Our People
At AUXANO LAW, our people are the foundation of the quality and commitment we bring to every engagement. Our team comprises experienced partners, consultants, associates, and professionals who combine diverse expertise, diligence, and innovation with a shared commitment to excellence. Working collaboratively across our practice areas, we provide responsive, practical and client-focused legal solutions while upholding the values that define our firm.
Managing Partner
Chijioke Ogugua Precious Emeka, SAN
Chijioke holds an LLB degree from Nnamdi Azikiwe University and an LLM from the University of Lagos. He is a result-oriented manager, known for his effective application of detail and innovation to providing solution to tough legal problems. He demonstrates immense capacity to analyse complex legal issues and devise effective strategies for resolving them. With over 25 years of active legal practice and cognate experience in management, he has carved a niche in legal practice through forensic approach to solutions.
COP, as he often referred to in professional circles, began his career at Mike Ozekhome Chambers in Lagos. He later joined Olisa Agbakoba & Associates (now Olisa Agbakoba Legal) and rose to become Partner (Litigation). He later became the Managing Counsel of Auxano Law before his current position as the Managing Partner of the firm.
Chijioke has represented several blue-chips on complex commercial disputes through litigation and ADR. His passion and commitment for law practice resulted in remarkable contributions to the study and practice of law through advocacy and numerous juridical articles on diverse legal issues. A reforms enthusiast, Chijioke sees law as a tool for social engineering, social change and social justice. This ideology reflects in his brand of advocacy generally.
He has conducted cases across Nigeria and before all hierarchy of courts. He was involved in several election petitions including governorship elections, National Assembly and State House of Assembly elections; as well as pre-election disputes. His practice has provided litigation and ADR solutions to a wide of range of clients in Commercial law, Oil and Gas Law and Shipping/Maritime law. He has also handled many criminal cases, particularly for indigent prisoners, pro bono.
His advocacy saw to the setting aside of five death sentences by the Court of Appeal within a period of three years. They are Awelle v People of Lagos State (2016) LPELR-41395; Okon v State (2017) LPELR-42639; Mendrick v State of Lagos (2018) LPELR-45549, Kayode v State of Lagos (2018) LPELR-50108 and Zebulon v State of Lagos (2019) 11 NWLR (Part 1684) 383. More recently, following his argument in Charles v The State of Lagos (2023) 13 NWLR (PART 1901) 213, the Supreme Court set aside a concurrent death sentence by the two lower Courts, and clarified the issue of the validity of a confessional statement not obtained on video or in the presence of the suspect’s lawyer as required by law.
He had earlier argued the leading case of Zhiya v State (2016) LPELR-40562, which is the seminal flagship on the vexed issue. His contention that such confession is legally impotent and ought not to ground a conviction was upheld by the Court of Appeal, Lagos Division. The intermediate Court subsequently followed the decision in Awelle v People of Lagos State (2016) LPELR-41395 and Eneche v People of Lagos State (2018) LPELR-45826, both of which he coincidentally also successfully argued.
COP has undertaken many reform works in the Public Sector. He played active roles in the making of the Federal High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules 1999, which later dovetailed into the Federal High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules 2009. He also midwifed the current Fundamental Rights Enforcement Procedure Rules 2009. He initiated the reforms in election petitions procedure in Nigeria through a proposal submitted by HURILAWS to the then President of the Court of Appeal, Hon. Justice Umaru Abdullahi PCA (Rtd.). This birthed the groundbreaking “Practice Directions 2007”, which substantially removed delays in election petition proceedings, and retained by the National Assembly as the First Schedule to successive Electoral Acts.
He is a member of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA); International Bar Association (IBA); the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (UK) (CIArb (UK); African Arbitration Association (AfAA); Nigeria Maritime Law Association (NMLA); Institute of Charted Mediators and Conciliators (ICMC); among others. He has received numerous awards for his contribution to law, youths and social development issues and has mentored many younger lawyers.
