Lawyer, Dispute Resolution at Tonbofa Law Practice

Job Profile 

• Specializing in the resolution of disputes between individuals and/or corporations and responsible for representing claimants or defendants in lawsuits.
• Managing all phases of the litigation from the investigation, pleadings, and discovery through the pre-trial, trial, settlement, and appeal processes.
• The successful candidate will join our legal team in leading litigation matters across different subject areas and providing practical and strategic legal advice on a broad range of issues.

Responsibilities

• Evaluating findings and developing strategies and arguments in preparation and presentation of cases.
• Gathering evidence to formulate defence or to initiate legal actions, by such means as interviewing clients and witnesses to ascertain the facts of a case.
• Examining legal data to determine advisability of defending or prosecuting lawsuit.
• Advising clients of the legal and business implications of proposed transactions, anticipating legal and contractual concerns, and devising strategies to resolve them.
• Studying Constitution, statutes, precedents/decisions of courts and other dispute resolution bodies, regulations, and ordinances of quasi-judicial bodies to determine ramifications for cases.
• Familiarizing with all procedural laws including Evidence Act (and Judicial interpretation of all provisions of the Act), rules of all appellate courts, Federal High Court, National Industrial Court, Lagos State High Court, and any other court where briefs are assigned to counsel.
• Making representations in court, conducting, and concluding contractual negotiations on behalf of various clients.
• Conferring with colleagues with specialties in appropriate areas to establish and verify bases for legal proceedings.
• Maintaining effective working relationships with key clients.
• Protecting the firm’s interests, by ensuring all necessary checks and investigations are undertaken (e.g. undertaking all necessary due diligence/disclosure exercises as appropriate).
• Responding to court processes that need a reaction at least 72 hours before deadline to enable adequate review before filing.
• Ensuring all documentation prepared is error proof, grammatically and in other respect and to this end, at least one other team member must double check prepared processes for accuracy.
• Notifying Clients, subject to supervisor/partner’s approval of every development in cases assigned to team.
• Reading Judgments and decisions in all cases handled by the firm as such decisions are delivered.
• Developing and executing litigation strategy, manage discovery obligations, manage outside counsel, determine proper case disposition, and monitor litigation budgets expenses.
• Evaluating and managing pre-litigation disputes.
• Leading or participating in significant internal investigations.
• Preparing and drafting legal documents such as court processes, case reviews, legal opinions, wills, deeds, contracts etc.
• Negotiating settlements of civil disputes subject to firm’s decision.
• Preparing analysis of every new court process filed in cases assigned to team and advice on impact and necessary reaction.
• Maintaining a practice note which must add on a minimum of 10 new cases every month and preparing articles on any topical legal issues.
• Ensuring prompt reaction to every single Court decision given in cases being handled.

Qualifications And Experience

• Bachelor of Law Degree
• Certificate of Call to the Nigerian Bar
• 5 – 7 years of full practice with experience in litigation and arbitration.

Knowledge, Skills and Behaviours:

• Ability to handle complex litigation cases, such as trials at the State and Federal High Courts, Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court and confirmation on the number of cases concluded or appeals argued.
• Strong legal ability, a practical commercial approach and excellent drafting and communication skills.
• Ambitious, mature, and business-minded with strong leadership skills and high ethical standards.
• Excellent negotiation, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work as a member of a team and share knowledge.
• Excellent problem-solving skills and analytical ability.
• Excellent presentation skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and tight deadlines.
• Ability to work with minimal supervision
• Good appreciation and working knowledge of Microsoft Office packages.