Member Profiles

Bendana & Bendana has been at the forefront of Nicaragua’s legal sector for decades, advising both national and international clients in intellectual property, corporate and real estate matters. Enjoying a well-deserved reputation for outstanding and efficient service, the firm’s partners and associates, who have dedicated their professional careers to protecting and safeguarding their client’s interests in Nicaragua, are at the heart of a long established tradition of client-oriented services. Since the firm was founded in the 1950’s by Julián Bendaña Silva, Bendaña & Bendaña has been a leading firm for over 65 years and one of the most recognized names in patent, trademark and health registrations, in great part due to the firm’s focus on quality service and competitive pricing. Bendaña & Bendaña has also expanded regionally, into the rest of Central America and Cuba, offering primarily intellectual property services. As a boutique Intellectual Property (IP) firm, Bendaña & Bendaña, has specialized in IP and related matters since its founding. The client roster includes large pharmaceutical companies, such as Bayer AG, as well as other international conglomerates like Exxon Mobile, Ford, Japan Tabacco International, Coach Companies, Georgia-Pacific, Lycra, Merck Sharp and Dohme, Allergan and others. The current managing partners are the founder’s children, María Jose Bendaña-Guerrero and Ricardo J. Bendaña-Guerrero, who have headed the firm since the early 1990’s. Although initially Bendaña & Bendaña had focused its practice on intellectual property matters, the firm currently offers services in several areas of law. Its current areas of practice are: Intellectual Property Law Registration, advise, contract drafting and revision in all areas of Intellectual Property Law, including trademarks, patents, copyrights, trade secrets and internet law. Regulatory Affairs General regulatory issues, including marketing authorization of pharmaceutical, food, cosmetic, chemical, and veterinary goods. Real Estate Law Real Estate due diligence, appraisals, surveys and inspections. Drafting of Mortgages, Deeds, Purchase/Sale Contracts (closings) and Promissory Contracts. Corporate and Commercial Law Business contracts, contract writing, breach of contracts, establishment of Nicaraguan corporations, tax and financial advice. Immigration Law Nicaraguan residency for foreign investors and retirees, as well as other immigration issues.

Mofesomo is a Partner at the Firm. He is a graduate of the University of Leeds and holds a Master’s Degree in Commercial Law from the University of Bristol. He is a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria. Mofesomo’s core area of practice is commercial disputes resolution and he has invaluable experience in the arbitration and litigation of a wide range of disputes covering the areas of banking, commercial crime, contracts, corporate insolvency, marine and general insurance, securities, shipping, and international trade and oil and gas. His work also includes providing advisory services to clients on the legal aspects of their entry into the Nigerian market or ongoing operations in the country. Mofesomo is a prolific writer and commentator on arbitration, commercial law, and public interest matters and his writing is regularly published. He is an alumnus of the Institute of Maritime Law at the University of Southampton. Mofesomo is a member of several professional bodies such as the Nigerian Bar Association, Institute of Directors, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (UK), International Council for Commercial Arbitration, Institute for Transnational Arbitration, Lagos Court of Arbitration, and the International Law Association, where he presently serves as the Chairman of the Young Members Committee and member of the Committee on International Arbitration of the Nigerian Branch. He is also a Fellow of Prime Disputes and is on the Panel of Neutrals of the Nigerian Communications Commission and World Intellectual Property Organization. Mofesomo sits on the Advisory Board of the Lagos Court of Arbitrators-Young Arbitrators Network and Interim Management Board of the Pistis Life and Leadership Institute.

Adebayo Oyagbola is the Managing Partner of Oyagbola Chambers. He is a seasoned lawyer with more than 36 years of legal practice covering corporate and commercial transactions and advice, Capital Markets, Corporate Structuring, Corporate and Business Ethics, Intellectual Property, commercial litigation and has been involved in the modernisation and development of several fields of the law. He has worked in a large number of business sectors including Telecommunications, Finance, Banking, Insurance, Transportation, Agriculture and Real Property. Over the years, Adebayo has led Oyagbola Chambers to advice on several high-profile investment and securities transactions.

