Biography: Regulatory Communications

Paul Usoro is reputed to be the foremost communications lawyer in Nigeria. Although a consummate advocate and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (equivalent of Queen's Counsel in the UK), he has been involved in virtually all major transactions and regulatory reforms in the communications sector in Nigeria. His expertise covers the entire gamut of communications law and practice. In 2003, Paul Usoro's communications practice team drafted the Nigerian Communications Act, 2003. Since then, he has been the primary adviser to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) in most of its reform initiatives till date. He served as legal consultant to NCC, and was the only African and legal practitioner in the 6-member Auction Control Team for the GSM Licence Auction that introduced Econet Wireless Nigeria Limited (now Airtel Network Limited), MTN Communications Limited and NITEL GSM to the Nigerian market. Paul and his team are spearheading a series of regulatory reforms in the Nigerian telecommunication sector; they are currently drafting the proposed Annual Operating Levy and the Lawful Interception of Communication bills which, when passed, will make huge legislative and regulatory impact. Paul is also the sole legal consultant to the NCC in respect of the proposed Mobile Number Portability Project and leads his team in drafting the Mobile Number Portability Regulations.

Paul advises most of the telecommunication companies and other stakeholders in Nigeria on regulatory and transactional matters. In 2006, he led the shareholders committee of Vmobile Nigeria (now Airtel Networks Limited) equity raising and share sale process that culminated in the successful investment of over US$1bn in the company by Celtel BV. The 2006 Vmobile transaction was, at the time, adjudged as the biggest equity transaction in Nigeria's history, in the private sector. He is currently advising one of the leading telecoms service providers on the acquisition of a major CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) operator in Nigeria alongside other ancillary transactions.

Since the liberalisation of the Nigerian telecommunications sector, Paul has played decisive roles in most landmark litigation in the sector. He is on the Faculty of the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies as a trainer on telecommunications law and practice. He is a member of the International Bar Association and the American Federal Communications Bar Association and was the founding chairman of the communications committee of the Nigerian Bar Association's section on business law. Paul was named 'Best Pan African Telecoms Lawyer of All Times' by the IT and Telecom Digest, Nigeria's leading and one of Africa's foremost ICT magazine.

Biography: Commercial Litigation

Paul Usoro, SAN is the senior partner at Paul Usoro & Co and leads the advocacy and dispute resolution practice group of the firm. A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN - equivalent of Queen's Counsel in the UK) with more than 28 years' experience in litigation, Paul is a nationally acclaimed litigator and commercial dispute resolution specialist whose practice covers the entire gamut of commercial practice particularly in the communications, banking and finance, maritime and environment, oil and gas, power and election petition practice areas.

He represents domestic and multinational companies, public agencies, governments and inter-governmental institutions in various sectors. In April 2011, he won a land ownership litigation for the ExxonMobil Group and the Akwa Ibom state government in respect of the group's operational base in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria, and is also defending the group in an oil spill litigation in the same state. In 2008, he successfully defended the group in a taxation dispute involving a sum in excess of 6 billion naira. He is currently defending a state government at the Supreme Court of Nigeria in a complex and highly technical maritime boundary dispute over ownership of about 72 oil wells. He is also counsel of choice to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), who he is currently defending a 38 billion naira pipeline explosion claim.

Paul's communications practice and expertise is most renown in Nigeria. He is primary counsel to the Nigerian Communications Commission and is currently representing several shareholders in a two-pronged landmark litigation that seeks to reverse a foreign direct investment of more than US$1bn in one of Nigeria's leading mobile telephony companies. In 2010, he successfully represented Daar Communications plc, Nigeria's international broadcasting and media conglomerate, in a suit that led to the restoration of its national network broadcasting licences for radio and television broadcasting.

Paul is co-lead counsel to a leading international oil services company in a complicated appeal arising from a 19 billion naira contract brokerage fee claim. In 2010, he recovered 1.5 billion naira for Oceanic Bank International plc and he is a co-counsel in a 10 billion naira recovery litigation on behalf of three of Nigeria's leading banks. In 2009, he successfully defended a consortium of banks in a suit before the Investment and Securities Tribunal arising from the Chevron Oil Nigeria plc share sale transaction, valued at about US$1 billion. He successfully defended the regulatory powers of the Securities and Exchange Commission over market operators in the Court of Appeal in 2008. He currently represents Nigeria's pioneer trading conglomerate and the Federal Government of Nigeria at the Court of Appeal in a land ownership litigation involving 16 hectares of prime real estate located in the highbrow Parkview Estate, Ikoyi, Lagos. In May 2011, he won a highly contested motion for leave to appeal and extending the time within which the Federal Government of Nigeria may appeal against the judgment of the Federal High Court in respect of the disputed property.

Paul is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, and a member of the International Bar Association and the American Federal Communications Bar Association. He was also the founding chairman of the communications committee of the Nigerian Bar Association's Section on business law.