Managing Partner and Head, Litigation and Alternative Dispute Resolution Department, BOK Legal.
Brown is a Managing Partner in Brown, Okeke & Kalejaiye and oversees the firm’s Litigation and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Department. As an experienced legal practitioner, he has a proven track record in litigation and handling various ADR mechanisms. Brown has held positions in several prominent corporate commercial law firms in Nigeria, where he litigated diverse issues, including admiralty, debt recoveries, power, insolvency, fintech, mining, labor, real estate, international human rights disputes, oil and gas, and general civil litigation matters, both at trial and appellate levels.
Notable Experience:
• Brown represented a tier-one bank in Nigeria in a suit involving vessel financing worth approximately USD 200,000,000 (Two Hundred Million United States Dollars) and a claim exceeding N50,000,000,000 (Fifty Billion Naira). His involvement in the suit led to mediation talks between the parties in pursuit of an amicable resolution of the dispute.
• Brown provides advisory services to several banks in Nigeria and is known for his expertise in case management and strategy development. In a notable case, he advised a tier-one bank on a dispute involving a claim of over N50,000,000,000 (Fifty Billion Naira) filed against and by a major flour mill company in Nigeria. Through his strategic counsel, the status of the suit was turned around, leading to progress and conclusion.
• He successfully handled bank receivership and debt recovery matters involving billions of Naira. In one instance, he dealt with a case where a tier-one bank in Nigeria claimed over N4,000,000,000 (Four Billion Naira) against the defendant, which was later settled out of court.
• Brown and his team represented a bank in a debt recovery suit worth over N6,000,000,000 (Six Billion Naira) for a facility granted to the plaintiff. The peculiarity of this case was that the plaintiff had exercised its right of sale over the security for the granted facility, while the bank sought repayment and recovery of the disposed asset.
• He and his team also represented a bank in a multi-billion Naira fraud scam perpetrated by the defendant against the bank. Through their representation, a fraudulent default judgment obtained by the defendant in an earlier suit was set aside.
• He led a team of lawyers handling a high-profile banking insurance dispute over an advance payment bank guarantee (APBG) claim worth over N100,000,000 (One Hundred Million Naira). The team successfully navigated the complexities of the case and achieved a favorable outcome for their client.
• Brown’s legal expertise extended to securing the arrest and release of numerous vessels within Nigerian territorial waters. Notably, he secured the release of a vessel arrested by the Nigerian Navy for an alleged illegal oil bunkering, avoiding severe consequences for the crew members. Through skillful negotiations, a settlement deal was reached with the charterer of the vessel, leading to the recovery of unpaid hire during the vessel’s detention.
• He led a team of lawyers in handling high-profile employee/trade-related disputes, including a case involving a former Managing Director of a merging bank. Their representation successfully dealt with the issues surrounding share allotment and compliance with the Companies and Allied Matters Act.
• He has extensive experience advising and representing IOCs (International Oil Companies) in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry. In one significant case, he was part of a team that represented an IOC in an arbitration dispute involving OML 54, which eventually led to the dissolution of a Joint Operating Agreement and the awarding of the field.
• Brown represented a major bank in a data privacy suit where the claimant alleged a breach of privacy aided by the bank. Brown’s legal acumen resulted in the Court upholding a preliminary objection on non-disclosure of the cause of action, wrong party, and lack of locus standi, leading to the dismissal of the bank’s involvement from the suit.
• He successfully advised and represented an international airline company in various suits filed against it.
Education:
• Nigerian Law School, Lagos Campus: 2012-2013 Barrister at Law (B.L) Hons. Second Class (Upper Division)
• Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo State: 2007-2012 Bachelor of Law (LL.B) Hons. Second Class (Upper Division)
Membership of Professional Bodies:
• Member, Nigerian Bar Association
• Member, Nigerian Maritime Law Association
Practice Areas:
• Dispute Resolution
• Banking/Finance
• Maritime
• Labor/Employment
• Oil and Gas
• Power
• White-Collar Crime
• General Litigation
NBA Activities:
• Chairman, National Human Rights Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association, Young Lawyers Forum, 2020 to 2022.
• Board Member, Nigerian Bar Association, Young Lawyers Forum, 2019 to 2022.
• Adhoc Member, Content Sub Committee of the Technical Committee for Conference Planning of the Nigerian Bar Association, 2018.
• Member, Planning Committee of the 1st West Africa Online Dispute Resolution Committee of the Lagos State Multi-door Courthouse held in 2020.