‘Every Lawyer Should Imbibe Integrity, Confidence and Fear of God’
I am Benedict Oregbemhe. I am a Senior Associate in the Dispute Resolution Department of the law firm of S. P. A. Ajibade & Co. Lagos. I graduated from the University of Benin in 2006 with a Second Class (Upper Division) and a Second Class (Upper Division) from the Nigerian Law School in 2007. I have a Master’s Degree (LL.M) from the University of Lagos.
I have considerable experience in Commercial and Corporate Litigation, Arbitration and other methods of alternative dispute resolution mechanisms. I have also appeared in various International Arbitration Institutions.
My areas of practice ranges from appearing at the different levels of courts including the Supreme Court, to applying to bodies like the CBN and SEC for permits and licences for clients in the financial sector, to the establishment of Joint Ventures and Charitable Trusts, among several other aspects of legal practice.
Have you had any challenges in your career as a Lawyer, and if so, what were the main challenges?
Finance. A lawyer needs money to rent office space, buy law reports, books, etc.
What was your worst day as a Lawyer? The day an elderly witness denied me in court. I was to lead the witness to adopt her written statement on oath in a land matter, and when she got into the witness box, I asked the witness through the interpreter, to tell the court her name. I was surprised that the Lawyers in court, including the Judge, were laughing but did not understand the reason they were laughing. I kept asking the interpreter to interprete to the witness my question, until the Judge told me that the witness said she did not know me.
Upon being told that the witness denied knowing me, I politely asked the court for a stand down for a conference with the witness. The witness later told the court that she denied me, because I refused to learn “Igbo” language.
However, whenever I appeared before the judge, she would say “Mr. Oregbemhe, I hope your witness knows you this time”.
What was your most memorable experience as a Lawyer?
When I appeared on behalf of a client pursuant to a notice of intention to support a winding up petition at the Federal High Court, Lagos. Immediately after announcing appearance, the Petitioner informed the court that it had settled with the Respondent and that the Terms of Settlement had been filed. The Petitioner’s Counsel applied to adopt the Terms of Settlement as the consent judgement in the winding up proceedings.
The court sought to know if the parties appearing in support of the winding up petition, were opposing the application and each said “no opposition.” Nobody prepared for this surprise, and my response was instantaneous and on the spur of the moment. I decided to oppose the Terms of Settlement being adopted as consent judgement to the surprise of the court and counsel in court. The court seemed to disagree with me initially, but upon insistence, allowed me to address it on why the Terms of Settlement should not be adopted as consent judgement. After my submissions, the court delivered a bench ruling in my favour, and ruled that the Terms of Settlement be put on hold.
When I forced an out of court settlement of a case through my cross-examination of the principal witness. During cross- examination, the case of the Plaintiff was completely destroyed, that the Plaintiff’s Counsel sought an out of court settlement. In fact, the Judge sought to know my year of call. In fact, the SAN on the other side offered to employ me, but I declined.
Who has been the most influential person in your life?
was intelligent, confident, bold, and a man of the people.
Why did you become a Lawyer? I became a Lawyer in order to get an opportunity to help people resolve conflicts, to be challenged mentally and intellectually, to manage people, to defend people’s rights against violation, for global influence, quest for knowledge, hallmark of prestige, and for flexibility in the work environment.
What would be your advice to anyone wanting a career in Law?
I would advice every young Lawyer to be focused. A lawyer must be mentally and intellectually ready. Every lawyer should imbibe and be professional.
If you had not become a Lawyer, what career would you have chosen?
I would have chosen Medicine, because of my love for humanity.
Where do you see yourself in ten years? I am driven to be the best at what I do. So, in 10 years, I would have developed my legal skills, knowledge, and taken on interesting cases and projects. I would have worked with the best legal minds in the Nigerian legal profession, in terms of handling of civil and criminal cases and transactions.
I would have become a great force to be reckoned with in the legal profession, both as prolific legal writer and advocate. I would have contributed to legal reforms and enlightenment campaigns on the rights of citizens and the duties and responsibilities of the government.