Chijioke has authored several published articles and books, some of which are available on Auxano Law Journal or accessible on the web. Some of his published works include, Manual on Election Petitions in Nigeria (Revised Edition) [© HURILAWS] and Assessment of Judicial Performance in Election Petition Adjudication on the 2011 Elections in Nigeria [© HURILAWS].
ASSOCIATE PARTNER
Chinedu Nneke
Chinedu is an astute lawyer with over 20 years of experience in insolvency, maritime law, commercial litigation, and public interest advocacy. He attended University of Ibadan where he obtained his LLB degree. He has represented clients in complex commercial disputes, debt recovery matters, and high-value maritime claims.
His many years of active practice experience culminated in his appointment as Associate Partner in Olisa Agbakoba Legal, where he headed the Maritime Practice Group. He led significant maritime litigation and advisory mandates and spearheaded the establishment of the Fundamentals of Law and Shipping training programme in collaboration with the Nigerian Chamber of Shipping.
He has represented government agencies, multinational corporations, international oil companies, and corporate entities in trial and appellate proceedings. He litigated landmark public interest cases involving judicial independence, local government autonomy, and constitutional revenue allocation. He represented a multinational shipbuilding company in an admiralty action involving the largest vessel arrest in Nigerian territorial waters (FPSO). He worked on recovery of high-profile debts for financial institutions through enforcement and negotiated settlements. He negotiated cross-border commercial settlements involving UK and Nigerian entities, and represented clients in a medical negligence claim and coroner’s Inquest.
Chinedu’s core areas of practice are Insolvency & Business Recovery, Debt Recovery & Enforcement, Commercial Litigation, Maritime & Admiralty Law, Ship Registration, Constitutional & Public Interest Litigation and Legislative Drafting.
He is member of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), INSOL International and Business Recovery and Insolvency Practitioners Association of Nigeria (BRIPAN).
CONSULTANTS
Prof. Offornze Amucheazi SAN
Consultant
Offornze is a professor of law and Senior Advocate of Nigeria. He has devoted more than three decades to law practice and law teaching. He has taught at both the University of Nigeria and Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka. He served as the Head, Department of Commercial and Property Law as well as Public and Private Law. He serves as an external examiner to several Universities within and outside Nigeria. Prof. Amucheazi is a versatile legal practitioner, arbitrator and ADR practitioner. He is a member of the Lagos Court of Arbitration (LCA), Panel of Neutrals of the Edo State and Enugu State Multi-Door Court Houses respectively.
He served as a Consultant/Special Assistant to a Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria on the establishment of the Africa Finance Corporation. He served as the Legal Expert (Constitution and Legislative Procedure) at the Policy Analysis and Research Project (PARP) of the National Assembly and pioneer Legal Adviser, National Institute for Legislative Studies (NILS) now National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS).
Prof. Amucheazi has published several scholarly articles on Industrial/Labour Law, Arbitration and Constitutional Law. They include The Judiciary, Politics and Constitutional Democracy in Nigeria (1999-2007), The Concept of True Federalism in Nigeria, Thematic Issues in Nigerian Arbitration Law and Practice, The National Industrial Court of Nigeria: Law, Practice and Procedure, Constitutional Review in an Emerging Democracy: The Nigerian Experience; and Employment and Labour Law in Nigeria. He is a Fellow of the Nigerian Chartered Institute of Arbitrators Nigeria (FCArb), a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Mediators and Conciliators (FICMC), and a Fellow Institute of Construction Industry Arbitrators (FICIARB).
Dr. Obinna Dike
Consultant
Dr. Dike attended Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka where he graduated with an LLB degree. He also attended the Nigerian Law School and was called to the Nigerian Bar. He bagged an LLM in Petroleum Law and Policy and a Ph. D from Dundee University, Scotland. He is an expert in petroleum law and policy. His core areas of practice are Oil and Gas Law and Admiralty Law.
