Pentagon Partners LP - FIRM PROFILE
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Transcript of Pentagon Partners LP - FIRM PROFILE
THE PENTAGON STORY
Pentagon Partners (the “Firm”) is a quintessential legal practice with years of ground
breaking experience among its Partners. In our years of practice, we have become
synonymous with professionalism and industry both in Nigeria and amongst leading
international corporations. Apart from our representation of reputable corporate bodies, the
Firm remains one of the most sought after Firms by financial institutions, oil and gas
corporations and high net-worth individuals.
The Firm was birthed by visionaries who sought to establish a legal institution with a
distinctively cohesive team of specialized lawyers and thought leaders, with the singular
mission of providing world class professional services to its clients. The Firm’s strength lies in
the diversity of its clientele, with clients ranging from start-up visionaries to private persons,
local businesses, multinationals, governments and high net-worth individuals.
The combined experience of our Partners and specialized Associates remain our major asset
and affords us the latitude for renowned legal assistance which our clientele deserve and
undoubtedly receive. Thus, clients value our skills and creative strategies, as well as the
common sense and civility which we bring to important conversations. In both established
and emerging markets, our lawyers are integral, long-standing members of the community,
giving our clients insights into the local business environment alongside our expertise in
multiple jurisdictions. Our paralegals, clerks and other staff members work in pursuit of our
clients’ success and are highly valued members of the Firm. Together as a team, the Firm is
poised and positioned to continuously ensure that our teeming clients continue to enjoy
sophisticated legal technology, greater lawyer diversity, and professional development.
VISION/MISSION
VISION
To be the most trusted brand in excellent legal services by
consistently employing a multidisciplinary and specialist
approach to our clients.
MISSION
We are committed to providing world class professional services
tailored to consistently exceed the expectations of our clients by
providing a distinctively cohesive team of specialized lawyers
and thought leaders focused at cutting through complexities to
deliver practical and effective solutions to clients’ needs in a
sustainable manner.
CORE VALUES - I4SP
I – Innovation
I – Integrity
I – Intensity
I – Intelligence
S – Service excellence
P – Professional poise
THE PENTAGON WAY
Expertise: We focus on attracting, retaining and developing a
rich pool of talents groomed to provide excellent and detailed
advise bespoke to the peculiar needs of the client in a timely and
cost effective manner.
Innovation: We focus on meeting clients requirements in a
proactive and imaginative manner through lateral thinking and
challenging common paradigms. On the proactive front, we
develop legal services into packaged products solving client’s
needs in a manner ensuring business progress and sustainability
leveraging on the benefits of technology for efficient service
delivery.
Relationship: We believe that our progress is intrinsically tied to
our clients therefore a deep understanding of our client's affairs
and helping them succeed is our most important mission.
PRACTICE GROUPS
Transaction Advisory Services (TAS)
Our considerable experience across a wide spectrum of local and
cross border commercial transactions enables us provide expert
legal advice in ways which fully recognize and respond to the
commercial needs of our clients. Creative thinking, detailed
research and real world business solutions underlie our
transaction advisory work. Our services cut across markets and
industries including Financial Markets & Securities, Business
Combinations, Telecommunications, Media & Technology,
Energy & Natural Resources, Trade & Investments, Business
Recovery, Process Re-engineering and Restructurings, Real
Estate, Medical Infrastructure, Insurance, etc.
PRACTICE GROUPS
Dispute Resolution Services (DRS)
Our team of specialists provide excellent representation and advise in
nipping client disputes in the bud. We advise clients on the most
effective ways to manage disputes, seeking to prevent them before they
arise and, when they do arise, to resolve them in a timely, cost-effective
manner consistent with the clients' objectives. Accordingly, we take
pride in our skills both in trying cases, where appropriate, and in taking
creative approaches to resolving disputes when our clients' interests
would best be served by avoiding trial. The Firm represents clients in
Federal and State trial courts, Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court
including Administrative and Arbitral Tribunals and other dispute
resolution proceedings. Our dispute resolution services include
Litigation, Mediation, Arbitration, Legal Assessment & Case Evaluation;
Brief Writing and Process Management; Dispute Management Systems,
Public Interest Litigation Services, amongst others.
PRACTICE GROUPS
Governance, Risk & Compliance Services (GRCS)
As a one stop boutique for corporate and allied services, GRCS is
distinguished for attending to its clients corporate governance,
regulatory compliance and risk management portfolios. We
ensure that their documentation and actions do not negatively
impact their operations or existence in the immediate or long
term by providing specialist advise on governance, risk and
compliance architectures for their businesses. Our services
include Local & Foreign Company Formation; Claims
Management; Enterprise & Legal Risk Assessment &
Management; Compliance Architecture & Advisory; Due
Diligence; Outsourced In-House Counsel Services; Compensation
Advisory, Forensics, Intellectual Property & Tax Advisory.
