Dr. Babalakin is the Senior Partner of the firm. He was conferred with the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria in 2002 and has served as a member of the Body of Benchers, the highest regulatory body for the affairs of legal practitioners in Nigeria. Dr. Babalakin has considerable experience in Litigation, Arbitration, Real Estate law and Project Finance. He has acted in high profile Commercial Arbitrations proceedings and Civil Litigations in disputes arising from various sectors of the Nigerian economy. He has conducted trials and appeals in all our courts- – from the courts of first instance, to the Supreme Court in matters of significant constitutional and national importance and in commercial transactions that cut across various sectors of Nigeria’s economy- Construction, Real estate, Oil and Gas, Telecoms, Maritime, Aviation, Banking and Financing.
Dr. Babalakin is an active member of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), where he has acted as the Chairman of both the Committee on Construction and Real Estate under the Section on Business Law and the Committee on Government Practice under the Legal practice section.
He was appointed by Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as Chairman of the Constitutional Drafting Sub-Committee of the National Political Reforms Conference in 2005, Member, National Political Reforms Conference in 2005 and Vice Chairman of the Committee on the Review of the Evidence Act CAP 112 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990, in 2005. In 2007, he was appointed as the Honorary Special Adviser on Legal Matters and General Counsel to the former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, late Alhaji Musa Yar’adua. He was conferred with the National Honour of Officer of the Federal Republic (OFR), in February 2008. Dr. Babalakin was the Pro-chancellor of the University of Maiduguri and Chairman, Committee of Pro-Chancellors of Nigeria Federal Universities.
Dr. Babalakin is a much sought after speaker in the Nigerian legal profession and has presented so many papers at seminars, conferences and workshops in Nigeria and abroad, on topical issues of law.
- Dr. Babalakin has worked with Federal and several State Governments in conceptualizing transactions to support the development of infrastructure and investment in Nigeria.
- He led a team of legal consultants for building an international airport in Nigeria – a multimillion-dollar project.
- Led the team representing a state government in a major arbitration dispute.
- Led a team of lawyers that represented the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation in a $100 million dollar claim in arbitral dispute.
- Led a team of lawyers in a landmark election petition case which resulted in the appointment of one of Nigeria’s Senate Presidents.
- Conferred with the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria in 2002
- Recipient of Commonwealth Scholarship for PhD degree at Cambridge University
- Appointed by Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as the Chairman of the Constitutional Drafting Sub-Committee of the National Political Reforms Conference in 2005
- Appointed as a member of the National Political Reforms Conference in 2005
- Appointed as the Vice Chairman of the Committee on the Review of the Evidence Act in 2005
- Appointed as Honorary Special Adviser on Legal Matters and General Counsel to the former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, late Alhaji Musa Yar’adua.
- Conferred with National Honour of Officer of the Federal Republic (OFR), in February 2008.
- Appointed as the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Governing Council, Univrsity of Maiduguri, Nigeria
- Appointed , Chairman, Committee of Pro-Chancellors of Nigeria Federal Universities.
- Appointed, Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Governing Council, University of Lagos
- Appointed Chairman, Federal Government of Nigeria-Universities based Union Renegotiations
- Recipient of Honorary Doctorate Degrees from Ambrose Alli University; Osun State University; Kwara State University and Ebonyi State University.
- Appointed, Chairman, Committee on Construction and Real Estate, Section on Business Law of the Nigeria Bar Association.
- Appointed, Chairman, Committee on Government Practice, Legal Practice Section of the Nigeria Bar Association.
- Member, Body of Benchers
- Member, Nigerian Bar Association, Nigeria
- Member, International Bar Association
- Member, Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria