AINA BLANKSON INTERNATIONAL - Key Persons
Dr Taiwo holds a Ph.D in International Oil and Gas Law, following four years of doctoral study as a College of Arts and Law scholar at the University of Birmingham. Her expertise is in upstream oil and gas agreements, being able to engage with the diverse range of issues that arise in the course of oil and gas agreements. These include contractual, fiscal and regulatory issues in licences, PSCs, joint ventures, long term gas agreements and decommissioning.
Additionally, Dr Taiwo is one of the contributors of the African Legal Support Facility's (in connection with the African Development Bank) Academy Level 2 Oil & Gas Course Handbook. This handbook is used by leaders in National Oil and Gas Companies and other legal professionals in numerous African countries. One of her recent online publications is on decommissioning and residual liabilities, looking at the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on oil and gas companies.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Partner
- Law Solicitor
Folashade Adeloye is a qualified common law solicitor with extensive experience and certificate in wealth management, corporate/regulatory compliance & governance and investment banking. She has worked in asset management and capital markets for over fifteen years and developed expertise in wealth transfer as it relates to gifting, estate planning, business succession planning, services to high Net worth individuals and affluent families across several jurisdictions, displaying a deep understanding of trust & tax laws, gifting techniques and trans-generational family and business governance.
Folashade started her career as a lawyer with Aina Blankson LP where she rose to lead the corporate commercial and corporate service division of the Firm in transactions ranging from mergers & acquisitions, debt & equity financing to new business registration, estate and secretarial services. She later joined Nigeria's leading non-bank asset management group, Asset & Resource Management Holding Company (ARM) as an in-house counsel. At ARM, she was counsel on several business combinations and financing transactions, conceptualization and constitution of several private equity funds, legal advisory on real estate development projects and was the Group's company secretary.
Working with ARM's trust and estate planning business, Folashade took on the helms of the subsidiary, ARM Trustees Limited. During this period, she manages ARM Trustees' book of business and operations, was responsible for dividing strategy and profitability and ensuring employee engagement. ARM Trustees' close alignment with ARM Group's wealth and investment management business led to achievement of 100% growth target in client base and AUM. Over a six year period, Folashade and a team of experienced private wealth and trust advisors propelled ARM Group's trust business' appointment on high profile debt market transactions cumulatively valued at circa $10bn, thus driving the business to profitability and achieving recognition as a strong player in the corporate and private trust industry in sub-Saharan Africa. Folashade currently works with wellington-Altus Private Wealth Canada's team responsible for regulatory compliance and governance.
Folashade holds an LLB from obafemi Awolowo university and university and an LLM from the university of Lagos, Nigeria. She is a qualified Barrister & Solicitor of Supreme Court of Nigeria, an associate member of the Chartered institute of Secretaries & Administor (ICSA)UK, a member of the Negotiation & Conflict Management Group (NCMG) and an INSEAD alumni. She is also a member of the society fro trust & Estate Practitioners (STEP).
Job Titles:
- Advisory Board
- Member of the Board of Directors of Galenica S.a
Hans Peter Frick is a member of the Board of Directors of Galenica S.A. and Vifor Pharma S.A., both companies active in the health care market developing, manufacturing and marketing pharmaceutical products and related services. He also chairs the Audit Committee of Galenica S.A.
Job Titles:
- Vice Chair
- Advisory Board
Jeremy Lack is an independent ADR neutral and deal facilitator specializing in the prevention and resolution of disputes and the facilitation of commercial transactions, especially in international or cross-cultural settings. He is familiar with common law and civil law proceedings. He is a former partner with Etude ALTENBURGER in Geneva, Switzerland, a door tenant with Quadrant Chambers in London, and serves as counsel to Charles Russell LLP in Geneva.
He is also an adjunct professor with the Federal Polytechnic School of Lausanne (EPFL). Jeremy first qualified as an English barrister in 1989 and as a US attorney-at-law in 1990 (NY, various federal courts, and the USPTO). He is also registered with the bar of Geneva, Switzerland (ODAGE) as an EU lawyer, and serves on the Executive Committee of its Section of International Lawyers. He has worked for Becton Dickinson & Co, Medabiotech and Novimmune in general counsel, director and interim management roles (including as CEO) and for several start-up companies.
