Amala Umeike > Stren and Blan Partners > Lagos, Nigeria > Lawyer Profile

Amala Umeike

+234 706 701 4557 amalaumeike@strenandblan.com

Work Department

Dispute Resolution and Litigation

Position

Founding Partner

Career

Professional Background

• Founding Partner, Stren & Blan Partners (formerly Bridgeforte Attorneys)
• Partner, Brickfield LP
• Legal Counsel, Jackson, Etti & Edu

Languages

English, Igbo

Memberships

Nigerian-German Chambers of Commerce (NGCC) –  Honourary Legal Adviser

African Global Advisory Council of the International Trademarks Association – Member

Business Rescue and Insolvency Practitioners Association of Nigeria (BRIPAN) and INSOL International – Member

Nigerian Bar Association Section on Business Law –  Executive Committee Member of the IP Committee

Law Reform Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association, Lagos Branch – Member

Education

• Queen Mary University of London LLM
• Nigerian Law School BL
• University of Nigeria LLB

Personal

Described by the World Trademark Review (WTR) 1000 as “undoubtedly one of the best Intellectual Property (IP)  Lawyers in Nigeria”, Amala is a seasoned Legal Practitioner who frequently acts for various well-known and world-renowned brands regarding their legal matters in Nigeria. He is particularly skilled in Commercial Litigation and Arbitration across various sectors, Intellectual Property Law, Insolvency, Product/Service Liability Defence, White Collar Crimes and Regulatory Investigations/Crisis Management, Debt/Asset Recovery (including Asset Tracing),  as well as general Commercial and Foreign Investment advisory.

Amala has rich experience in proffering sound legal advice and representations to an array of international and local Clients on contentious and non-contentious commercial matters.  As the head of the Firm’s Dispute Resolution Practice Group, he appears frequently at the High Courts, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court on various contentious matters, he is also an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) practitioner and is experienced in handling Arbitration matters.

Amala is an experienced IP Practitioner in Nigeria and regularly advises on contentious IP matters with particular expertise in counterfeiting and IP infringement cases, he has successfully represented (and currently represents) several international brands and blue-chip companies regarding their IP cases in various Courts and Tribunals within Nigeria. He has been ranked as a National Leader in Trade Mark Matters by World IP Review 2022.

Amala was a member of the technical committee that provided support to the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) chaired by the Vice President of Nigeria, (through the Enabling Business Environment Secretariat) on issues relating to ease of doing business in Nigeria. He specifically served as a member of the technical committee that reviewed various portions of the Bill that was eventually enacted as the Business Facilitation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2023. Amala also served on the World Bank assisted Committee that provided support to the Enabling Business Environment Secretariat on crafting an insolvency framework for Nigeria. This birthed the insolvency regime as contained in the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 2020.