‘A Good Lawyer is One Who Spends Considerably on Books’
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I am Faruq Olanrewaju Abbas, and I am an indigene of Afaake town, in Ejigbo Local Government Area of Osun State. I graduated from Obafemi Awolowo University in 2008, with a Second Class Upper Division and was subsequently, called to the Nigerian Bar in 2009. I then served briefly as a Parliamentary Counsel at the Osun State House of Assembly, before working at the Law Firms of Aboyade & Co. (Founded by Ms. Olufunke Aboyade, SAN), Strachan Partners and Aelex Legal Practitioners between 2009 and November, 2014. I am an active commercial litigator and some of the lawsuits, that I have been involved in, have been reported in Nigeria Weekly Law Reports (NWLR), Commercial Law Reports Nigeria (CLRN), Nigerian Labour Law Reports, Appellate Court Employment Law Report (ACELR) and Law Pavilion Electronic Law Reports (LPELR).
Presently, I am the Managing Partner of the Law Firm of Abdu-Salaam Abbas & Co., and I specialise in commercial litigation, labour and employment law, property law, debt recovery, family law and alternative dispute resolution. I am an accredited Trademark Agent, a member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (UK) Nigeria Branch, Young Members Group (YMG) Steering Committee of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (UK) Nigeria Branch, Lagos Court of Arbitration (LCA), ICC Young Arbitrators Forum (YAF) and the Young ICCA (International Council for Commercial Arbitration).
Have you had any challenges in your career as a Lawyer, and if so, what are the main challenges?
Every profession has its own challenges, and one of my mine is that I spend a lot of time in my study. This has got so bad that, whenever my 3-year old son wakes up in the morning, the first place he comes to, is my study. I once confided in a learned silk about this challenge, since he told me that he once had the same challenge, and his solution was to make his study comfortable for his wife. This has not worked for me, as I work better when left alone. I am however, working hard on spending more time with my family in the living room, and I hope my aspiration would come to fruition very soon.
What was your worst day as a Lawyer?
Anyone who appears in Court regularly, would agree with me that it is impossible to always have a good day in Court. I am not sure I have had a worst day as a Lawyer, but I recall being very sad when I listened to the judgement of a Court, refusing to grant our client an order of injunction pending arbitration, on the basis that our client could apply for the order of injunction from an arbitral panel, which was yet to be constituted at the time we rushed to court. We had believed that this order would be granted, since it was clear that the arbitral panel was not likely to be constituted within a reasonable time, due to the peculiar circumstances of the dispute, but I was shocked when I heard and read the judgement.
What was your most memorable experience as a Lawyer?
My most memorable experience, was when I obtained judgement at the National Industrial Court, Lagos, in favour of my client whose employment was terminated by his employer, based on the discovery that he had a particular ailment. The judgement in the lawsuit is a landmark one, because that was the first time in Nigeria that the NICN, had made a pronouncement on workplace discrimination, based on the health status of an employee. This experience was very memorable for me, because my client was almost becoming suicidal, and his dignity as a human being was restored after we obtained judgement in his favour.
Who has been most influential in your life?
My Father, Alhaji Abdu-Salaam Abbas, has been the most influential person in my life. This is because, he is a perfect example of practice what you preach. He taught me the importance of complying with the dictates of my religion at a very early age, and this has helped to shape my outlook on life. He also introduced me, to reading good books at an early age and he taught me the value of contentment, praying regularly and hard work. I have gained a lot from observing his lifestyle at a close range, and I pray the Almighty God grants him long life, so I can continue to learn more from his lifestyle.
Professionally, Ms. Olufunke Aboyade, SAN, Mr. Charles Adeyemi Candide-Johnson, SAN and Mr. Mutiu Ganiyu, have been the most influential persons in my life. Ms. Aboyade, SAN was my first employer, and I cherish the moments I spent at her firm. She is finicky about writing and choice of words in legal drafting, and I have consciously tried to emulate her high standards, in this regard. I spent a better part of my working career at Yemi Candide-Johnson, SAN’s firm, and I gained a lot from his forensic approach to litigation, and his stellar work ethic. I adopted Mr. Ganiyu as my mentor, because of his insatiable passion for reading, his deep understanding of the litigation process, and his love for investing in books.
Why did you become a Lawyer?
I became a Lawyer, because my Dad guided me to study law, as against Mass Communication, which I was interested in studying. My Dad trained me to always bow to superior arguments and logic, so when he told me that studying Law wouldn’t preclude me from delving into Mass Communication, I agreed with him, especially since studying Law would broaden my career options.
What would be your advice to anyone wanting a career in Law?
I would advice anyone considering a career in Law, to have a passion for reading, and to always be willing to put in the extra effort, whenever they are saddled with a responsibility by their employers or clients. Also be prepared to spend a significant percentage of your income on good books, law reports and law resources, as you are what you read. Finally, you must be prepared to build a solid reputation for yourself, before thinking about making money, as money only comes after you have built a good reputation amongst your colleagues, members of the public, and clients.
If you had not become a Lawyer, what career would you have chosen?
I would have been a Journalist, and a professional Chess Player.
Where do you see yourself in ten years?
Human beings plan, but the Almighty God is the best of planners. That being said, I hope to have taken silk, and I also see myself being at the helm of affairs in Osun State, in ten years.