Dr Alex Izinyon,SAN- Advancing the Nigerian Legal Profession

Dr Alex Izinyon stands out as one of the exceptional legal forces that have remarkably advanced the Nigerian Legal system and currently drive change in the most amazing ways…

A leading Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Dr. Izinyon, received his PhD in arbitration in 2004 from the University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom, his LL.M from the prestigious University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) in 1991, and was called to Bar after he received his B.L from the Nigerian Law School, Lagos and LL.B from University of Ibadan in 1986 and 1985 respectively.

Alex A. Izinyon, SAN and Company is one of the leading law firms in Nigeria whose practice spans Nigeria and part of the West African Countries such as Ghana, Sierra Leone, Gambia, and South Africa. The depth of her legal practice has distinguished her and won the firm great successes in various constitutional elections, commercial transactions/activities for foreign investors, Missions, Diplomatic Corps in Nigeria, and indeed Africa. Their areas of practice consist, litigation which covers the aspects of civil and criminal law, constitutional law, commercial law, banking, capital market, corporate finance and governance, mortgages and acquisition, employment, business permit, expatriate quota, and much more.

From very humble beginnings, Dr Alex worked endlessly to secure a great future for himself. His father was a palm-wine taper and a farmer, while his mother was a petty trader who had an unshaken vision for their little boy and ensured he got the sound education that they never had. The journey to an enviable educational height was indeed, a tough but a totally rewarding one.

We took it upon ourselves from primary school to raise money for our schooling. I first served as a houseboy with a teacher and when I could not endure the suffering, I ran back home. I went back to college and I was a day student for three years but spent the last two years in the boarding school because there was no money. To pay N17 I had to go to the farm to carry cassava and bunches of banana on my head. Even at the university, I did menial jobs- was a bus conductor, published and sold tutorial books to secondary school students. Thank God, I scaled through the university then to the law school and I was called to the Bar. I had always believed that I could make it. Records Nigerian Best Forum

Despite the many challenges he has faced in law practice, the legal luminary remains positive and encouraged by his vision and passion.

I see law as a calling and anytime I am looking at the law reports and cross checking the files, I am just happy. If I do not go to court I will be sick. If I do not see legal issues that make me think and ask question, I will be sick. The practice is fine but challenging. Challenging in the sense that you look at each day as it unfolds. You cannot rely on yesterday; you must be prepared to work for the challenges ahead. As new briefs are coming, new issues are unfolding…

The law firm, Alex A Izinyon SAN and Company has excelled with the years and handled a huge number of legal matters. They worked as the counsel to the petitioner before the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in Kogi State, Nigeria on the unlawful exclusion of their client, the All Nigeria Peoples Party candidate, Alhaji Abubakar Audu which led to the nullification of the Governorship election in the state in the year 2007.

They were also solicitors to the Bureau of Public Enterprise (BPE) and were very instrumental in the winding up of the Multi-Billion Dollar National Fertilizer Company of Nigeria (NAFCON), ONNE, Rivers State, Nigeria and, consequently became legal adviser to the liquidator duly appointed. They have also served as solicitors to Siemens Limited before the Commission of Inquiry into contracts awarded in Nigeria Telecommunication Plc. and its subsidiary M-Tel Plc. between 1999 and 2002, and successfully defended some Chief Executive Officers of Certain banks in Nigeria when they were arraigned on charges on economic crime offences.