NGWAFOR & PARTNERS - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Head of the Litigation Department
Amos is the Head of the Litigation Department. He has amassed two decades of legal practice in his repertoire and is widely acknowledged in the industry as a seasoned legal practitioner. His core practice areas include Technology, Media and Telecommunications (TMT), Corporate and Commercial, Banking, Mining, Investment and Tax, Business Law (OHADA) and Arbitration. In addition, Amos has represented companies and individuals in the construction, retail, automobile and insurance sectors, among others, in criminal and regulatory investigations and proceedings.
Arielle is a Senior Associate in the Litigation Department. She joined the firm in 2015 and specialises in Civil Law practice. She has a mastery of the Cameroon Civil Code and advices a cross-section of clients on judicial and administrative procedure. She has a meticulous eye for detail during due diligence investigations and also represents clients (both complainants and defendants) in general business matters (OHADA), disputes relating to contracts, real estate and other property rights, family, employment, and insurance claims.
Arrey is a Case Handler in the Trademark Department. She joined the firm in 2012 and specialises in domestic and international trade mark registration, searches and renewals. She also performs administrative functions within the trademark department.
Arrey has worked previously as a community organizer and also is an avid blogger and manages her personal blog Joy2Endure. She is a renowned advocate for Sickle Cell warriors and uses her blog to share her experiences living with Sickle Cell disease. Her contributions on this subject have been documented and circulated in all traditional and new media platforms across the world.
Job Titles:
- Head of the Trademark Department
Astride is the Head of the Trademark Department within the Intellectual Property (IP) Practice. She joined the firm in 2014 and specialises in both domestic and international prosecution and opposition of trade mark applications. She supervises all aspects of domestic and international trade mark registration, searches and renewals within the practice and is at the fore of portfolio management. She has successfully represented clients in disputes before the African Intellectual Property Organisation (OAPI) and has consistently demonstrated strong knowledge of all facets of trade mark matters.
Job Titles:
- Deputy Director of Administration
- Supervisor - Head of Patent
Celestine is the Deputy Director of Administration and Supervises the Patent and Trademark Departments within the Intellectual Property (IP) Practice. He joined the firm in 2009 and specialises in trade mark, patent, and unlawful competition disputes before the African Intellectual Property Organisation (OAPI) and litigation in other competent jurisdictions. This includes trade mark oppositions, trade mark and patent infringement claims, domain name disputes, company and close corporation name objections; domestic and foreign trade mark and patent applications, including trade mark searches and prosecution, commercial IP transactions and due diligence investigations.
Celestine's expertise extends to the litigation department as he advises a wide range of clients on matters concerning the OHADA uniform acts, the Labour Code, and the Penal Code. Also, he has acted for clients in Arbitration and other dispute resolution processes.
Education
University of Yaoundé II (SOA), Masters I (Maitrise) in Business Law
University of Yaoundé II (SOA), LL.B
Dr Edwin Ngwafor | Our Team | NGWAFOR & Partners Law Firm, Yaoundé, Cameroon
Edwin is a Partner in the firm's Corporate and Commercial Department. His work spans across the full spectrum of corporate and commercial transactions including company incorporations, restructuring, contract negotiations, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, divestitures and dissolution. Edwin has also been involved in a wide range of assignments involving development projects, banking and finance, foreign investments, PPP arrangements, cooperation with public sector entities, regulatory interventions, Extractives and Energy, Agriculture, Sports and Entertainment Law and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR). His experience also includes the development of and participation in policy initiatives on regional integration matters within the context of fostering economic and social development in the continent of Africa.
Edwin has been called to the Bar of England and Wales by the Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn and in addition, he is a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Cameroon.
Ransome is an Associate in the Litigation Department. He joined the firm in 2020 and focuses in the Corporate and Commercial practice area. His engagements cover matters relating to the OHADA uniform acts as well as the Cameroon Civil Code and Penal Code.
Job Titles:
- Founder
- Managing Partner
- Founder and Managing Partner of NGWAFOR & Partners Law Firm
- Professor
Prof Ephraim Ngwafor | Our Team | NGWAFOR & Partners Law Firm, Yaoundé, Cameroon
Professor Ephraim Ngwafor is the Founder and Managing Partner of NGWAFOR & Partners Law Firm. He is also the Executive Director of SPOOR & FISHER (Inc. NGWAFOR & PARTNERS SARL) which is the designated Spoor & Fisher office in the OAPI region. Professor Ngwafor started the firm in August 2007 as a solo practice and has overseen its rapid growth and transformation into a multi-specialisation full service firm dedicated to facilitating corporate and commercial business in Cameroon and the wider sub-region across all its practice areas.
Professor Ngwafor has assisted a plethora of foreign investors operating in diverse sectors of the economy to acquire businesses and structure their investments in Cameroon. He collaborates on a frequent basis with international law firms and international counsel to carry out extensive due diligence investigations, facilitate administrative interventions and provide opinions on Compliance and Regulatory issues. His general areas of practice are Energy and Natural Resources, Corporate, Intellectual Property, ADR, Family and Probate.
Prior establishing the firm, Professor Ngwafor had worked in both the public and private sector for a period spanning almost thirty (30) years. His contributions to academia as a Professor of Law and a prolific author, as well as a legal consultant in several public and private sector assignments have earned him far-reaching national and international recognition. As an accredited IP agent with the African Intellectual Property Organisation (OAPI), he has also made enormous contributions to the area of Intellectual Property in this region. He is a member of the International Trademark Association (INTA).
Professor Ngwafor is a member of the Cameroon Bar Association, the International Bar Association and a Fellow of the Cameroon Academy of Sciences. He is also a member of the Users' Council of the London Court of International Arbitration where his interests turn on Oil and Gas, Mining, Corporate, Maritime and Insurance. Professor Ngwafor is also a Member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague.
Professor Ngwafor served as a member of the technical committee for the revision of the Cameroon Constitution (1993-1996) and held the positions of Dean of Studies and Rector (Vice Chancellor) of the University of Yaoundé II. Also, he held the only Chair in English Law in the Faculty of Laws and Political Science in the University of Yaoundé II until his retirement. Professor Ngwafor has also held the position of Minister of Special Duties at the Presidency of the Republic of Cameroon.
Professor Ngwafor obtained his First Degree in Law, ‘Licence en Droit', from the University of Yaoundé in Cameroon, where he was drilled in both the Common Law and Civil Law legal systems. He later obtained an LL. M from Dalhousie Law School in Canada and proceeded to the University of London (University College), where he earned a Ph.D. in Law.