Member Profiles

Femi is the firm’s Managing Partner and head of the Corporate and Commercial Practice Division. Prior to establishing Hughes Partners, Femi worked with a renowned commercial law firm and later joined the legal department of one of Nigeria’s leading commercial banks from where he was seconded to a foremost, insurance company to act as the company’s Company Secretary/Legal Adviser and also a member of company’s Turnaround Management Team after the acquisition of the company’s majority shares by the commercial bank. Femi serves as the local representative of the International Technology Law in Nigeria. He also acts as Company Secretary to numerous companies, Trustee and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO’s). Femi Adekeye had been involved in series of transactions some of which are:- Had advised a Software and technology partner in the Nigerian Aviation Sector Revenue Lifecycle Management Project. The tasks include drafting and reviewing of stakeholders’ agreement and ensuring a seamless working relationship with the Revenue Collection bank and the various Aviation agencies. Had advised a leading Technology Company in Nigeria in its Serie “A” Share Subscription and investment round. The advice focused on drafting of the share subscription agreement, trust agreements and the perfection and registration of the investment. Femi is retained as legal adviser to one of the leading Edu portal technology providers in Nigeria with over 10 higher institutions signed on to their technology. His role include but not limited to protection of their intellectual property assets, liaising with regulatory bodies on their behalf, drafting of MOUs, SLA , licensing agreement and joint venture agreements on their behalf. Femi is currently the legal adviser to a leading payment processing company in Nigeria, with subsidiaries in other African countries.  His role includes but not limited to protection of the client’s intellectual property assets, liaising with regulatory bodies on the client’s behalf, drafting of MOUs, SLA, licensing agreement and joint venture agreements on behalf of the client. Education Nigerian Law School University of Kent, Canterbury, LL.M (International Commercial Law) University of Buckingham, LL.B (Hons.) Ondo State University, BSc. (Political Science) Professional Membership Nigeria Bar Association International Technology Law Areas Of Expertise Banking, Insurance, Information Technology Startups, Intellectual Property, Technology, Project Finance, Company Law and Practice, Real Estate and Taxation. Publication Co-author – Nigerian Chapter of Getting the Deal Through on Private Client 2014 and 2015 editions. Co author - Nigeria Chapter of International Comparative Legal Guide on Trademarks 2015

Kunle Adegbite is the founder and Managing Partner of the practice. He is an astute negotiator and resourceful manager of high repute. His banking experience stands him out in finance related transactions both domestic and multinational. He cuts a clear niche in concluding multi billion naira real estate, finance and insolvency transactions.

We have a reputation for ground-breaking and innovative work and are dominant in the international corporate arena. We represent reputable brands and high-profile Clients in transactions, debts collection and dispute resolution throughout Nigeria. Accessibility and prompt service are our watchwords. We genuinely care for our Clients and our team is dedicated to look after you and your legal needs. Our Clients are guaranteed excellence and speedy response to their legal problems.

Obafemi Agaba is a Partner at Jackson, Etti & Edu; a leading pan-African full-service commercial law firm with a sector focus. Obafemi heads the Litigation and Dispute Resolution Practice Group of the Firm which cuts across all aspects of Commercial Litigation and Intellectual Property & Technology Litigation, such as Labour & employment; Trade & Contractual Disputes; Product Liability; Tortious Actions; Debt recovery, Insolvency & Corporate Rescue; Law Enforcement Agencies Engagements & Crisis Management; as well as Technology & social media related matters; Trademarks, Copyright, Patent, Industrial designs and Trade secret matters in the form of Infringement, Cancellation, Passing-off, Anti-Counterfeiting, amongst others.    His expertise is especially renowned in the specialist areas of Brand Protection (IP Litigation and Anti-Counterfeiting Actions) and Technology Litigation where he has risen as a pioneer of this fast-evolving world of Social Media, Telcos, Fintech and other Technology Litigation In this regard, he has successfully led several anti-counterfeiting campaigns, as well as represented several local and multi-national clients in the above areas; winning several landmark cases that have dictated the pace and direction of fundamental principles in the Nigerian IP and Technology Litigation jurisprudence.   Obafemi is also Co-Head of the Firm’s Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) Sector where he brings his vast industry knowledge and experience to forte in designing tailor-made technical and business solutions that speak directly to the peculiarities of the challenges faced by clients in this sector. Leading multi-nationals and local players in this sector trust his judgment on their matters. Obafemi is currently the President of the Intellectual Property Law Association of Nigeria (IPLAN) and currently serves as Chairman of INTA’s Legislation & Regulation Sub-Committee for the Middle East, South Asia and Africa Region. He has attended and facilitated several local and international conferences and workshops, including those organized by International Trademarks Association (INTA), Anti-Counterfeiting Collaboration, International Anti-Counterfeiting Coalition, Nigerian Copyright Commission, Nigerian Customs Service, amongst others. He was responsible for drafting the legal framework for the actualization of the recommendations of the Lagos State Governor’s Committee for the reforms of the entertainment industry in Lagos State, Nigeria. Obafemi, who has a number of publications to his credit, has been ranked by several reputable organisations like Chambers, Managing IP, Who’s Who Legal, etc. for his outstanding expertise.  Education Oxford University (Said Business School) - Oxford Leading Professional Service Firm Programme. Harvard Law School Executive Education – Sector Leadership Master Class University College London – LLM.IP (with Corporate Insolvency & Rescue). King’s College London - PGDip. Int’l Copyright Law.  Nigerian Law School – B.L Lagos State University – LL. B MCArb. (UK) Professional Memberships Nigerian Bar Association Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (UK) International Trademark Association (INTA) Intellectual Property Law Association of Nigeria (IPLAN) Anti-Counterfeiting Coalition (ACC)