WORK EXPERIENCE
• Structured the 1st online insurance platform: The Firm structured and drafted the legal
documentation and framework for the recently launched online auto insurance boutique known as
“AutoGenius”. The Firm was tasked with the responsibility of reviewing the legal and regulatory
framework associated with this business, negotiating the agreements with the various insurance
companies and ensuring that the various aspects of the arrangement are sufficiently covered as
well as drafting the relevant legal documents.
• Nigerian Content Development Fund: The Firm’s partners led the team that advised on Nigeria’s
local content development fund which currently has about $1, 000, 000, 000.00 under
management. In carrying out this assignment, we considered the optimal structure that would
allow for long term viability and growth of the fund leading to the division of the fund into a credit
guarantee unit and a private equity like investment unit with professional managers and custodians
to shield the fund and the allocation process from third party interference thereby dealing with a
major risk element in public fund strategies.
• Construction Company Acquisition: The Firm recently advised on the multi million Euro
acquisition of a European owned construction company with a rich heritage in Nigeria by a team of
investors. In carrying out this instruction, the Firm led the investors’ negotiation team, handled due
diligence of the company, drafted commercial agreements and interfaced with lenders on behalf of
the investors for the finance of the deal in a cost efficient and seamless manner.
• Acquisition of foremost Italian restaurant: The Firm advised a team of investors in the hospitality
space with respect to the acquisition of a unique niche southern Italian fine dining restaurant in
Lagos. Our scope of work included deal structuring, documentation, capital raise advisory and
compliance advisory particularly with respect to capital importation and exportation.
WORK EXPERIENCE • Oil Rigs: Under the local content regime, the Firm’s partners have successfully advised a
Nigerian oil service provider in $600, 000, 000.00 joint venture for the acquisition of
class A rigs for use in Nigeria. Our instruction in this assignment included due diligence,
multi-jurisdictional corporate documentation, tax planning advisory, opinions on
Nigeria’s oil and gas legal framework, investment reparation laws, negotiation and deal
structuring.
• Private Refinery: As the regulatory space in Nigeria’s oil and gas space metamorphoses
from a public to private sector led industry, the Firm has been at the forefront of
advising several investors seeking to play in the industry. More recently, the firm was
appointed to advise an investor in a $50, 000, 000.00 private modular refinery
investment. In this role, the firm is developing the deal structure, interfacing with local
and international lenders, determining appropriate vehicles and documentations for
corporate and tax efficiency while ensuring compliance with extant local laws.
• Insurance Broking Firms: The Firm is advising on the merger of two of Nigeria’s
premier insurance broking companies which have capacity of changing the landscape of
Nigeria’s insurance brokerage space. As the companies have a multijurisdictional flavour
in both investment and staffing, the Firm’s advice includes in depth analysis of
multijurisdictional legal documentation, directing complex negotiations, regulatory
compliance advisory, deal structuring, asset enhancement and tax planning.
WORK EXPERIENCE DISPUTE RESOLUTION SERVICES
Lawyers at Pentagon Partners realize that in bringing solution to clients, the end game is vital and
our dispute resolution service aims to serve the client’s end game in a cost efficient and timely
manner whether it is loan recovery, bankruptcy proceedings, white collar crimes and corporate
disputes our clients trust us to ensure their interests are fully protected. Our Partners have been
involved in very major decisions in Nigeria’s judicial space including the celebrated case of the
Corporate Affairs Commission (the “Commission”) against several banks on a matter bordering on
the powers of the Commission to enforce compliance with respect to registration of charges in
banking transactions. Our Partners, representing the Commission were able to argue effectively the
provisions of the Companies and Allied Matters Act which gave the Commission supervisory powers
over all affairs relevant to the Act in respect to the operations of Companies registered under it.
Our Partners have also been in the trenches of several high profile corporate litigations in Nigeria
including the celebrated case of the sale of Chevron’s stake in Texaco Nigeria’s downstream
operations via an indirect bid. In the team representing Zenon, we pursued the right of the client to
a first refusal of the shares of the divesting Chevron Corporation rather than the indirect acquisition
of a single asset holding company whose only asset was the shares to which the client was entitled.
The case which involved several of Nigeria's brightest legal minds touched on several legal issues
surrounding Nigeria’s corporate procedural law and remains a milestone in corporate litigation in
Nigeria. Our Partners also advised one of Nigeria’s leading banks in the management process on a
dispute which arose from the conversion rights of a club of investors in a $161m Convertible
Preferred Share offering which was negatively impacted by the financial crisis and its attendant
effect on the stock market. Our Partners were instrumental in crafting the Compensation Agreement
which sought to protect the long term interest of the Client while providing the investors the
certainty of their investments.
