Faruq Abbas is the Managing Partner of the Firm. Faruq is widely regarded as a brilliant litigator and an eloquent advocate.

His practice covers various subject areas, including commercial litigation, real estate litigation, debt recoveries, labour and employment, family law and alternative dispute resolution.

He appears at all levels of the Court system in Nigeria, Tribunals and in arbitral tribunals. He was sworn in as a Notary Public of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on 13 October 2022.

Some of the cases in which he has been involved have been reported in Nigeria Weekly Law Reports (NWLR), Commercial Law Reports Nigeria (CLRN), Nigerian Labour Law Reports (NLLR), Appellate Court Employment Law Report (ACELR) and Law Pavilion Electronic Law Reports (LPELR).

He has acted as a Registrar and Co-Counsel in both domestic and international arbitration proceedings, and he appears regularly as Counsel in several mediation proceedings.

EDUCATION

• LL.B, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife
• BL, Nigerian Law School, Abuja

PUBLICATIONS/ARTICLES

• Breach of the Right to Privacy: A Review of the Court of Appeal’s Decision in Portland Paints & Productions Nig. Ltd & Anor -v- Mr. Jimmy Olaghare & Anor (2019) 2 NWLR (Pt. 1657) 542;
• Can an Employee Who Suffered an Injury in the Course of His Employment Commence a Lawsuit Against his Employer Under the Employees’ Compensation Act?
• How to Avoid Disputes Arising from the Services of An Estate Agent: A Case study of the Decision of the Court of Appeal in S.D.V. Nigeria Limited -v- P.K. Ojo & Anor (2016) LPELR-40323 (CA)
• Intestate Succession in Nigeria: What is the Status of Children Born Out of Wedlock
• How to Avoid Disputes Arising from the Management of Service Charge in Respect of a Property: A case study of the Decision of the High Court of Lagos State in the 1004 Estates Limited’s Case;
• An introduction to arbitration. (He delivered this paper at the maiden edition of the Arbitration Seminar of the Alternative Dispute Resolution Society, University of Lagos on 9th October 2014 at Ayo Ajomo Hall, Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies)
• Stay of proceedings pending arbitration: A critique of the decision of the Court of Appeal in UBA v. Trident Consulting Ltd (2013) 4 CLRN 119 (He delivered this paper at the 2013 Annual Conference of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (UK) Nigeria Branch which was held at the City Hall, Lagos on 29th November 2013)
• Injunctions Pending Arbitration: A Legal Myth? (Published on www.mondaq.com)
• Limits of Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) power to register a Political Party (Published on www.premiumtimesng.com on 28th July 2013)
• Understanding the concept of bail in Nigeria (Published on www.academia.edu)
• Mechanics for setting up a maritime limitation fund in Nigeria.
• Limitation of liability for general maritime claims: A Nigerian case study
• The impact of the enforcement of foreign judgments on the economy of Nigeria
• Why Senators were right to throw out the Political Parties Registration Bill (Published in Thisday Newspaper, 9th June 2009, Page VII of Thisday Lawyer).

PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS

• Nigerian Bar Association (NBA)
• International Bar Association (IBA)
• NBA Section on Business Law (SBL)
• Society for Corporate Governance Nigeria
• Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (UK) Nigeria Branch
• Lagos Court of Arbitration
• ICC Young Arbitrators Forum (YAF).
• Young ICCA (International Council for Commercial Arbitration
• Intellectual Property Lawyers Association of Nigeria 

EXPERIENCE IN LITIGATION, ARBITRATION AND DISPUTE RESOLUTION

• He successfully represented a Claimant at the National Industrial Court, Lagos State, in a landmark suit involving workplace discrimination based on an employee's health status. The judgment in this lawsuit is a locus classicus on workplace discrimination in Nigeria, because of the Court’s pronouncement on the right of an employee not to be discriminated against based on his health status. The Court also held that it was unlawful for the Defendant to have compelled the Claimant to undergo certain medical tests.
• He successfully represented a Claimant at the High Court of Lagos State in a lawsuit involving a mortgage facility for the sum of N160,570.173.57 (One hundred and sixty million, five hundred and seventy thousand, one hundred and seventy-three naira, fifty-seven kobo), which was granted by a Bank to the Claimant.
• He successfully defended a multinational company in a lawsuit at the High Court of Osun State in a claim for the sum of N500,000,000.00 (Five hundred million naira) as damages for the wrongful usage of the Claimants’ image in a series of campaign for the marketing of the Defendant’s products.
• He successfully represented the Interveners in a lawsuit at the Federal High Court, Lagos Division, where a financial institution sought to claim ownership of 4 (four) units of semi-detached houses located in Parkview Estate, Ikoyi, Lagos State based on a loan facility. The Court agreed with his arguments by holding that the financial institution was not entitled to ownership of the properties.
• He successfully represented a leading aesthetic plastic and reconstructive surgery centre at the High Court of Lagos State in a lawsuit involving a claim of medical negligence arising from a cosmetic surgery.
• Faruq was a member of the team of lawyers who successfully defended claims in excess of $3,000,000.00 (Three million USD) against a foreign shipowner in a Court action involving the collusion of a vessel and an oil production facility rig in Rivers State.
• He successfully argued an appeal at the Court of Appeal, Lagos Division involving the wrongful dismissal of a top executive of a multinational company.
• He successfully argued an appeal at the Court of Appeal, Lagos Division involving a disputed debt running into several millions of naira arising from a contract for the provision of satellite services.
• He has successfully represented several Petitioners and Respondents in matrimonial lawsuits involving the dissolution of marriage and nullification of marriage.
• He was part of the legal team that successfully represented the Defendants in a lawsuit at the Federal High Court, Lagos involving claims for damages for loss of goods arising out of a contract of carriage of goods by sea.
• He was part of the legal team that represented the Appellants’ in a landmark appeal involving the principle of a case stated constitutional reference from the National Industrial Court (NIC) to the Court of Appeal and the jurisdiction of the NIC based on the 3rd Alteration to the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
• He was part of the legal team that successfully represented the Claimants in a lawsuit at the High Court of Lagos State involving the validity of the sale of a mortgaged property worth over N1,000,000,000.00 (One billion naira), by the mortgagee.
• He successfully acted as the lead Counsel to a foremost telecommunications company in Nigeria in an enforcement of fundamental right lawsuit at the Lagos State High Court.
• He acted as lead Counsel to the Claimant at a Mediation proceeding concerning a dispute involving non-payment for goods, which the Claimant supplied to the Defendant.
• He acted as Co-Counsel to the Defendant in an international ICC Arbitration in respect of a dispute arising out of a license agreement with regards to the non-payment of royalty for the usage of certain trademarks and trade secrets
• He acted as Co-Counsel to the Defendant in a lawsuit at the State High Court, Otta, Ogun state in respect of a royalty payment dispute in excess of $800,000 (Eight hundred thousand USD) arising from a license agreement.

EMAIL:

foa@abdu-salaamabbasandco.com 

HOBBIES

• Faruq is an avid chess player. He also loves to read autobiographies/biographies of successful entrepreneurs and political leaders.