IFLR 1000
The Guide to the World's Leading Financial Law Firms

Aluko & Oyebode remains a top firm across the board with the finance department receiving the highest praise. An active client in Nigeria says the firm "probably has deeper across the board expertise in finance than any other". "They're great," says an international client, "definitely one of our go-to firms."

"They gave very good service, very classy, were responsive to any issues that came up during the financing... we received excellent work and it continues," says one client.

Another describes Kofo Dosekun as "a wonderful lawyer" and recommends junior partner Reginald Udom: "He will have a bright future, definitely on the ball, a very safe pair of hands, excellent legal work with a view for commercial issues." Clients and peers also recommend Sumbo Akintola for project finance and aviation, and project finance partner Oghogho Makinde, who a peer says is "thorough, very dogged and excellent".

Highlight deals saw Dosekun advise MTN Nigeria Communications in four facilities totaling $2 billion from a consortium of national and international lenders (the largest ever non-oil financing in Nigeria) and United Cement Company of Nigeria on a $270 million refinancing by national and international financiers. Gbenga Oyebode also represented DnB Nor Bank and Crédit Agricole as lead arrangers on a $1.8 billion financing to Pacific Drilling for four deep-water drilling vessels.

A capital markets deal highlight saw Olubunmi Fayokun work alongside White & Case to advise a domestic bank on a $300 million Eurobond issue, still a rare transaction in the market. The firm advised First Trustees and UBA Trustees for Benue State's $85 million bond issue and were engaged by Chellerams and Kwara State on their respective issues.

In M&A, Fayokun and Oyebode advised a leading Nigerian bank on the $350 million acquisition of another bank and assisted two Japanese corporations on investments into a steel company.