019 and February 2021, he served as the Honorary Secretary of the Ikoyi Club 1938, the foremost family and Country Club in Nigeria

SAN
Nov 27, 2023
Abiodun Olaleru was among the 69 lawyers sworn in as Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN) on November 27, 2023. This prestigious title is awarded to lawyers who have distinguished themselves in the legal profession
It's a significant achievement and a testament to his hard work and dedication