Bio
Mr. Olumide Olusoga Sofowora is a Legal Practitioner, Arbitrator and Notary Public. He is the Principal Partner and Head of Olumide Sofowora’s Chambers and a Practicing Arbitrator. He holds a Bachelor of Laws Degree from the University of Lagos in 1981 and was thereafter called to the Nigerian Bar in July 1982. In view of his desire to be versed in Litigation practice, he opted to work as a State Counsel in the Director of Public Prosecution’s Division of the Lagos State Ministry of Justice during the mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) year. Upon completion of the NYSC programme in September 1983, he proceeded to the prestigious London School of Economics and Political Science and successfully completed a Masters Degree Course in Law and was awarded the Master of Laws Degree of the University of London in September 1984.
He immediately commenced Legal Practice on October 4, 1984 as an Associate Counsel in Adenugba Adesina & Co., Solicitors, Advocates and Notaries Public a Law Firm engaged in General Legal Practice with a bias for Litigation. It was in this Law Firm that he cut his legal teeth and his flair for Litigation.He was in that Law Firm for 5 years rising to the position of Senior Associate Counsel before establishing Olumide Sofowora’s Chambers in July 1989. He has remained in active Legal Practice ever since, appearing at the Supreme Court, various divisions of both the Court of Appeal and the Federal High Court, as well as the State High Courts in Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Ondo and Edo States and the National Industrial Court. His special areas of practice include but are not limited to Litigation, Arbitration, Admiralty & Maritime Law, Corporate & Commercial Law, Banking, Insurance & Marine Insurance, Oil & Gas, Industrial & Intellectual Property (Patents, Trade Marks etc.), Real Estate, Employment & Labour Matters and Family Matters (including Probate and Matrimonial Causes). He was appointed a Notary Public for Nigeria in 1992.Olumide Sofowora is a member of the Nigerian Bar Association, International Bar Association, Nigerian Maritime Law Association, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (U.K.) and Maritime Arbitrators Association of Nigeria. He is also a member of the LSE Club (Alumni of the London School of Economic & Political Science – University of London) and the University of Lagos Alumni Association (and the past National Legal Adviser of the Association). He is also a Life Member of Nigeria-Britain Association (and a past governing council member of the association).
He was a member of the executive committee of the Ogun State University (now Olabisi Onabanjo University) development foundation.As a Stakeholder in the Admiralty Practice at the Federal High Court, Olumide Sofowora was appointed by the retired Chief Judge – Hon. Justice Dan D. Abutu in 2010 to review along with others the Admiralty Jurisdiction Procedure Rules 1993 which led to the birth of the Admiralty Jurisdiction Procedure Rules 2011 which was presented for use in all divisions of the Federal High Court, Nigeria on 10th March, 2011.
Having successfully undergone the Special Fellowship Course for Intellectual Property Professionals in December 2007, he was admitted a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (UK) in August 1998. He became an Approved Faculty Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (UK) in 2003 and has been involved in training courses leading to the award of Associate, Member and Fellowship status of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (UK) to deserving intending Arbitrators/Arbitrators. In the practice of Arbitration, apart from having been appointed Sole Arbitrator, Member of Arbitral Panels and Presiding or Chairman of several Arbitral Panels in various Arbitral proceedings both in Nigeria and abroad, he has appeared as Counsel before various Arbitral Panels. He was appointed a Member of the Panel of Neutral for Arbitration by the Lagos Multi-Door Court House in 2012 and also of the Panel of Neutrals of the Lagos Court of Arbitration in 2014.
In consideration of his development of the Nigerian Law and Jurisdiction brought about by his successful Litigation Practice in the Supreme Court, various Divisions of the Court of Appeal and Federal High Court as well as the High Courts of various States where he has consistently appeared to argue issues on various legal subjects, he was conferred with the distinguishing and prestigious rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria in 2013.
Olumide Sofowora is a member of the Nigeria Bar Association, International Bar Association, Nigerian Maritime Law Association, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (U.K.) and Maritime Arbitrators Association of Nigeria. He is also a member of the LSE Club (Alumni of the London School of Economic & Political Science – University of London) and the University of Lagos Alumni Association (He was Past National Legal Adviser of the Association). He was awarded the Alumni Achievers Award of the University of Lagos Alumni Association for consistent and robust impact in legal practice and service to the alumni and contribution to the nation building on 25th November, 2005. He is also a Life Member of Nigeria-Britain Association (He was Past Governing Council Member of the Association). He was a member of the Executive Committee of the Ogun State University (now Olabisi Onabanjo University) Development Foundation.
He has delivered and continues to deliver papers and lectures on several legal and law related issues at various conferences and seminars in Nigeria and abroad.
