Prof. Bankole Adekunle Akintoye Sodipo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, brings nearly 38 years of extensive experience in advising on foreign direct investment matters across various sectors of the economy. His expertise encompasses obtaining licenses and permits, privatizations, company reorganizations, mergers and acquisitions, antitrust and competition, corporate finance, energy regulation, oil and gas, environment, land and resources, intellectual property, finance, tax, anti-corruption advisory and regulation, and takeovers.
Prof. Sodipo is best known as a leading specialist in intellectual property, media, entertainment, sports, technology, communications, and allied rights. His remarkable career includes litigating and mediating contentious matters, as well as providing counsel on non-contentious, cutting-edge commercial law issues. He has played a pivotal role in lobbying for, drafting, and advising on key laws, regulations, and policies, including the Copyright Act of 1988, the Copyright Act of 2022, and Nigeria’s Intellectual Property Strategy and Policy.
Often described by the “Who’s Who of Lawyers” as the Dean of Intellectual Property Law in Nigeria, Prof. Sodipo has handled some of the most complex and high-stakes IP cases in the country. Notably, he pioneered litigation that enforced Section 30 of the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) on company names and trademarks, secured the exclusive use of the CITI name for Citi Bank, and blocked Honeywell International from using the HONEYWELL name in Nigeria. His litigation efforts have also established critical precedents, such as the concept of breach of confidential information and the use of Anton Piller orders in IP cases.
Prof. Sodipo’s impressive Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) practice includes obtaining interim injunctions pending arbitration and mediating commercial disputes involving sums up to N16 billion. As a partner at G.O. Sodipo & Co., he continues to influence the legal landscape significantly. He is also a past president of the Christian Lawyers Fellowship of Nigeria (CLASFON) and a member of various editorial boards of leading law journals.
In academia, Prof. Sodipo serves as a Professor at the School of Law and Security Studies, Babcock University, where he has been the former Head of Department and Dean of Law. His academic contributions extend to his roles as an Adjunct Research Fellow and visiting scholar at Queen Mary, University of London, a fellow at the British Institute of International and Comparative Law (BIICL), and a guest lecturer at the Nigerian Law School, University College London, and Pan-Atlantic University (Lagos Business School).
Prof. Sodipo is the founding president of the Intellectual Property Law Association of Nigeria and the African Intellectual Property Group, and he currently presides over the Nigerian International Franchise Association (NIFA). A frequent speaker at both local and international conferences, he has published numerous articles and books, including works published by Kluwer Law International.
His accolades include several prestigious awards such as the Copyright Law Firm of the Year in Nigeria (Corporate INTL Legal Awards 2010), Commercial Law Firm of the Year (Nigeria Lawyer Monthly Legal Awards 2011), IP Law Firm of the Year (Nigeria ACQ Global Awards 2012), and Best Litigation and Arbitration Firm of the Year.
Prof. Sodipo was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1986 and holds a Ph.D. in Law from the University of London (1995). He is the Senior Partner at G.O. Sodipo & Co.,