Jeremy is accredited by and has provided services to several mediation institutions in various countries (including IMI, WIPO, INTA, ICDR, JAMS, CSMC/SKWM, CMAP, CEDR, Result ACB, and the Swiss Chambers of Commerce). He was recently ranked as one of the ten most highly regarded mediators by the International Who's Who Of Commercial Mediation 2011 and was ranked again under the "Most Highly Regarded Firms" for mediation in 2012 and in 2013.
Jeremy serves as a Vice Chair on IMI's Independent Standards Commission, where he is responsible for all of its taskforces, and on several ADR leadership committees for ABA, CPR (Europe), CIArb, CSMC/SKWM, CCIG, IMI and GNII. He has Swiss, British, Israeli and US citizenships, and lives with his wife and two daughters in Geneva, Switzerland.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Lead Partner With
Kehinde Aina, a Sir Alexander Darnley Award nominee redefined the practice of law in Nigeria with notable changes in justice administration when he founded The Lagos Multi-Door Courthouse, the first connected ADR Centre in Africa. Thereafter, he saw to its replication in almost twenty state courts, established the Court of Appeal Mediation Centre and the Supreme Court Mediation Centre in Nigeria. As a lead partner in one of Africa's leading law firms, Aina Blankson, he is known for his professionalism, competence and visionary leadership. His core competence in mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, litigation, international commercial arbitration and mediation has resulted in a number of cross border representation for multinationals and governments.
A sought-after corporate lawyer, litigator, renowned mediator and international arbitrator, he has been involved in a wide range of corporate finance, capital raise and oil and gas projects including maritime. The catalogue of transactional experience of Kehinde Aina include the Nigerian revolutionary banking sector consolidation which resulted in his representation of over fifty banks and his lead role in the merger of nine commercial banks. His numerous oil and gas experience include structuring the Nigerian Content Fund and the Ministerial Regulations for the oil and gas industry in which he led seven other law firms. The string of commercial transactions which Kehinde has led include the Nova Capital $2Billion capital raise, the R500Million golf estate acquisition in South Africa, the $350Million Atlantic LNG project, the Chad-Cameroon Petroleum Development Pipeline project, the 20billion pounds Shell Petroleum oil spillage negotiations, and numerous arbitration matters under the ICC, LCIA and the Singapore Arbitration Rules amongst others. His mediation credential is second to none in Africa.
A Consultant to the World Bank, International Finance Corporation, and the United Nations, he has advised on projects in West Africa, East Africa, South Africa, Asia, Middle East and the United Kingdom. His work in Africa involves workplace dispute management, construction, and oil and gas-related disputes including dispute systems design for governments and multinational corporations in Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, Benin, Liberia, Kenya, and Siera Leone.
A respected former justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, Hon. Justice Kayode Eso, described Kehinde Aina as "a seasoned lawyer, imbued with the spirit of selfless service. He is an asset to the country". Without any application, he was approached by Ashoka, admitted Fellow of the esteemed international body which afforded meaningful support in the early days of his career. The books authored by Kehinde Aina include Commercial Mediation, Investment Treaty Arbitration, Plea Bargaining and Structured Finance. He has a first degree in Political Science, a second degree in Law along with a Master's Law Degree.
Job Titles:
- Advisory Board
- Vice President, Head of Legal, Emerging Markets for DP DHL
Keith qualified as a Solicitor in 1987 and for the first ten years of his legal career worked in private practice, ultimately achieving partnership in a small niche city firm. In 1997 Keith decided upon a change of direction and joined Tibbett & Britten Group PLC ("T&B") as their first in-house legal appointment. Prior to Exel PLC's acquisition of T&B in 2004 Keith held the positions of Company Secretary and Global Head of Legal.