Dayo Adu serves as the Managing Partner at Famsville and holds the title of Notary Public of Nigeria. His legal expertise spans various domains, encompassing Corporate Immigration, Corporate/ Commercial, Business Advisory, Regulatory and Compliance, Corporate Investigations, White-collar Crimes, Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) matters, He provides counsel to both local and international companies, spanning a wide array of industries. Additionally, he frequently shares his insights as a speaker at in-house training sessions, seminars, and workshops, focusing on corporate immigration, labor and employment law, and ESG topics. Throughout his fourteen years of legal practice, Dayo Adu has gained recognition for delivering exceptional legal services. In 2016, the World Bank acknowledged his contributions to “Doing Business 2016: Measuring Regulatory Quality and Efficiency.” From 2018 till date Who’s Who Legal (WWL) recognizes Dayo for his expertise in Labor & Employment, Investigations, and Corporate Immigration practice in Nigeria, with commendations for exceeding expectations.  Client testimonials, spanning both past and present, commend Dayo’s practice for its professionalism, responsiveness, and outstanding customer service. Dayo has garnered praise for his capacity to offer not only legal guidance but also commercial advice tailored to business scenarios. Dayo Adu, a Professional Negotiator and Mediator (PNM) and an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators in the UK, boasts a significant list of publications. These publications include co-authorship of the Nigerian sections in renowned international publications covering topics like Foreign Direct Investment, Secured Lending and Finance, Trademarks, Business Crimes, Labor & Employment Law, Product Liability, Corporate Immigration, and Environmental, Social, and Governance. Dayo recently completed his studies at the University of Cambridge’s Institute of Sustainability Leadership, emerging as one of the few people of colour in his class to attain this feat in an elite community of ESG leaders around the globe. Furthermore, Dayo currently serves as the Media and Publicity Chair of the Nigeria Bar Association – Section on Business Law (NBA-SBL). He actively engages in global relations as the former Nigerian Representative of the Association of International Young Lawyers (AIJA). He is also a member of various professional associations such as the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), International Bar Association (IBA), American Bar Association (ABA), Fraud Lawyers Association (UK), Employment Lawyers Association (ELA), and the International Employment Lawyers (IEL). Beyond his legal pursuits, Dayo is an ardent supporter of Barcelona, an avid collector of artworks, and a committed humanitarian actively contributing his voice and efforts to the realization of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 7 (UN SDGs 7).

Ayodele Oni continues to provide excellent and commercially savvy legal solutions, in connection with electricity, oil & gas projects, financing, acquisitions and restructuring. He has a knack for creating ingenious and effective strategies to ensure the success of transactions he is involved in. Ayodele is also an active leading voice and thought leader in the development of many transformative policy changes in Nigeria, especially in the energy (oil, gas and electric power) sector. Specifically, he has played key roles in developing template documents, rules and regulations, used in the natural gas and electric power sectors. Ayodele has also been recognized as being “in a league of his own” by the internationally renowned directory, Who’s Who Legal and has also been ranked amongst the World’s leading lawyers in the Chambers and Partners and The Legal 500. Ayodele has been actively involved in several oil and gas transactions, including the Shell divestment deals and Chevron’s divestment of interests in a number of oil mining leases. He has also advised and continues to advise on a number of marginal fields transactions (including the year 2020 marginal fields bid round) and several oil and gas acquisition, divestment and financing transactions.  Ayodele was part of the team that provided legal advisory to the Bureau of Public Enterprises on the post-privatization restructuring of the electric power sector. He has also provided legal, policy and regulatory support to the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission. Furthermore, he has advised the World Bank on electric power sector related issues. Ayodele maintains a seat at the table in the negotiation of almost all major electric power sector transactions in Nigeria and remains key in the negotiation of energy (including refining and pipeline) infrastructure projects and financing transactions, across Nigeria. He has been described as being “responsive and valuable”, is noted for “excellent service” and his “keen work ethic and an unyielding commitment to quality”. He is an adjunct lecturer and author of leading energy texts.