Victoria Alonge
Partner
SimmonsCooper Partners
Lagos & Abuja, Nigeria
Introduction
SimmonsCooper Partners (SCP) is a full-service Nigerian law firm with offices in Lagos and Abuja. The firm advises on corporate and commercial transactions, M&A, private equity and venture capital, banking and finance, capital markets (including sub-national bond programmes), energy and projects, technology and IP, tax, competition and consumer protection, data protection, regulatory and public policy, and dispute resolution (litigation, arbitration and ADR). SCP is a licensed Data Protection Co
Services offered
- Legal Services (Law)
- Tax Services
- Corporate Services
- Government & Public
About
SimmonsCooper Partners (SCP) is a full-service Nigerian law firm with offices in Lagos and Abuja. The firm advises on corporate and commercial transactions, M&A, private equity and venture capital, banking and finance, capital markets (including sub-national bond programmes), energy and projects, technology and IP, tax, competition and consumer protection, data protection, regulatory and public policy, and dispute resolution (litigation, arbitration and ADR). SCP is a licensed Data Protection Compliance Organisation and the only Nigerian member of Globalaw. SCP’s clients include multinational companies, development finance institutions, private equity investors, Nigerian corporates and family-owned enterprises, financial institutions, energy companies, federal regulators and state governments. The firm has a dedicated China Desk for Chinese and Asian businesses entering or operating in Nigeria, and it regularly acts on cross-border matters with international counsel. SCP has advised the FCCPC, the World Bank, the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy and State governments, and has engaged the Central Bank of Nigeria for industry clients. It brings that regulator-side perspective to its work for investors, lenders and multinationals. Representative mandates include: – Competition enforcement: legal adviser to the FCCPC in abuse-of-dominance and data-exploitation proceedings against a global technology company, a matter that tested how the FCCPA applies to digital platforms. – Competition rulemaking: as Lead World Bank Consultant, drafted Nigeria’s merger, abuse-of-dominance and restrictive-agreement rules, the framework under which these cases are now assessed. SCP continues to work on FCCPC regulations. – Telecoms sector study: acted as legal and competition law experts to the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy on a national study of the telecoms sector. SCP assessed existing laws against international practice, analysed market concentration using the SCP model and HHI, consulted mobile network operators, ISPs and policymakers, and developed recommendations to the Federal Government on competitiveness. – Regulatory frameworks: drafted the FCCPC Consumer Charter under a UNIDO consultancy, and economic, competition and consumer protection regulations for civil aviation under the NCAA, applying consumer protection principles to a specific sector. – Banking M&A: acted on the acquisition of up to 100% of a long-established Nigerian bank by a new-generation bank, covering structuring, regulatory approvals and closing. – Finance and security: perfected a US$60m tripartite legal mortgage in favour of DFI lenders. – Sub-national capital markets: prepared the legislative and regulatory instruments enabling State bond programmes for Lagos State (₦167bn, ₦500bn and ₦125bn) and Ogun State (₦250bn), as well as sub-national Sukuk. – Compliance programmes: design tailored competition compliance programmes, data protection impact assessments and NDPA/GDPR governance frameworks for multinationals operating in Nigeria. - Disputes: represents both majority and minority shareholders in shareholder disputes, including multi-jurisdictional disputes.
Cross-border expertise
SCP regularly advises foreign investors, multinational groups and development finance institutions on Nigerian-law aspects of cross-border transactions, working alongside counsel in the UK, the Netherlands, the US, Mauritius and Asia. Representative work includes: – Upstream energy M&A and financing: acting on a controlling-stake acquisition in a Nigerian oil and gas joint venture, including acquisition financing from international lenders, the related security package and regulatory consents. – Cross-border M&A structuring: structuring acquisitions, investments and reorganisations for foreign entities with Nigerian operations or targets, including offshore holding structures. – DFI-backed financings: advising on the Nigerian-law security package for a multinational agribusiness financed by development finance institutions, with holding structures including foreign-incorporated entities. – Tax-efficient restructuring: restructuring the Nigerian group of a global shipping and logistics company, relying on double tax treaty relief from capital gains tax. – Merger control: handling FCCPC notifications for foreign-to-foreign transactions with a Nigerian nexus across the beverages, telecoms, insurance and financial services sectors, including a US$14m beverages acquisition and a telecoms acquisition, as well as negative-clearance applications. – Market entry: helping foreign-owned businesses set up in Nigeria, covering incorporation, capital importation (CCIs), NIPC incentives, NOTAP technology-transfer registration and sector licensing. – Cross-border disputes: acting in a US$10m divestment dispute involving a private equity investor and a multinational. The firm also has a dedicated China Desk for Chinese and Asian businesses operating in Nigeria.
Jurisdictional coverage
Nigeria (federal, all 36 states and the FCT), Africa generally, Singapore, Mauritius, India, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the European Union. Through Globalaw, SCP also coordinates with member firms in more than 165 countries on multi-jurisdiction matters.