Member Profiles

Pauline is very well known in her specialist field of maritime law and is regarded as a leading lawyer in that area.  Her practice covers the full range of both “wet” and “dry” maritime work including Admiralty litigation, marine and aviation insurance, the international sale and carriage of goods, domestic carriage of goods, the law relating to freight forwarders, charterparty advice and the sale and purchase of vessels. Pauline’s clients include major marine insurers from both New Zealand and around the world, a number of New Zealand’s major exporting and chartering interests, and a significant number of freight forwarders and carriers, both domestic and multi-national. She is also regularly instructed by non-marine liability insurers where the claim has maritime aspects, such as claims against yacht and spar designers, ship repairers and builders. Pauline is named in numerous legal guides, including the Guides to the World’s Leading Shipping and Maritime Lawyers and to Women in Business Law, Best Lawyers and the Chambers Asia Pacific Guide. She is also admitted to the Supreme Court of Samoa.  In 2016 she was named by Best Lawyers as Auckland Maritime Law’s “Lawyer of the Year”. Aside from her legal practice Pauline is a director of Insured HQ Limited.  She is also Secretary of the Raglan Sailing Club.

Francisco Ortega González is an Attorney at-law and Notary Public graduated Magana Cum Laude at Universidad Centroamericana (UCA) with a Juris Doctor degree in the year of 1968. Is founder partner of Francisco Ortega & Associates where he acts as Director and Managing Partner. During his legal practice he has held a most ample Power of Attorney (Apoderado Generalísimo) for several national and foreign companies or branches thereof. Is a member of the Collegiate of Attorneys in both Nicaragua and Guatemala, and of this latter since 1990 when he was admitted to practice. His principal practice is carried out giving legal advice to local and foreign corporations in the areas of Corporate and Commercial Law, Banking and Finance Law, Mergers and Acquisitions, Aeronautic Law, Energy and Mines, Real State, Processes for Private and Public Biddings, Legal advice on Franchise and Joint Venture Agreements, Telecommunications, Copy Right and Intellectual Property Law.

Bendana & Bendana has been at the forefront of Nicaragua’s legal sector for decades, advising both national and international clients in intellectual property, corporate and real estate matters. Enjoying a well-deserved reputation for outstanding and efficient service, the firm’s partners and associates, who have dedicated their professional careers to protecting and safeguarding their client’s interests in Nicaragua, are at the heart of a long established tradition of client-oriented services. Since the firm was founded in the 1950’s by Julián Bendaña Silva, Bendaña & Bendaña has been a leading firm for over 65 years and one of the most recognized names in patent, trademark and health registrations, in great part due to the firm’s focus on quality service and competitive pricing. Bendaña & Bendaña has also expanded regionally, into the rest of Central America and Cuba, offering primarily intellectual property services. As a boutique Intellectual Property (IP) firm, Bendaña & Bendaña, has specialized in IP and related matters since its founding. The client roster includes large pharmaceutical companies, such as Bayer AG, as well as other international conglomerates like Exxon Mobile, Ford, Japan Tabacco International, Coach Companies, Georgia-Pacific, Lycra, Merck Sharp and Dohme, Allergan and others. The current managing partners are the founder’s children, María Jose Bendaña-Guerrero and Ricardo J. Bendaña-Guerrero, who have headed the firm since the early 1990’s. Although initially Bendaña & Bendaña had focused its practice on intellectual property matters, the firm currently offers services in several areas of law. Its current areas of practice are: Intellectual Property Law Registration, advise, contract drafting and revision in all areas of Intellectual Property Law, including trademarks, patents, copyrights, trade secrets and internet law. Regulatory Affairs General regulatory issues, including marketing authorization of pharmaceutical, food, cosmetic, chemical, and veterinary goods. Real Estate Law Real Estate due diligence, appraisals, surveys and inspections. Drafting of Mortgages, Deeds, Purchase/Sale Contracts (closings) and Promissory Contracts. Corporate and Commercial Law Business contracts, contract writing, breach of contracts, establishment of Nicaraguan corporations, tax and financial advice. Immigration Law Nicaraguan residency for foreign investors and retirees, as well as other immigration issues.

Mofesomo is a Partner at the Firm. He is a graduate of the University of Leeds and holds a Master’s Degree in Commercial Law from the University of Bristol. He is a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria. Mofesomo’s core area of practice is commercial disputes resolution and he has invaluable experience in the arbitration and litigation of a wide range of disputes covering the areas of banking, commercial crime, contracts, corporate insolvency, marine and general insurance, securities, shipping, and international trade and oil and gas. His work also includes providing advisory services to clients on the legal aspects of their entry into the Nigerian market or ongoing operations in the country. Mofesomo is a prolific writer and commentator on arbitration, commercial law, and public interest matters and his writing is regularly published. He is an alumnus of the Institute of Maritime Law at the University of Southampton. Mofesomo is a member of several professional bodies such as the Nigerian Bar Association, Institute of Directors, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (UK), International Council for Commercial Arbitration, Institute for Transnational Arbitration, Lagos Court of Arbitration, and the International Law Association, where he presently serves as the Chairman of the Young Members Committee and member of the Committee on International Arbitration of the Nigerian Branch. He is also a Fellow of Prime Disputes and is on the Panel of Neutrals of the Nigerian Communications Commission and World Intellectual Property Organization. Mofesomo sits on the Advisory Board of the Lagos Court of Arbitrators-Young Arbitrators Network and Interim Management Board of the Pistis Life and Leadership Institute.

Adebayo Oyagbola is the Managing Partner of Oyagbola Chambers. He is a seasoned lawyer with more than 36 years of legal practice covering corporate and commercial transactions and advice, Capital Markets, Corporate Structuring, Corporate and Business Ethics, Intellectual Property, commercial litigation and has been involved in the modernisation and development of several fields of the law. He has worked in a large number of business sectors including Telecommunications, Finance, Banking, Insurance, Transportation, Agriculture and Real Property. Over the years, Adebayo has led Oyagbola Chambers to advice on several high-profile investment and securities transactions.