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.
- Member, Nigerian Bar Association
- Member, International Bar Association
- Member, Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria
- Dr. Babalakin has worked with Federal and several State Governments in conceptualizing transactions to support the development of infrastructure and investment in the country.
- He led a team of legal consultants to a State government for the building of an International airport in Nigeria, a multimillion dollar project and also led the team representing a State government in an arbitration claim arising therefrom.
- Dr. Babalakin led the team of lawyers who represented the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation in a $100 million dollar claim in arbitral proceedings for the determination of contractual rights and obligations of the Corporation.
- He led the team of lawyers in a landmark election petition case which resulted in the appointment of one of Nigeria’s Senate Presidents.
- “Buyer’s Right of Rejection: Whither Nigerian Courts”, 1980.
- “The Supreme Court and Constitutional Developments in Nigeria, 1960- 1985” PhD Thesis Cambridge University, 1986.
- “Legal Dynamics of Privatization in Nigeria” – Presentation at the First Bank Round Table, Lagos, 2003.
- “Foreign Investments in Nigeria”- Presentation at the Johannesburg Chamber of Commerce, South Africa, 2000.
- ‘’Doing Business in Nigeria’’- Presentation at the Nigeria Investment promotion Commission Conference, London, 2002.
- “Aviation Financing: Statutory and Legal Challenges”- Presentation at a Seminar for Judges on Banking and Allied Matters, Abuja, 2007.
- “Aviation Infrastructure Financing: The MMA2 Project”- Presentation at the workshop on Aviation Financing, Lagos, 2008.
- “Public Private Partnership as a Catalyst for Sustainable Development: MMA2, a case study”- Presentation at the 4th Nigerian Bar Association, Section on Business Law conference, Abuja, 2009.
- ‘’The Role of Infrastructure and Project Finance in Developing the Nigerian Economy: Challenges, Strategies and Solutions’’, Keynote Address Presented at the 4th ALP Seminar Series, Lagos, 2015.
- ‘’Unlocking the Binding Constraints to Public Private Partnerships in Nigeria’’- Presentation at the National Economic Summit, Abuja, October 2015.