Our Team
SHOLA ABILOYE
Shola is the Principal Partner in the Shipping and Dispute Resolution Group of Southgate Solicitors, a full-service commercial law firm based in Lagos, Nigeria. He has extensive experience in Admiralty law, Shipping & Marine Insurance Law & Litigation, Ship Registration, Cabotage Registration & Compliance, Ship Finance & Securitization and International Trade Law & Commercial Arbitration. He was part of the Lagos Team that compiled and drafted the Final Report for the Presidential Committee on Maritime Sector Reform in 2012. He has acted as counsel to several Nigerian and foreign shipping companies. He also has a reputation as a debt recovery and insolvency practitioner.
He has represented clients on a broad range of commercial transactions before trial and appellate courts all over Nigeria. In addition, Shola is a seasoned arbitrator and has represented the firm in numerous local international arbitration cases. He is an adept researcher and has written several published works on maritime law, constitutional law, developmental law and public interest matters.
He is a member of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Maritime Arbitrators Association of Nigeria (MAAN), Maritime Committee of the Section on Business Law (SBL-NBA), Nigerian Maritime Law Association (NMLA), Nigerian Institute of Management (Chartered), a Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Chartered Arbitrators and a Notary Public of Nigeria. He serves a Board Company Secretary and Member of the Advisory Board of Sickle Cell Advocacy and Management Initiative (SAMI).
Principal Partner
NORRISON QUAKERS, SAN
He is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria of repute and a litigation expert. He is the Senior Partner, Jireh & Graeys Attorneys. He has over 20 years of experience in litigation and administrative law. He was the Secretary, National Working Committee on the Review of Nigeria Law of Evidence and member of the Nigerian Bar Association, the Maritime Law Society, the Nigerian Maritime Lawyers Association (NMLA). Member, National Committee on Reform of Administration of Criminal Justice in Nigeria. Member, Negotiation and Conflict Management Group. Member Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. Consultant, Abolition of Death penalty in Nigeria, Reform of the rules of Court and Court Martial proceedings in Nigeria.
Before founding his firm, Mr Quakers was a Partner at Olisa Agbakoba & Associates.
Consultant
Tuoyo Aforigho
Tuoyo is a Partner in the firm. Her specialisations are general corporate advisory including mergers & acquisitions, investments and real estate matters, with a primary focus on regulatory compliance. She also assists foreign clients with business establishment and corporate immigration matters.
She heads the due diligence team and is responsible for verifying corporate and other regulatory records and operational authorisations for various financing and investment transactions. She also acts as liaison between clients and various regulatory authorities, and assists with procuring operational and regulatory permits relevant to their businesses and transactions.
Partner
Gerald Obiora
Gerald is a Partner and the head of the firm’s alternative dispute resolution team. He provides advice in maritime, aviation, employment and energy matters, and his specialisations include advising multinationals on oil, gas and environmental matters, the provision, manning and maintenance of vessels, cabotage issues, telecommunications, construction, administrative and constitutional law.
He trained as an International Commercial Arbitrator with several Nigerian and international arbitration organisations including the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators in the UK, Chartered Institute of Arbitration (Nigeria), and Chartered Institute of Mediation and Conciliation. He obtained a Bachelor’s Degree at the University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, England, United Kingdom and a Masters in International Maritime Law at Swansea University, Swansea, Wales, United Kingdom.
Partner