Team

Managing Partner

Miannaya Essien, SAN, FCIArb

Miannaya Essien, SAN, FCIArb, Chartered Arbitrator.

Miannaya Aja Essien, SAN, Chartered Arbitrator, FCIArb., Notary Public, is an alumnus of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria and the University of Lagos, Lagos State, Nigeria. She obtained her LLB (Hons.) and LL.M. respectively in 1984 and 1991 and was called to the Nigerian Bar in August 1985. She was elevated to the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria in 2007.

She is the Managing Partner of Principles Law Partnership (www.principleslaw.com) a firm of legal practitioners, notaries public and arbitrators with offices in Port Harcourt and Lagos.

She became a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (UK) in 2007 and a Chartered Arbitrator in 2015 and holds a Panel Appointment Certificate. She is also a Fellow of the Institute of Construction Industry Arbitrators.

She is a member of the Body of Benchers in Nigeria. https://bob.gov.ng/. It is the legal body of practitioners of the highest distinction in the legal profession and is responsible for the formal call to the Bar of persons seeking to become legal practitioners etc.

She is a member of the adjunct faculty of the Nigerian Law School Abuja and an approved tutor of the faculty of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (United Kingdom) teaching all aspects of domestic and international commercial arbitration.

She is currently the 3^rd Vice-Chairperson of the Nigerian Branch of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, and is a past chairperson of the Port Harcourt Chapter of the Nigeria Branch. She is also a member of Council of the Business Recovery & Insolvency Practitioners Association of Nigeria.

She is experienced and actively involved (both as counsel and arbitrator) in the resolution of complex commercial disputes across the energy, oil and gas, commercial, financial and insurance sectors. She acts regularly as party appointed arbitrator or chairperson of various arbitral tribunals.  

She currently is the team lead in Principles Law Partnership’s dispute resolution practice and is responsible for the resolution of disputes in the commercial and energy sector, with contingent liabilities running into trillions of US dollars and Naira.

 She is on the board of the Lagos Court of Arbitration and is a member of several associations including the Nigerian Bar Association, International Council for Commercial Arbitration, the ICC Commission on Arbitration and ADR, the London Court of International Arbitration (African Users’ Council), African Arbitrators’ Association, the International Law Association (Nigerian Branch), the Maritime Arbitrators Association of Nigeria, the Nigerian Maritime Lawyers’ Association.

She is a past Chairperson of the Section on Legal Practice of the Nigerian Bar Association, past member of the National Executive Council of the Nigerian Bar Association and a past member of Council of the Commonwealth Lawyers Association, representing Nigeria.

She is an Independent Non-Executive Director of Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc.

She has contributed numerous scholarly articles on law and arbitration to legal publications, journals, books and is a regular resource person, speaking at seminars, workshops and conferences.

Partner

Aham Eke Ejelam SAN

Called to the Nigerian Bar in August, 1985. LL.B (Hons.) (1984) University of Nigeria. LL.M (2000) from the Rivers State University of Science and Technology.

Made a Senior Advocate of Nigeria on the 22nd of September, 2014.

Member, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (UK). Member, International Bar Association. Member, Commonwealth Lawyers Association. Member of the Executive, Nigerian Bar Association, Port Harcourt Branch. Member of Sections on Business Law and Legal Practice respectively of the Nigerian Bar Association.

Member, Disciplinary Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association, Port Harcourt Branch. Chairman, Award and Honours Committee, NBA Port Harcourt Branch. Notary Public of Federal Republic of Nigeria. Registered Capital Market Consultant. Knight of St. Christopher, Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion).

Previous working experience

Deputy Head of Chambers, C. V. Georgewill & Co. (1986 – 1992), previously Managing Solicitor, Amity Chambers (1993 – 2003).

Specializes in Corporate and Commercial Law, Constitutional Law and Election Petitions, Private and Personal Law, Oil and gas and Environmental Law, General Court Practice.

Partner

Sola Laniyan

Called to the Nigerian Bar August 1985. LLB (Hons) 1984 from the University of Ife. LL.M (1989) from the University of Lagos.

Previous working experience- Solicitor, Akin Sanda & Co., 1985 -1991), Solicitor, Coker & Co., 376 Grays Inn Road, London WC2, (1991 – 1996).

Partner Sui Generis Chambers (1997 -2003). Specialises in Immigration Law, expatriate quota, residency permits, Oil and Gas law, Private Law, Banking Law, International Law, Secured Credit Transactions and Litigation, Registered Capital market Consultant.

Partner

Dandy Nwankwo

University of Calabar, LL.B. Hons., B.L., Rivers State University of Science and Technology (LL.M., B.L.) Called to the Nigerian Bar in 1995.

Partner

Ukpai Ngwobia

Called to the Nigerian Bar in 2000. LL.B (Hons) from Abia State University. (LL.M) from the University of East London, UK.

Partner

Abiye Georgewill

University of Benin (B.A Hons) 1988, Rivers State University of Science and Technology (LL.B., B.L.). Called 2001.

Partner

Stanleo Soronnadi

(LL.B. Hons. B.L.) University of Nigeria, Enugu. Called to The Nigerian Bar in 2001.