Mazi Afam Osigwe Takes Silk

Tomorrow, 14th day of December, 2020, 72 Legal Practitioners
will be adorned as Senior Advocates of Nigeria having met and
satisfied the criteria for their admission into the inner Bar.

The coveted rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria(SAN), according
to the Guidelines for the conferment, 2013, “is a privilege awarded
as a mark of excellence to members of the legal profession who
:

(a) are in full-time legal practice ;

(b) have distinguished themselves as advocates; and

(c) have made a significant contribution to the development of
the legal profession in Nigeria.”

Therefore, one of such persons who have fulfilled the criteria
laid down and will soon be robed with the silk is Mazi Afam
Osigwe.

Afam was born on the 25th of October 1972. He attended Dennis
Memorial Grammar School, Onitsha for his secondary education before
proceeding to the University of Nigeria Enugu Campus, to study law.
He bagged his Bachelor of Laws degree in 1997 and was called to the
Bar in September, 1999. He started legal practice with Chike
Chigbue and Co, Abuja Office in 1999 and left in 2002 to found his
firm, the LAW FORTE (Legal Practitioners, Corporate Consultants and
Notary Public) in 2002.

In 2006 he became a Notary Public of the Supreme Court of
Nigeria. In 2007 he proceeded to the University of Jos for post
graduate studies and obtained a Master of Laws Degree (LL.M) in
2010. In pursuance of his quest to diversify his legal practice as
well as deepen his knowledge of alternative dispute resolution he
concluded a face-toface tutorial at Keble College, Oxford, United
Kingdom and obtained a Diploma in International Commercial
Arbitration. He also passed the Fellowship programme of the
Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (UK) and became a Fellow of the
Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (UK) in 2011.

Afam holds another Master of Laws (LLM) degree in (Transnational
Commercial Practice) from the Centre for International Legal
Studies, Austria (in collaboration with the Lazarsky University,
Poland).

In 2017, he passed the Fellowship exam of the Nigerian Institute
of Chartered Arbitrators and became a Fellow of the Institute.

In 2002, Afam founded a law firm, LAW FORTE, which was
established to deliver the things he believes in and stands for in
the practice of law as well :

• Undertake systematic and in-depth analysis of issues as they
affect our clients as well as their businesses.

• Use prompt, effective and cost-saving means in the carrying
out of our Client’s instructions

• Supplement litigation by designing and adopting alternative
modules to dispute resolution.

At various times Afam has had cause to carry out research and
litigation in various areas of the law including Corporate and
Business Law; Land law, Banking law, Intellectual Property;
International Commercial Law, Tele-communications, Energy, Oil and
Gas Law; Domestic arbitration, International Commercial Arbitration
etc. He has a special bias for banking, telecommunications, other
commercial and financial practice and litigation and services.

Afam has variously appeared as a counsel in many arbitral
proceedings a well as sat as an arbitrator in commercial disputes.
He offers a wide range of services in respect of banking and
commercial transactions, securitization, syndication of loans,
advisory work, regulatory work, telecommunications, banking and
corporate services, litigation and arbitration.

He has acted as solicitor and advisor to operators, managers,
investors and participants in various fields ranging from
telecommunications, banking, insurance, property alternative
dispute resolutions, corporate finance, oil and gas etc

Furthermore, Afam is a Notary Public, and he is a member of
International Bar Association; Nigerian Institute of Management;
Fellow Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (UK); Fellow Nigerian
Institute of Chartered Arbitrators (FCArb); Associate Member,
American Bar Association and Institute of Chartered Mediators &
Conciliators.

Afam was a former General Secretary of the NBA, former Branch
Chairman of NBA Abuja Branch.

No doubt, Afam has distinguished himself in the practice of Law
and worthy to be conferred with the exalted rank of Senior Advocate
of Nigeria.

Congratulations Sir!

Tomorrow, 14th day of December, 2020, 72 Legal Practitioners
will be adorned as Senior Advocates of Nigeria having met and
satisfied the criteria for their admission into the inner Bar.

The coveted rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria(SAN), according
to the Guidelines for the conferment, 2013, “is a privilege awarded
as a mark of excellence to members of the legal profession who
:

(a) are in full-time legal practice ;

(b) have distinguished themselves as advocates; and

(c) have made a significant contribution to the development of
the legal profession in Nigeria.”

Therefore, one of such persons who have fulfilled the criteria
laid down and will soon be robed with the silk is Mazi Afam
Osigwe.

Afam was born on the 25th of October 1972. He attended Dennis
Memorial Grammar School, Onitsha for his secondary education before
proceeding to the University of Nigeria Enugu Campus, to study law.
He bagged his Bachelor of Laws degree in 1997 and was called to the
Bar in September, 1999. He started legal practice with Chike
Chigbue and Co, Abuja Office in 1999 and left in 2002 to found his
firm, the LAW FORTE (Legal Practitioners, Corporate Consultants and
Notary Public) in 2002.

In 2006 he became a Notary Public of the Supreme Court of
Nigeria. In 2007 he proceeded to the University of Jos for post
graduate studies and obtained a Master of Laws Degree (LL.M) in
2010. In pursuance of his quest to diversify his legal practice as
well as deepen his knowledge of alternative dispute resolution he
concluded a face-toface tutorial at Keble College, Oxford, United
Kingdom and obtained a Diploma in International Commercial
Arbitration. He also passed the Fellowship programme of the
Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (UK) and became a Fellow of the
Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (UK) in 2011.

Afam holds another Master of Laws (LLM) degree in (Transnational
Commercial Practice) from the Centre for International Legal
Studies, Austria (in collaboration with the Lazarsky University,
Poland).

In 2017, he passed the Fellowship exam of the Nigerian Institute
of Chartered Arbitrators and became a Fellow of the Institute.

In 2002, Afam founded a law firm, LAW FORTE, which was
established to deliver the things he believes in and stands for in
the practice of law as well :

• Undertake systematic and in-depth analysis of issues as they
affect our clients as well as their businesses.

• Use prompt, effective and cost-saving means in the carrying
out of our Client’s instructions

• Supplement litigation by designing and adopting alternative
modules to dispute resolution.

At various times Afam has had cause to carry out research and
litigation in various areas of the law including Corporate and
Business Law; Land law, Banking law, Intellectual Property;
International Commercial Law, Tele-communications, Energy, Oil and
Gas Law; Domestic arbitration, International Commercial Arbitration
etc. He has a special bias for banking, telecommunications, other
commercial and financial practice and litigation and services.

Afam has variously appeared as a counsel in many arbitral
proceedings a well as sat as an arbitrator in commercial disputes.
He offers a wide range of services in respect of banking and
commercial transactions, securitization, syndication of loans,
advisory work, regulatory work, telecommunications, banking and
corporate services, litigation and arbitration.

He has acted as solicitor and advisor to operators, managers,
investors and participants in various fields ranging from
telecommunications, banking, insurance, property alternative
dispute resolutions, corporate finance, oil and gas etc

Furthermore, Afam is a Notary Public, and he is a member of
International Bar Association; Nigerian Institute of Management;
Fellow Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (UK); Fellow Nigerian
Institute of Chartered Arbitrators (FCArb); Associate Member,
American Bar Association and Institute of Chartered Mediators &
Conciliators.

Afam was a former General Secretary of the NBA, former Branch
Chairman of NBA Abuja Branch.

No doubt, Afam has distinguished himself in the practice of Law
and worthy to be conferred with the exalted rank of Senior Advocate
of Nigeria.

Congratulations Sir!