Jessica Iyoke - Kenna Partners | Top law firm in Nigeria

Jessica Iyoke is a Senior Associate in Kenna Partners and is actively involved in the Firm’s Dispute resolution and Corporate commercial practice areas. She represents high profile clients in various commercial disputes ranging from banking and investment, Oil & Gas, real estate and business development. She routinely advises Corporate Clients on regulatory and statutory compliance issues as well as brand protection and other Intellectual property issues.

Jessica has been Counsel to the Federal Government of Nigeria and its agencies, Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited, MTN Nigeria Communications Plc, Central Bank of Nigeria, Novare Group, Olam, Enugu State Government, Nigerian Bottling Company Limited amongst others at the trial and appellate Courts up to the apex Court.

Jessica is innovative and highly skilled in problem solving. She is regarded to be proactive in handling client’s issues, identifying and averting issues and also proffering good negotiation and mediation strategies to client’s problems. Within the firm, she heads the Central Bank of Nigeria secretariat which is saddled with the responsibility of working with the finance department for invoice collections and receivables. As a team lead, she supervises and issues bi-annual statutory compliance regulations to all corporate and commercial clients of the Firm ensuring that all government regulations are complied with.

Jessica is a Chartered Secretary with the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators of Nigeria. She has served as Company secretary to various clients of the Firm. She is concluding her LLM in International Corporate Governance and has extensive experience in Company Secretarial and good Corporate Governance practices.

Relevant Experience

Advised and represented the Central Bank of Nigeria in its various currency re-design and distribution lawsuits at the apex Court.
Represents the Federal Government in an over N19,439,225,871 (Nineteen Billion Naira) lawsuit on the recovery of Judgment debt and garnishee proceedings.
Represented an International Oil Company (IOC) in an oil spill dispute by host communities with claims of over 168 billion Naira.
Represented a leading telecommunications Company at the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission with respect to an investigation into its over N1 billion xtrabyte services.
Routinely represents various commercial banks on accounts restriction claims of over $18,400,000.
Provided legal advisory services and acted as Counsel to various clients on financial investigations at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for commercial and contractual disputes.
Served as a stakeholder to the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission and reviewed and contributed to its draft regulations.
Represents clients on all due diligence, documentations and legal registrations relating to the acquisition of properties for commercial purposes at the Abuja Geographic Information System (AGIS).
Provides bi-annual statutory compliance advisory and good Corporate Governance practices to various Companies in the financial, energy, healthcare and manufacturing industry.

Education

B.L, Nigerian Law School, Lagos, Nigeria
LL.B (Hons) University of Nigeria, Nsukka

Bars

Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria

Membership

Member, Nigerian Bar Association
Associate, Nigerian Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators of Nigeria

Publications

The paucity of the hearsay rule under the evidence Act, 2011.
An examination of the CBN cashless policy and its effect on financial inclusion.
The role of Counsel in mergers and acquisitions in the financial services industry.

Other Counsel Members

Helen Okori is an Associate at the firm, with a focus on disputes arising from the energy sector, labour and employment as well as dispute resolution.