KEY CONTACTS
KANAYO CHUKS, OKOYE - [email protected]
Kanayo heads the Transaction Advisory Services of the Firm where he coordinates a team of
specialists in several landmark financing transactions. With a background in banking, Kanayo
brings a wealth of industry experience to bear on complex transactions ranging from debt
capital markets, equity offerings, hybrids High yield, broker-dealer, Derivatives investment
funds and sovereign listings.
Kanayo’s transactions include:
• Led the team that advised a Nigerian Bank on a $233 million capital raise to shore up its
capital base and strengthen presence in the Nigerian retail lending space; Advised a
Nigerian oil service company on a $600m acquisition of two state of the art jack up rigs
for operation under the local content regime;
• Led the team that advised a multinational shipping company in its joint venture
formation and start up in Nigeria;
• Advised one of the largest mergers in Nigeria’s insurance broking in sector;
• Advised a major telecoms provider in Nigeria on the structure, financing and regulatory
framework for the establishment of a multimillion dollar fibre optic cable across 9 states
of the federation;
He is a member of several professional bodies including the Capital Markets Solicitors
Association, Chartered Institute of Taxation, Professional Risk Managers International
Association, Nigeria Institute of Management, Chartered Institute of Arbitration UK (Nigeria
Branch) and the Nigerian Bar Association.
KEY CONTACTS
ODIAKA VINCENT, IWEZE - [email protected]
Vincent is a consummate practitioner with core expertise in effective dispute resolution practice and he
heads the Firm’s Dispute Resolution Services. Though experienced in Nigeria’s trial and appellate courts,
clients have found him of immense value in advising on dispute prevention, management and resolution on
sometimes highly complex and knotty legal issues. He has an uncanny aptitude for demystifying complex
legal issues towards proffering unique solutions to clients’ needs. Vincent is an assiduous, highly determined
and astute lawyer; endowed with a creative mind and unique flexibility which attributes saw him rise from
trainee associate to Partner in Aina Blankson LP.
His recent work includes:
• Part of the Team that represented the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) before the Federal High Court
seeking the Court’s interpretation of the CAC’s power to investigate suo muto under the Companies and
Allied Matters Act;
• Team Leader in advising an International Insurance Broking Firm on an Insurance Claim dispute involving
the sum of 11 million Euros;
• Part of the Team that advised one of the Major Construction Firms in Nigeria on the management of the
dispute resulting from its $84 Million Engineering Procurement Contract with two major Multinational Oil
producing Companies in Nigeria;
• Advised a foremost Nigerian Bank in the restructuring of its multimillion dollar transaction
obligations arising from its $161 million Preferred Convertible Share offering and played a major part in
the origination of the Compensation Agreement scheduling a payment plan with a view to reaching a
business decision favourable to both parties;
• Team Leader in the Legal audit on the legal portfolio of 382 cases of one of Nigeria’s prestigious Banks;
Vincent is a CEDR Mediator, an active member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (U.K.) Nigeria branch
and serves as an executive member of the Institutes' Young Members Group. He is also a member of the
Nigerian Bar Association.
KEY CONTACTS
EGHOSA COURAGE, ISIBOR - [email protected]
Eghosa had his legal education from Ambrose Alli University, Nigeria and Chapman Dale
E. Fowler School of Law, California, USA. With combined legal experience in Nigeria and
the USA, he understands the corporate climates in both climes and has consummated
several cross-border transactions especially for multinationals. Eghosa worked as a Legal
Consultant with the African Practice Group of StoneCroft Attorneys, Los Angeles,
California. His expertise traverses business organization and reorganization, financial
restructuring, mergers & acquisitions, securities regulations, international franchising,
transnational contracts negotiations and real estate developmental JVs.
He was a member of the Team that advised an American Hotel brand on the structure,
franchising, repatriation of funds and importation of foreign technology for a USD$250
Million Five Star Hotel project in Nigeria. He also worked with a consortium that
structured a multimillion dollars Fund for the Nigerian government. He has also been
involved in several public-private partnership projects. One of his strong forte is in
corporate governance and risk management hence he heads the Governance, Risk &
Compliance Group of the firm. He has assisted many companies in engineering their
corporate governance, risk management and succession planning architectures.
Eghosa is an astute negotiator, a certified mediator with the Center for Effective Dispute
Resolution, United Kingdom and an Academic Fellow at Chapman Dale E. Fowler School
of Law, California.
2nd Floor, Plot 5, Chief Yesuf Abiodun Street
Oniru Road, Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria.
Tel: +234 (0) 1 280 9358
Facsimile: +234 (0) 1 280 9330
Email: [email protected]
www.pentagonpartnerslp.com