Olanipekun, Adoke, Adegbonmire unveiled among Nigeria’s top 100 lawyers


The roll call of the first-ever nationwide ranking of preeminent lawyers has been unveiled in the eagerly anticipated Nigeria’s Top 100 Lawyers listing.

The full list, disclosed today at www.citylawyermag.com, features leading litigators, transactional lawyers and lawyers in the academia who have shaped the legal industry over the years.

They include acclaimed litigators Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN) and Mr. Rickey Tarfa (SAN), Attorney-General & Minister of Justice Mohammed Adoke (SAN), and ‘new kid on the block,’ Mr. Adeniyi Adegbonmire.

The ‘old guard’ was represented by Nigeria’s oldest surviving Senior Advocate, Chief Richard Akinjide (SAN), Prof. Ben Nwabueze (SAN), Prof. Alfred Bandele Kasunmu (SAN), Chief F. O. Akinrele (SAN) and Chief George Uwechue (SAN) among others.

From the human rights community are notably Dr. Olisa Agbakoba (SAN) and Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), even as women lawyers held down some positions through renowned arbitrators such as Mrs. Funke Adekoya (SAN), Mrs. Dorothy Ufot (SAN), and Mrs. Adedoyin Rhodes-Vivour.

While the list is perhaps expectedly dominated by Senior Advocates of Nigeria, several non-SANs muzzled their way into the listing, a clear indication that legal excellence can be found anywhere. Among the non-SANs who also made the list are respected solicitors such as Messrs Asue Igbodalo, Lawrence Fubara Anga and Bankole Sodipo.

According to Emeka Nwadioke, editor of the compendium designed to celebrate the selectees, the ranking – to be published every year – “follows months of research and nationwide peer survey by our editorial team.”

Nwadioke said the all-gloss compendium highlighting the career paths and accomplishments of the selectees will be released this month. The foreword to the over 100-page compendium was written by renowned Justice Emeritus of the Supreme Court, Hon. Justice George A. Oguntade (CFR)