Oyetola Oshobi
Tola heads the Litigation Group in the firm. He attended the University of Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria where he obtained an LL.B Hons. in 1994. He was admitted to the Nigerian Bar in 1995. He has been in very active litigation practice since his admission to the bar and has also acted as Counsel in a number of arbitral proceedings. In addition, he heads the Corporate Restructuring, Joint Ventures and Taxation Group and the Real Estate and Construction Group in the firm.
Tola acted as Legal Adviser and Counsel to a Special Presidential Committee set up by the Federal Government of Nigeria to investigate and recover lost revenue on import duties arising from under-invoicing of imported goods. The work led to the recovery of over US$250,000,000.00 (Two Hundred and Fifty Million US Dollars) in lost revenue by the Federal Government of Nigeria.
Established that a client was entitled to over 90% reduction in the assessed remittances due to a Federal Revenue Agency leading to an out of court settlement of the dispute.
Acting on behalf of a client against another Federal Revenue Agency and establishing an over 80% reduction in the revenue remittance due to the agency leading to an out of court settlement of the dispute.
Worked with a team of other Solicitors in the firm to extract a 95% reduction in the assessed tax liability of a major American Multi-National Corporation after a leading international audit and tax consultant had adviced that the corporation was liable for the Best of Judgment Assessment due to its failure to challenge the assessment promptly. The team's intervention led to parties executing terms of settlement which was entered as a consent judgment by the Court.
Leads the in-house team of Solicitors responsible for advisory, documentation, perfection of title and litigation in respect of the largest and most successful private residential/commercial real estate development project in Nigeria.
Leads the team of Solicitors in the firm acting as Lead Legal Consultants to the Federal Government of Nigeria on the sale of Federal Landed Property throughout Nigeria. The project has so far involved the sale of over US$300,000,000.00 (Three Hundred Million US Dollars) worth of real property.
Acted as Counsel to the Lagos State Government before a Federal Commission of enquiry on its right of succession to all property held in Lagos by the British Crown during the colonial era and on its reversionary interest to certain land held by Federal Government following the relocation of the Federal Capital to Abuja.
Designed a process that radically reduced the time for perfecting title to land in Lagos State by cutting out much of the bureaucratic red-tape. The Lagos State Government adopted the process for the perfection of title of some allottees in a residential estate developed by one of the firm’s client as a pilot scheme and following its success extended the scheme to the whole state.
Currently advising a client on all the legal and regulatory issues that would impact on a proposed multi-million Dollars mass housing project.
Acted as Junior Counsel coordinating all litigation pertaining to Nigeria’s first privately developed mixed use (residential/commercial/industrial) estate.
Acted as Counsel in a US$33,000,000.00 (Thirty Three Million US Dollars) claim arising from an engineering, procurement and construction contract for the construction of a petroleum products depot and the associated infrastructure.
Counsel in US$54,000,000.00 (Fifty Four Million US Dollars) claim arising from an engineering, procurement and construction contract for the dredging and upgrading of navigational facilities along a river channel to facilitate marine transportation of petroleum products.
Tola negotiated and drafted a multi-million dollar Joint Venture Agreement and Production Sharing Contract for prospecting and production of gold.
Professional Membership:
Nigeria Bar Association
International Bar Association
Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria.
Practice Areas:
Litigation, Arbitration and Alternative Dispute Resolution
Real Estate and Construction
Corporate Restructuring, Joint Ventures and Taxation
Intellectual Property.