Tola is the head of the firm’s Litigation group and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria. He has been very active in litigation practice since his admission to the Bar and has acted as Counsel in a number of arbitral and other alternative dispute resolution proceedings. He also heads the firm’s taxation group and provides general legal services to clients in Nigeria and abroad.
Tola has advised a major multinational Oil company in an extra-jurisdictional suit over a dispute with host communities involving a multi-billion dollar claim. He is also currently representing an integrated Oil and Gas company in respect of a multi-million dollar multi-jurisdictional matter, which arose from the construction of a crude oil export terminal.
- Lead Transaction Adviser to the Oyo State Government on a proposed Gas Transmission and Distribution Network Project to be undertaken by Shell Natural Gas in Oyo State.
- Lead legal advisor to Segilola Gold Project, the original promoters of the only successful gold mining project in Nigeria. These promoters have become a minority stakeholder in the project following a successful acquisition of their company by a Canadian based mining company.
- Lead Legal Adviser to Duchess Hospital Limited- providing legal services to the hospital regarding multiple agreements entered into with Health Management Organizations, Lease agreements and loan facilities.
- Advised a major multinational oil company in an extra-jurisdictional suit over a dispute with host communities involving a multi-billion dollar claim.
- Represented an integrated oil and gas company in a multi-million dollar multi-jurisdictional matter, which arose from the construction of a crude oil export terminal.
- Deputy team lead of the legal team that secured a US$300 million plus judgement on behalf of one of Nigeria’s leading oil and gas companies in a landmark tax dispute before the Federal Court in Nigeria, against Nigeria’s maritime regulatory agency. The decision validated an important stabilization statute in Nigeria, as well as guarantees and investment incentives granted to a consortium of international oil companies by the Federal Government of Nigeria.
- Lead Counsel in a US$33 million arbitration claim arising from an engineering, procurement and construction contract for the construction of a petroleum products depot and the associated infrastructure.
- Lead Counsel in a US$54 million arbitration claim arising from an engineering, procurement and construction contract for the dredging and upgrading of navigational facilities along a river channel to facilitate marine transportation of petroleum products.
- Extracted a 95% reduction in the assessed tax liability of a major American Multi-National Corporation after a leading international audit and tax consultant had advised that the corporation was liable for the Best of Judgment assessment due to its failure to challenge the assessment promptly. The intervention led to parties executing terms of settlement.
- Representative of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission before the House of Representatives Committee on Finance on its fiscal obligations to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
- Lead a team of solicitors responsible for advisory, documentation, perfection of title and litigation in respect of the largest and most successful private residential/commercial real estate development project in Nigeria.
- Team lead of the group acting as Lead Legal Consultants to the Federal Government of Nigeria on the sale of Federal Landed Property throughout Nigeria. The project has so far, involved the sale of over US$300 million worth of real property.
- Lead local legal advisor to the concessionaire of a road concession transaction with the Federal Government of Nigeria, negotiated the concession agreement and Post Agreement phase of the first major road concession agreement (Lagos-Ibadan Expressway redevelopment project).
- Advised and acted as senior counsel to a Special Presidential Committee set up by the Federal Government of Nigeria to investigate and recover lost revenue on import duties arising from under-invoicing of imported goods leading to the recovery of over US$250 million by the Federal Government of Nigeria.
- Designed a process that radically reduced the time for perfecting title to land in Lagos State and same was adopted by the Lagos State Government following the success of the pilot scheme.
- Team member of a group of lawyers representing a major Nigerian LNG company in various disputes arising from the blockade of its vessels by a federal agency in Nigeria.
- Conferred the title of Senior Advocate of Nigeria, an award conferred on legal practitioners who have excelled in advocacy in 2017
- Member, Nigerian Bar Association, Nigeria
- Member, International Bar Association
- Member, Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria.