The Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) says it has found no merit in recommending further investigations against the partners of the law firm of Wole Olanipekun & Co. on the alleged professional misconduct proceedings against one of their partners, Adekunbi Ogunde.
Ogunde is at the centre of an alleged client solicitation scandal in breach of the rules of professional conduct for legal practitioners.
In a letter dated the 19th of August, the Secretary of the LPDC, Daniel Tela, who signed says the initial member review of the LPDC shows that since there is no evidence to indicate that the respondent, Adekunbi Ogunde, acted with the knowledge and consent of the principal partners of the firm, the applicant’s prayer for an investigation of the law firm cannot be situated to both the Act and the Rules.
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The letter titled “RE: THE INCORPORATED TRUSTEES OF THE NIGERIAN BAR ASSOCIATION VS ADEKUNBI OGUNDE, ESQ: APPLICATION FOR EXTRACTS OF FINDINGS OF THE COMMITTEE IN RELATION TO PARTNERS IN OUR LAW OFFICE”, was written by the Secretary of the LPDC in response to an enquiry by Adelani Ajibade Esq., a lawyer in the law firm of Wole Olanipekun & Co.
The letter reads, “in response to your letter dated 17th August 2022 on the above subject matter, please find below extracts of the initial Member Review in respect of the above-captioned matter:
“With regards to the Applicant’s prayer to also consider whether the partners of the firm of Wole Olanipekun & Co are not liable to be disciplined, I hold the humble view that since there is no evidence to show that the Respondent indeed acted with the knowledge and consent of the Principal partners, especially with the partner’s express and constant denial of the content of Exhibit 1 to the effect that the Respondent acted without the authority and consent of the Principal partners or the firm, I cannot situate that angle of the Applicant’s prayer to both the Act and the Rules.
“Accordingly, I do see merit in recommending further investigations against the partners of Wole Olanipekun &Co. I so hold”.
Back story
In June 2022, Ms. Ogunde, a partner in the law firm of Wole Olanipekun and Co., admitted that she sent an email to Saipem Contracting Nigeria Ltd to solicit a brief that was being handled by Ajumogobia and Okeke, the law firm of another SAN, Odein Ajumogobia.
The brief was related to the ongoing $130 million case at the Rivers State High Court brought by the Rivers State government.
In soliciting for the brief, Ogunde wrote to one Mr Caio Francesco of Saipem, claiming that her law firm, Wole Olanipekeun & Co., would be more influential in helping Saipem avert a potentially huge payout to the Rivers State government.
She would later blame this on exuberance. Her firm also sent out a disclaimer that Ogunde’s letter was sent out without their authority.
In a letter dated July 19, the NBA wrote a petition against Ogunde recommending that she be required to answer for the allegations of professional misconduct.
The NBA President, Olumide Akpata, swiftly followed up with a call for Chief Wole Olanipekun to step aside as Chairman of the Body of Benchers to allow for due process and for the LPDC to carry out its duties without the BoB chairman coming under undue suspicion of impartiality.
Part of the issues the NBA put before the LPDC for determination, was whether the law firm of Wole Olanipekun and its partners is liable for the alleged misconduct of Ms Adekunbi Ogunde.