Dr. Dike is an Assistant Professor of Law at the American University of Nigeria, Yola. He is a member of the Nigerian Bar Association, a member of the Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists (NAPE), a member of the Association of International Petroleum Negotiators (AIPN) and Energy Institute London.
ASSOCIATES
Chidiebere Okorafor
Associate
Chidiebere is a Legal Associate and Team Lead in the Dispute Resolution Practice Group. He attended University of Nigeria from where he graduated with a First Class (LLB) degree. He subsequently attended the Nigerian Law School and was thereafter called to the Nigerian Bar.
Chidiebere is a brilliant and highly focused lawyer. He stands up to challenges and does not leave until the job is done to the Auxano standard. He also possesses good advocacy skills. His core areas of practice are Commercial Litigation, Taxation, Energy & Natural Resources, Real Property and Corporate and Commercial Practice, and General Litigation.
He is a member of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN).
Ayomikun Ogunjimi
Associate
Ayomikun is a Legal Associate and the Firm’s Litigation Manager/Head of Process. She graduated with an LLB degree from Olabisi Onabanjo University. She attended the Nigerian Law School and graduated with First Class and was called to the Nigerian Bar.
She is focused and possesses admirable energy for tasks. She offers support to content management of the Dispute Resolution Practice Group. Her role as a team member on all fours of process earned her the sobriquet of “the enforcer” in the team.
Her core areas of practice include Civil, Commercial & Criminal Litigation, Corporate & Commercial Advisory, Intellectual Property, Energy, Oil & Gas Law and Arbitration & Mediation.
She is a member of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA); Associate Member, Institute of Chartered Mediators and Conciliators (ICMC) and Associate, Nigerian Institute of Chartered Arbitrators (NICArb).
Precious Aduaka
Associate
Precious is a Legal Associate and a member of the Corporate Commercial and Transactions practice group of the firm. She is a seasoned Corporate Commercial practitioner with a flair for Company Secretarial, Regulatory Compliance, Corporate Governance and Corporate Finance.
She has had a positive career in corporate-commercial practice and has handled several transactions from regulatory compliance to legal advisory issues. Her regulatory compliance experience spans across a number of sectors including amongst others, oil and gas, telecommunication, media, fin-tech and insurance. Her enthusiasm for legal practice and her multisectoral skills stand her out as future leader in the profession.
She graduated from University of Nigeria with an LLB and was subsequently called to the Nigerian Bar. She is a member of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and an Associate Member, Institute of Chartered Mediators and Conciliators (ICMC).
Chima Amamgbo
Associate
Chima Amamgbo is a Trainee Associate. He is a member of the firm’s Dispute Resolution, Energy & Natural Resources and Maritime & Shipping Practice Groups. He graduated with an LLB from Nnamdi Azikiwe University before he was called to the Nigerian Bar. He is a highly motivated young lawyer.
His passion for litigation and his excellent contribution to the work of our Dispute Resolution Practice Group and his penchant for excellence place him on the leadership path in the profession. He is passionate legal researcher with good writing and communication skills.
His core areas of practice are General Civil Litigation, Shipping and Maritime, Taxation, and general civil litigation. He is a member of the Nigerian Bar Association.
ADMINISTRATORS
Uchechi Manuagwu
Administrator
Uchechi heads the firm’s Admin Department. She oversees the Finance/Accounts Unit, the Human Resources and Office Services Unit of the department. She is positive, well-organized and focused on the bright side of things. She is also a target-oriented team player known for finding quick and lasting solutions to administrative issues and challenges.
She holds a Higher National Diploma (HND) in Accounting (in view) from Yaba College of Technology.
Patience Elias
Administrator
Patience is the Head of Operations in the Firm’s Abuja Office. She has in her favour many years of cognate experience in law office and litigation management in Auxano Law’s operations across the northern states.
Her calmness and methodological approach to administrative issues put our practice, especially in the Federal Capital Territory and the northern states at great advantage.
She holds a National Diploma from the Federal Polytechnic Idah and has participated in numerous trainings and workshops on administration and management.