Our Practice Areas

(ALTERNATIVE) DISPUTE RESOLUTION

The firm is well known for its resourceful and effective dispute resolution team. Our team has a long history of commercial and civil litigation practice which has adequately equipped us to meet the demands of our clients with confidence. Our services include issuing and responding to legal and potentially contentious correspondence or queries, advising on the best dispute resolution options, representation at arbitration, mediation or other ADR or administrative proceedings and instituting and defending civil actions in courts of records.

BANKING & FINANCE

Our Banking & Finance team members have over the years garnered experience in advising on various financing transactions such as private equity deals, cross border syndicated loans, bilateral loans, project finance, acquisition finance, mezzanine financing, trade finance across manufacturing, oil and gas, telecommunications, mining and real estate sectors. Our lawyers have also advised on several Islamic finance transactions and have acted for local and international banks, finance companies and borrowers.

BUSINESS AND REGULATORY ADVISORY

The firm offers business, regulatory and compliance advisory services to both local and foreign clients to assist them in establishing businesses in Nigeria, maintaining compliance with the applicable regulatory agencies and also provide company secretarial services as required. Our Business and Regulatory Advisory team further advises and assists local and foreign companies seeking to operate a business in Nigeria to register the appropriate and applicable business entity for their activities and obtain local licenses, permits/approvals for the operations of their businesses. In addition, the team advises on a diverse range of corporate and commercial matters arising in the course of operations of businesses including; advising on, preparing and/or reviewing commercial agreements relating to the operations of an entity.

CAPITAL MARKET

Our lawyers have advised on several capital market transactions including offers for sale, rights issues, reverse acquisitions, state bond issuances Sukuk issuances, amongst others. Some of such Sukuk transactions include advising on the first sub-sovereign sukuk in Nigeria (which entailed the drafting of enabling laws for the issuance), registration of a mutual benefit fund to be invested in Sharia-compliant securities and exchange-traded fund tracking an Islamic Index on the Nigerian Stock Exchange. Our capital market services include the reviewing/drafting of transactional documents such as vending agreements, issuing house agreements, underwriting agreement, trust deeds; prospectus etc; conducting due diligence investigations and preparing legal opinions on transactions.

Our firm is licensed by the Securities and Exchange Commission to act as capital market consultants in Nigeria

ENERGY, POWER & NATURAL RESOURCES

Based on our incisive understanding of the regulatory framework and operations of the energy industry, we proffer pragmatic legal solutions and support to public and private organizations, such as utility companies, oil and gas companies, and energy/power companies. Our services in this regard include drafting and negotiating agreements such as farm in agreements, power purchase agreements, distribution agreements, gas supply agreements, etc and providing legal advisory services in respect of same.

ENTERTAINMENT

According to the National Bureau of Statistics, Arts, Entertainment and Recreation contributed 0.22% to real GDP in the Second Quarter of 2015 which equates to N54billion, a slight decrease from N56billion in Q1 2015. In 2014, the section contributed a total of N176billion to the Nigerian economy. At Greychapel Legal, we are of the view that entertainment law in Nigeria is a largely underdeveloped area of practice. Thus, we have assembled a specialist team that understands the often divergent interest of core players in the entertainment industry such as the artists, producers, record labels, managers, publishers, songwriters, etc. Our services in this regard include drafting, negotiating and providing bespoke advice on recording, publishing, management, distribution, licensing contracts, amongst others. We also provide legal advisory services with respect to the protection of intellectual property rights of the core players.

ESTATE PLANNING

Our Estate Planning team offers advice to clients on all aspects of estate planning by carefully analyzing each client’s objectives and assisting them to create estate plans that best suit same. Our services include providing requisite legal advice with respect to the organization and structure of clients’ assets, preparing and implementing fundamental estate planning documents including Wills, Codicils, Trusts, Gifts and Powers of Attorney, advising on trust structures and liaising with trust companies on the provision of trustee services. The team also offers probate services including assisting with the procurement of Letters of Administration, grant of probate and the lodgment of Wills at the requisite Probate Registry.

IMMIGRATION

Our immigration practice consists of a team of seasoned lawyers who, in collaboration with our partner law firms in designated countries,  routinely advise on business establishment and immigration processing and compliance checks at the local and international level. Our areas of coverage at the local level include advising on and procuring business permits, expatriate quota approvals, Combined Expatriate Quota and Residence Permit (CERPAC), renewals for expatriate quota positions, visa extension, amongst others.

At the international level, our services include general immigration advisory services with respect to the migration of individuals and/or families; filing of appeals and representations; incorporation, registration, and procurement of authorizations required to enable the seamless establishment and operation of businesses abroad etc.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

We understand that Intellectual property protection lies at the heart of great technological, social, business and commercial advancements. Our team advises on registration and protection of intellectual property rights such as patents, trademarks, service marks, and copyrights. We are accredited agents of the Trademark, Patents and Designs Registry and also enjoy a good working relationship with the registry.

REAL ESTATE

Our real estate team thoroughly understands the legal and business rudiments of real estate transactions, having routinely provided legal support to varying stakeholders in real estate transactions. Our team of lawyers have developed good working relationships at various land registries and an effective working knowledge of the legal, regulatory and practical issues surrounding joint venture developments and medium to large scale commercial projects. We are often engaged at the Project conception stage and are thus well poised to provide hands-on services such as advising on the transaction, drafting and reviewing requisite agreements, conducting due diligence investigating land titles and project parties, obtaining approvals, regularizing titles and procuring Governor’s consent and Certificates of Occupancy.

START-UP ADVISORY

Rome was not built in a day! We understand the peculiarities of a start-up business and the trepidations that it may bear in the course of operations. Our lawyers are specially trained to provide the requisite legal support from advising on the most adequate business entity having regard to their mid and long-term objectives to advising on regulatory requirements to operate their business and compliance issues. We also provide legal advisory services with respect to fund-raising transactions and assist to conduct legal audit on investees in readiness for investment.

TAX ADVISORY

Tax compliance and planning play a vital role in the competitiveness of companies. We are thus able to advise on the right business structures bearing in mind the tax implications. Our lawyers are well versed with issues surrounding transfer pricing, multi-jurisdictional tax issues, setting up tax havens, federal and state tax requirements, etc. and are well equipped to assist clients achieve tax efficiency.