Exel PLC was acquired by DP DHL in 2005. In 2006 Keith was appointed Vice President, Head of Legal, Emerging Markets for DP DHL and since late 2012 has been Senior Vice President, Head of Legal, UKIEEMEA. The DP DHL UKIEEMEA Legal Department comprises 56 lawyers and support staff located throughout the region and serves all DP DHL Business Units, with a combined revenue of in excess of 9 Billion Euros.
Keith is a regular speaker to external law firms on the importance of Strategy, Business Development and Exemplary Service Delivery. He has assisted a number of law firms on their strategic endeavours; has been a member of the Sandpiper Global Law Leaders Conference Faculty for the past two years and was listed in the 2013 UK GC Power List.
Lauretta Halim specializes in Immigration Law and Property Conveyancing with over 23 Years' experience. During this time, she has established long and lasting Corporate and working alliance with a raft of tier1 legal corporates in the united Kingdom, Nigeria, and Dubai.
Whilst she is currently prominent in the legal field, her career began as a private legal investigator at G, Houghon and Sons, a firm of Solicitors dealing with corporate espionage and private civil matters. She went on to work as a private Banker at the Bank Hapoalim, a leading Isearli bank overseeing cash repatriation risk, and compliance.
Her ethos on united families has influence her efforts in applying her immigration expertise and representation to achieve over 750 successful cases in asylum, entry clearance, and leave to remain matters. She continues to represent private and Corporate clients from all over the world which include but not limited to Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Ghana, Sudan, and Kosovo. She has acquired vast experience in representation and dealing with the Home Office, Detention centers and Various Port of entries within the UK.
Her expertise also extends to conveyancing over private and commercial property in the UK and Nigeria, focusing on the processing and compilation of contracts, drafting, Landing Registry documentation, title deeds, and transfer of mortgage deeds. This remit also extends to real estate investments in the UK and Nigeria.
Job Titles:
- Advisory Board
- Member of Thirty Nine Essex Chambers
EDWIN GLASGOW CBE, FCIArb, QC Edwin Glasgow is a member of Thirty Nine Essex Chambers and also practices as an arbitrator and mediator in Maxwell Chambers, Singapore. He was called to the Bar in 1969 and took silk in 1987.
Edwin Glasgow QC has extensive experience as an arbitrator, mediator and adjudicator. He is a popular arbitrator and an outstandingly successful mediator having successfully settled in excess of 90 per cent of the matters in which he has been appointed mediator, both domestically and internationally. Edwin has extensive experience in Africa over many years as well as the Middle and Far East. In addition to the institutional appointments he has received from leading arbitral institutions, including ICC and LCIA, he accepts appointments in ad hoc arbitrations. Edwin is also the chairman of the Singapore International Mediation Centre.
With a career in the law spanning more than 45 years, Edwin has extensive experience in commercial, construction, and general litigation, as counsel, arbitrator and mediator; specializing in the resolution of substantial and complex construction and commercial disputes and professional negligence matters. In addition to his UK practice he has been involved in commercial and civil engineering litigation and dispute resolution in USA, Hong Kong, Africa, Australia, the Middle East, the Far East, Mauritius and the Caribbean; professional negligence in Singapore and USA; and human rights cases in a number of jurisdictions including Malaysia and Africa.
Edwin has been involved in many of the public inquiries and litigations associated with major disasters and other high-profile events during the past two decades, including Piper Alpha, the Guinness DTI inquiry and the Bloody Sunday inquiry. He was chairman of the Financial Reporting Review Panel between 1992 and 1998. He also has a particular interest in legal education: he is chairman of the International Advocacy Training Council and a past chairman of the Bar's Advocacy Training Council. Edwin has served as a judge on several prestigious panels and lectured on law and advocacy around the world. He also has extensive experience in sporting matters, and is the president of the FIA International Tribunal. In 2013 Edwin was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award by leading legal directory group Chambers & Partners in London. He has also won an award for services to the law in Southern Africa.
Edwin is a regular speaker to external law firms on the importance of Strategy, Business Development and Exemplary Service Delivery. He has assisted a number of law firms on their strategic endeavors; has been a member of the Sandpiper Global Law Leaders Conference Faculty for the past two years and was listed in the 2013 UK GC Power List.