Fidelis Adewole, FCIArb

Fidelis Adewole is a Partner at G. Elias. He holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, where he graduated top of his class. He won two awards at the Nigerian Law School: Prince Bola Ajibola’s prize for being the most proficient student in Civil Procedure Paper; and Dr. Mudiaga Odje’s prize for being the most proficient student in Civil Procedure and Criminal Procedure Papers. Fidelis is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (UK) and the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria. He is also an Associate of Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers. He is a Notary Public.

Fidelis’s practice covers dispute resolution, corporate, taxation, projects and, insolvency and restructuring. Some of his work include:

• advice on BUA Cement Plc on its merger with Cement Company of Northern Nigeria, and the listing of BUA Cement Plc on the Nigerian Stock Exchange;
• advice to a leading distributor of pasta products in Nigeria on a series of mergers and acquisitions involving related companies;
• advice to Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria on selling Enterprise Bank Ltd. to Heritage Bank;
• advice to a leading distributor of pasta products on the sale of a 50% interest in its business to Kellogg, the US multinational;
• advice to the owner of a leading chain of quick-service restaurants on spinning off its farm and bakery subsidiaries to its shareholders;
• advice to a leading private equity firm and a construction company on the structuring, construction and sale of a luxury mixed-use development (with more than 600 luxury bedroom apartments, retail malls, recreation centers and parking center) located in Lekki Phase 1;
• representing British America Tobacco Plc in all the tobacco cases involving BAT at the various State High Courts, Federal High Court, Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court (more than 20 cases) in the most elaborate series of product liability cases ever filed in Nigeria;
• advice to and representing a commercial bank in disputes on excessive withholding tax demands by a State Government tax authority;
• represented a proprietary investment company in arbitral proceedings against a major Nigerian oil & gas player on claims for breach of contract;
• advice to a government-controlled debt resolution company on the insolvency of an indigenous airline operator and other related companies;
• advice to a leading commercial bank on the insolvency of a telecommunications company.