Biography: Commercial Litigation

Chief Bolaji Ayorinde SAN is the principal partner of B Ayorinde & Co Legal Practitioners & Notaries Public, with offices in Lagos, Abuja and Ibadan. The firm also has representative offices in London and New York to serve its growing number of international clients. He is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and a Notary Public with 25 years' experience in litigation.

The firm is renowned for its commercial litigation practice which has spanned over a period of 22 years. It has considerable experience in documentation of credit agreements, mortgages, loans and other types of relationship between financial institutions and their customers or counterparts. The firm undertakes litigation work in all courts and tribunals and arbitration panels, and also handles matters relating to insurance law, taxation, labour law, master and servant law, law of contract and also compensation and negligence cases.

His areas of practice also includes general civil litigation, company law, family law, property and land law, banking, insurance and liquidation law, arbitration, maritime and shipping law, public advocacy and parliamentary counseling services.

Over the years, he has successfully handled sensitive instructions pertaining to the maritime industry. These have included litigation at the Federal High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court.

He advises and undertakes work for individuals and corporate clients, including Mobil Nigeria plc, Global Trade and Investments Limited, Alenia Aeuronatica Spa of Italy, Nairda Limited and Oceanic Bank International Limited.

Chief Ayorinde has also represented the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation, the Attorney General of the Federation and the Attorneys General of some state governments in Nigeria in very high-profile cases. Apart from being a front-line defence counsel, he has also prosecuted for the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC). He is currently the lead adviser to Messrs Aero Marine (West Arica) Limited regarding the construction and management agreement for the new Hilton International Airport in Lagos, and also the construction and management of the in-flight catering unit located at the Muritala Mohammed Airport, Lagos, being operated by Servair Consulting in conjunction with Global Trade Investment (Nig) Limited.

He is the author of various publications including Securing and Enforcing Maritime Claims, Juriscope 1st edition 2001 series, Wills and Testamentary Disposition, Judicial Precedent, Law Reporting and the need for Regulation, Justice Delivery and Judicial Bias. He is a member of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), the International Bar Association, the Nigeria-British Chamber of Commerce, the Nigerian-Belgian Commercial Information and Documentation Centre and the Commonwealth Lawyers Association. He is a former council member of the section on public and development law (SPIDEL) of the NBA, chairman of the finance committee of the Nigerian Bar Association, Ikeja branch, and a member of the body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria.

Chief Ayorinde has served as pro-chancellor and chairman of the governing council of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, one of the foremost technology institutions in Nigeria.