Chief Joe-Kyari Gadzama, SAN

JOE-KYARI GADZAMA, SAN

OFR, MFR, SAN, FNIALS, FICMC, DipICArb, FCIArb, FNICArb, Chartered Arbitrator
(Of Lincoln’s Inn, Barrister/Life Bencher/CEDR Accredited Mediator)

Called to the Nigerian Bar in 1986 and enrolled at the Supreme Court of Nigeria the same year, Chief J-K Gadzama, SAN was appointed Notary Public in June 1996 and elevated to the worthy rank of a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) in 1998. His professional experience spans a vast area of adjectival/procedural and substantive law. One of the Country’s highly regarded lawyers, he has for three decades been external solicitor to several Merchant, Commercial, Development, and Industrial Banks; adviser to major multinational corporations, indigenous companies, organizations, and a network of high net-worth individuals in Nigeria. He was the lead Counsel to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

He is registered with the Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC), Abuja as a Capital Market Consultant and was a partner in the legal consortium of Legal Advisory Partnership (LAP), comprising foreign and indigenous lawyers charged with the responsibility of providing legal services to the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), from April 2004 to July 2007. Aside from this very important assignment, he is a Legal Consultant to the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), the Secretariat of the National Council on Privatization (NCP) – chaired by the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

J-K’s expertise is also valued internationally. His expert opinion on the nature of damages recoverable under Nigerian Law was sought in Toulouse, France in a Litigation filed in 2015 involving one of the world’s largest aircraft manufacturers. He has been recognized by the Intercontinental Finance Magazine (ICFM) in 2015 as one of the 500 leading lawyers in the world and is also featured on “Who’s Who Legal” as an Arbitration Expert. He was appointed as Liquidator to wind up the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) PLC and to also provide Legal Advisory Services for the winding-up process.

Due to his strong Anti-corruption record, he was appointed Chairman, Legal Team of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Chairman, National Working Group on the Rome Statute constituted by the office of the Hon. A-G of the Federation. Until recently, J-K was a Federal Commissioner/Board Member of the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission of Nigeria (ICRC); Board Member, Diamond Pension Fund Custodian, and Board Member, University of Benin Governing Council.

EDUCATION

Institute for Public-Private Partnerships (IP3), Allington, USA (2009)
Called to the Barin England and Wales, Lincoln's nn (2008)
London School of Economics and Political Science, UK (2008)
Keble College, Oxford University, UK (2006)
Nigerian Law School, Lagos (B.L., 1986)
University of Maiduguri (LL.B Hons. 1985)

PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS/ACTIVITIES

International Bar Association
Nigerian Bar Association
International Division of the Law Society of England and Wales
Bar of England and Wales
South Eastern Circuit of the Bar of England and Wales
American Bar Association (Associate)
Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (UK)
African Bar Association
Commonwealth Lawyers' Association
Pan African Lawyers' Union
West African Bar Association
Lincoln’s Inn
British Nigerian Law Forum
Abuja Chamber of Commerce ADR Council
Chairman, Vox Populi Foundation for Leadership
Chairman, Janada International Center for Arbitration and Mediation (JICAM)
Pioneer Chairman, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Section on Public Interest and Development Law (SPIDEL)
Former Chairman, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Abuja Branch