Gbolahan Elias

SOME ARBITRATION EXPERIENCE

Acted as arbitrator between APD Ltd and Business Connexion in a dispute arising from the termination of a dollarized Lease Agreement;
Is co-arbitrator in a London-seated ICC arbitration between Yeditepe Istanbul Insaatanayi VE TIC Limited Sieketi (Turkey) and Slava Construction Limited (Nigeria) and Slavabogu Nigeria Limited (Nigeria) in respect of construction disputes with claims in excess of USD15mm;
Is co-arbitrator in an arbitration between Oando Qua Ibo Ltd. and Network E & P Nigeria Ltd. in respect of disputes arising from a Farm-In Agreement;
Is advising Zhongfu International Investment (Nig.) FZE as a claimant in a London-seated PCA investment treaty arbitration claim of over USD1.5billion against the Federal Republic of Nigeria in respect of a failed investment in a special economic zone in Nigeria. It is the largest treaty claim known to us in respect of misconduct by a state government;
Is advising Sunrise Power and Transmission Company in a London-seated ICC arbitration involving a claim of over USD900mm against the Federal Government of Nigeria in respect of a USD6bn hydro-power project in North-East Nigeria. The subject is the largest electric power project in Nigeria today;
Advised IMA (a Dubai-based company engaged in clearing and forwarding business in several African jurisdictions) in the arbitration against one of the subsidiaries of Dangote (Zambia) Industries Ltd. We are now defending a court suit seeking to aside the arbitral award;
Advised and represented MTN in an arbitral proceeding over an alleged breach of a Consultancy Services Agreement in respect of a licence to render telecommunications services;
Involved in the arbitration for Ecobank and UAC against the buyer of a Lekki residential unit;
Advised Lutin on the enforcement of an arbitral award arising from Lutin’s arbitration against the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Nigeria’s state-owned oil company, relating to a charter party with the NNPC and the subsequent termination of the same by NNPC;
Advised Yinka Folawiyo Petroleum; Folawiyo Aje Services Limited in an arbitration in the United Kingdom commenced by one of the Joint venture partners in respect in respect of OML 113 off the coast of South-West Nigeria;
Involved in the long-standing VFS arbitration;
Advised Emerging Capital Partners (ECP) in the ECP arbitration - re Intercontinental Bank which is now settled;
Advised Helios Investment Partners in an arbitration in respect of possible breaches of the Subscription Agreement and Noteholders Agreement entered into between Assemble Co-operate (a Helios Affiliate) and Asset and Resource Management Company Ltd., one of Nigeria’s largest pension fund managers;
Currently involved in the new Oando and New Frontier arbitration involving Oando; and
Advised MTN in the Media Reach arbitration in which we got a favourable award.

OCCUPATION

Associate at Cravath, Swaine & Moore, a New York law firm (1989-93)
Counsel at Kehinde Sofola (SAN) & Co., a Lagos law firm (1993-94)
Partner at G. Elias & Co., a Lagos law firm (1994 - )

PROFESSIONAL

1981: Admitted to the Nigerian Bar, Upper 2nd Class Honours at Nigerian Law School Examination 1st Prize in Nigerian Law School Examination General Paper
1990: Admitted to the New York State Bar;
1991: Admitted to the New York Federal Bar
2004: Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators
2005: Senior Advocate of Nigeria
2011: Member, Chartered Institute of Taxation
2011: Chairman, Mergers Acquisitions and Corporate Reorganisations Committee, Nigerian Bar Association (“NBA”) Section on Business Law
2013: Chairman, Conference Planning Committee, Annual Conference of NBA Section on Business Law
2015: Fellow, Energy Institute
2016: Member, International Association of Defence Counsel (first ever African member)