Yusuf Asamah Kadiri is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and a Partner in Jackson, Etti & Edu. He heads the Litigation & Dispute Resolution Practice Group of the Firm. He also oversees the firm’s Public Sector Group. He holds an LL.B Law degree from the University of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria; a BL (Barrister-at-Law) Practice Certificate from the Nigerian Law School, Council of Legal Education; an LL.M in International Business Law from the Boston University School of Law, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America; an advanced Practice Diploma in International Commercial Arbitration (DipICArb) jointly from Kebble College, Oxford University, United Kingdom and the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, United Kingdom; coupled with several other professional qualifications, including, Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (FCIArb), United Kingdom; Accredited Mediator of the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR), United Kingdom; Fellow of the Business Rescue and Insolvency Practitioners’ Association of Nigeria (BRIPAN); amongst others. Asamah is a consummate Commercial Lawyer with extensive experience and expertise in diverse aspects of civil and commercial litigation, commercial arbitration, mediation and conciliation, adjudication, negotiation, regulatory and compliance, insolvency and corporate rescue, mergers and acquisitions, international trade and investment, amongst others. He has acted as Lead Counsel in several high-profile litigation matters cutting across all spheres of the Nigerian Courts and systems of justice administration, including States and Federal Courts of First Instance and Appellate Courts. He also has vast experience and skills in representing parties at Statutory Regulatory Bodies, Quasi-Judicial Tribunals, Executive and Administrative Investigative Panels, Legislative Investigative Panels, Judicial Commissions of Inquiry, etc. Asamah is also a practicing Arbitrator and Mediator. His practice in the field of Arbitration and Mediation includes providing legal representation as Counsel to disputing parties in Arbitration proceedings and Mediation sessions, as well as sitting as an Arbitrator or Co-Arbitrator over arbitral proceedings, and as a Mediator or Co-Mediator in mediation sessions. His vast experience in Arbitration and ADR cuts across domestic and international arbitration as well as ad-hoc and institutional arbitration. He has extensive experience utilizing the ADR techniques of Negotiation and Mediation in resolving commercial disputes involving clients to minimize the risk of future litigation. He has acted for several international and local high-profile corporate clientele operating in diverse sectors of the economy, including the Construction and Infrastructure, Real Estate, Energy and Power, Petrochemicals and Oil Services, Automobiles, Financial Services, Health and Pharmaceuticals, Agro-allied, Industrial Electrical and Electronics, Information Technology, Automation Solutions, Telecommunications, Aviation, Shipping, and Fast-Moving-Consumer-Goods (FMCG) sectors of the economy, amongst others. Asamah is a member of several professional bodies and associations, and institutions. He is a member of the Nigerian Bar Association (in which he has been consecutively appointed as a co-opted member of the National Executive Committee by successive administrations since 2014 to date); Chairman of the Arbitration & ADR Committee of the Section on Business Law of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA-SBL); member of the International Bar Association; member of the Business Recovery and Insolvency Practitioners Association of Nigeria (in which he is a member of the Council) and INSOL International (International Association of Restructuring, Insolvency & Bankruptcy Professionals); member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (United Kingdom and Nigeria); member of CEDR Solve (Network of International Mediators); member of the Association of CEDR (UK) Accredited Mediators of Nigeria; member of the Institute of Energy Law (a division of the Centre for American & International Law); member of the Association for International Arbitration; member of Comite Maritime Internationale; member of Nigerian Maritime Law Association;  a pioneer member of the Panel of Neutrals of the Lagos Multi-Door Court House, the ADR Centre of the Lagos High Court; a Capital Market Consultant accredited by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC); amongst others. Asamah has received several recognitions and rankings worldwide. In recognition of his contribution to the development of the law and the legal profession, he was elevated to the prestigious rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) in the year 2020, the highest rank of distinction in the Nigeria legal profession and the Nigerian equivalent of the British Queen’s Counsel (QC). He has also been ranked by Chambers & Partners Global Legal Review as a leading Commercial Litigation and Dispute Resolution Lawyer in Nigeria, consecutively for over 10 years since 2011 till date. He has also been recognized by Legal 500 as a “leading Commercial Litigation Lawyer” and ranked by CorporateINTL as a “leading Insolvency Lawyer” in Nigeria.