Dr Udofia is a seasoned dispute resolution and transactional lawyer. He has an extensive commercial and corporate law practice and regularly provides a wide range of contentious and non-contentious legal services in relation to company law, banking and financial services, insolvency, capital market, energy and natural resources.
Dr Udofia is a leading and an acknowledged expert in corporate insolvency and restructuring law in Nigeria. As a scholar practitioner, he previously taught insolvency and company law at The University of Nottingham and was a visiting scholar at the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, London.
Dr Udofia is the convenor of Insolvency Discourse, a roundtable focused on the development of corporate rescue and insolvency law and practice in Nigeria.
Dr Udofia is a regular contributor to some leading dailies in Nigeria including Thisday, The Guardian and Businessday.
His column “Insolvency Discourse” in The Lawyer, a pull-out in Thisday Newspaper (in Nigeria), is widely acknowledged as the leading corporate insolvency newspaper column in Nigeria. Dr Udofia has been invited to feature his research works on some of the world’s leading corporate law blogs including Harvard Law School Bankruptcy Round-table and Oxford Business Law Blog.
- Advised Quits Hospitality Ltd on two hotel management agreements with Hilton Worldwide (including Legend Hotel Lagos Airport, Curio Collection by Hilton) collectively valued at over US$300m.
- Advised US-based Avanti Communications Group Plc on provision of security by its Nigerian-affiliate, Avanti Satellite Communications Services Nigeria Limited, in support of its restructuring of a US$685m debt with a syndicate of foreign lenders.
- Part of the team which advised Union Bank Plc on the restructuring of its balance sheet through a capital reduction of ₦4 billion from its share premium account.
- Represented Suntrust Oil Limited in a debt recovery and winding up proceeding in relation to a US$54 million debt owed by an Irish-based oil company with assets in Nigeria.
- Represented Diamond Bank Plc (now part of Access Bank Plc) in a debt recovery and winding up proceeding in relation to a N500 million debt owed by a Nigerian firm.
- Part of the team which represented Sealand Oilfield Services Limited in a debt recovery and winding up proceeding in relation to a $1.6 million debt owed by a Nigerian lender by way of a legal assignment by the initial corporate debtor.
- Representing Providus Bank Plc in four debt recovery and winding up proceedings collectively valued at N4 billion.
- Part of the team which advised Lagos Deep Offshore Logistics Base (LADOL) FZE on several lease, logistic and shareholders’ agreements in relation to its facility used for the integration of the $3.5 billion Egina floating production storage offloading vessel with a production capacity of 200,000 barrels per day and a storage capacity of 2.3 million barrels.
- Part of the team which represented Neconde Energy Ltd in a multi-million dollar dispute with a multi-national oil and gas firm at the London Court of International Arbitration in relation to lifting and off-take agreements.
- National Award and Special Recognition Certificate from the Vice President of Nigeria at the 5th Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council Awards for contributions to ease of doing business in Nigeria in the area of insolvency and restructuring reforms.
- Appointed by the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council as member of a 7-seven man Committee for the drafting of the Insolvency Regulations 2022.
- Head of committee of the Business Recovery and Insolvency Practitioners Association of Nigeria, which drafted Insolvency Practice Directions for the Federal High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court.
- Nominated by the Business Environment Council as consultant in relation to the Business Facilitation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2023.
- Previously adjunct lecturer in company law, University of Nottingham, University of Nottingham, United Kingdom.
- Member of the Training Faculty of the Business Recovery and Insolvency Practitioners Association of Nigeria an affiliate of International Association of Restructuring, Insolvency & Bankruptcy Professionals.
- Speaker/Panellist/Facilitator at local and international events organised by the World Bank Group (International Finance Corporation); Nigerian Bar Association; Nigerian Economic Summit Group; Business Recovery and Insolvency Practitioners Association of Nigeria; Nigerian Exchange Group (previously Nigerian Stock Exchange); African Bar Association; Commercial Law Development Services; Deloitte; tier-1 Nigerian lenders etc.
- Nigerian Bar Association.
- Business Recovery and Insolvency Association of Nigeria.
- International Association of Restructuring, Insolvency & Bankruptcy. Professionals – INSOL International.
- Institute of Risk Management, London.
- Capital Market Solicitors Association.