Johnchryso Eze is a Senior Associate at Kenna Partners, with a wealth of experience in corporate/commercial transactions and dispute resolution. He has successfully represented clients in high-profile litigations and commercial arbitration. He routinely advises on employment law, company secretarial matters, regulatory compliance, and provides general legal advisory on complex corporate/commercial transactions.

Relevant Experience 

• Represented an IOC in an over N2,000,000,000.00 (Two Billion Naira) lawsuit by an NGO on the situation of the head office of the IOC.

• Represented an IOC in a circa NGN 33,000,000,000.00 (Thirty-Three Billion Naira) dispute arising from a Land Use Regulation Fee between the Client and the State Government.

• Represented a prominent company in the telecommunications sector in litigation challenging its compliance with the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency Act.
• Represented a leading investment company in arbitral award enforcement proceedings that relieved my client of an award liability of over $17,000,000.00 (Seventeen Million United States Dollars).

• Represents prominent IOCs and companies in the financial sectors in various ongoing Labour dispute-related claims.

• Represents both Federal and State Governments in constitutional matters and policy implementation.

• Represents prominent individuals, organisations and institutions in various Fundamental Rights enforcement actions.

• Represents an IOC in various oil spill tortious claims or claims for compensation under the Oil Pipelines Act.

Corporate/ Commercial Law and Legal Advisory

• Provided legal advice and documentation for an Equity Acquisition and Debt Settlement Arrangement between two multinational companies.
• Provided a legal opinion to a multinational IT infrastructure solutions and services company on the legality of furlough under Nigerian Labour Laws.
• Advised a leading automobile company on risk assessment and management sequel to an automobile procurement transaction worth over N1,800,000,000.00 (One Billion, Eight Hundred Million Naira)
• Advised a multinational agricultural company on its compliance obligations under the Nigerian Immigration Laws and best practices for Expatriate Quota management.
• Advised an IOC on its rights and obligations in relating to the deduction of Nigerian Content Development levy when dealing with contractors under the Nigeria Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act, 2010.
• Advised an IOC on the interplay between directional drilling and ownership of oil and gas assets as it relates to N1,300,000,000,000.00 (One Trillion, Three Hundred Billion Naira) Lawsuit against the IOC.

Education

• B.L, Nigerian Law School, Nigeria (First Class)
• LL. B (Honours), Enugu State University of Science and Technology.
• Chattered Institute of Arbitrators’ International Arbitration and Fellowship Course.

Bars

• Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria

Memberships

• Nigerian Bar Association
• Associate Member, Institute of Chartered Mediators and Conciliators
• Member, International Law Association

Publications

• An Analysis of the Legal effect of an unsigned document (contract) in the light of the Supreme Court’s decision in Mtn v Corporate Communication Investment Ltd (2019) LPELR – 47042 (SC)
• Law and Policy of Impact Investment in Nigeria
• A Critical Appraisal of the Innovations in the Federal High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules, 2019
• Appraisal of Arbitrability Principle and its effect on Arbitral Jurisdiction and Award in Nigeria (unpublished).
• COVID-19 and its effects on commercial litigation
• Case review of U.O.O. Nigeria Plc V. Mr. Maribe Okafor & Ors (2020) LPELR-49570(SC) (A person cannot institute an action in Court in the name of a Company when the action bothers on the individual’s specific interest or that of a member or director in the Company) Kenna Partners’ Legal Notes, Volume 3 Issue 6, August 2020.
• Case review of Minaj Holdings Limited V. Comptroller-General Nigeria Customs Service And 3 Ors (2021) 8 NWLR 119 SC (Parties to a suit have the right to compromise the judgment of a Court and are bound by the legal consequences of such compromise agreement) Kenna Partners’ Legal Notes, Vol 10, Issue 7, July 2021.