Sadiq has been in active legal practice for over fifteen years.
He holds a Master of Laws (LLM) degree in Commercial and Environmental Law from the University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria. He is a member of the Nigerian Bar Association and the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, UK, Nigeria Chapter. Sadiq is a Partner in the Dispute Resolution Practice Group of the firm.
He has extensive experience as a trial and appellate lawyer in all Nigerian Courts and Tribunals in disputes spanning different areas, including oil spill and other environmental damage claims, criminal & commercial litigation, arbitration, and other alternative dispute resolution techniques. He advises and represents a number of high profile multinational clients in the Oil and Gas, Telecommunication, Information Technology, and public sectors on diverse areas of law.
Since joining the firm Sadiq has been involved in various transactions, spanning different areas of law practice, including advisory, regulatory and compliance issues, and trials, where he has earned a reputation as a dogged and proficient advocate.
A Selection Of Relevant Experience
- Successfully represented a multinational Information Technology Company in a claim to enforce the “Right to Erasure of Personal Data” under the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation 2019, (akin to the “right to be forgotten” under Article 17 of the General Data Protection Regulation, 2018 (GDPR) of the European Union (EU)) before the High Court of Lagos State.
- Team lead that successfully defended and obtained a favourable decision in favour of a world-class American Information Technology Company and its Nigerian representative, in a landmark online defamation case before the High Court of Lagos State. The Claimant in this case claimed damages in the sum of N600 million (circa US$1.7million) for the publication of defamatory statements posted on a blog created on Google’s blogger service platform by third parties. This is a pace setting decision as it is the first decision by a Nigerian court on the liability of an internet service provider on offensive third-party contents posted on their digital platforms.
- Led the team that Successfully defended Alcatel-Lucent, multinational Telecommunications Equipment Company involved in the provision of communications solutions to telecommunications companies over a multi-billion Naira claim before the High Court of Lagos State. The claim arose from an alleged breach of a Frame Agreement between it and one of its contractors.
- Led the Team that successfully defended Puma Energy, a mid and downstream multinational Energy Trading Company in a multimillion dollar claim for an alleged breach of an agreement to pay agency or facilitation fee for an alleged brokerage of a joint venture arrangement and to acquire bitumen facilities between the Company and a third party. The claim for monetary damages in the sum of US$ 4,100,000 against the Company was dismissed.
- Team lead representing a multinational company involved in marketing and distribution of medical products in judicial proceedings brought against it at the High Court of Lagos State, Court of Appeal, and now, Supreme Court, over a multimillion-naira claim arising from an alleged breach of a Special Power of Attorney and a Distributor Agreement.
- Part of the team advising and representing Nokia Solutions and Networks Nigeria Limited in court proceedings arising from a breach of a Management Services Contract by a telecommunications company and for the realization of N7Billion due from the telecommunications company to Nokia under the Contract.
- Actively participated in the representation and defence of an IOC in several lawsuits brought against it by various individuals and communities in the Niger Delta region and Lagos arising from a rupture in the Idoho oil pipeline resulting in the spill of over 40,000 barrels of crude oil.
- Advised Chronodexia Investment in respect of its acquisition and development of approximately 10.04 hectares in Lekki, Lagos. Our role included advising on the procurement of pre-construction and construction permits, other relevant approvals, and preparation of the land transfer documents.
- Successfully represented Azura Power West Africa, a leading multinational power company involved in the provision of Independent Power Infrastructure across Africa and the world at large in a dispute before the High Court of Edo State, Benin, over payments of compensation for lands compulsorily acquired by the Edo State Government (ESG). ESG had in furtherance of its obligation, under a public private partnership between Azura and itself for the development of a National Integrated Power Project within the State, undertaken to provide land for the Project. It then revoked the rights of occupancies of original owners of the land it provided, upon payment of compensation to such original title holders of the land. notwithstanding, some persons continued to demand payment of compensation from Azura and the matter eventually ended in court.
