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Former Nigerian lawyer and academic Prof. Bayo Adaralegbe was formally elevated to the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and celebrated his 64th birthday on Friday, 12 October 2026, at Harbour Point on Victoria Island, Lagos. The event drew a mix of legal, political, academic and corporate dignitaries, as well as family members, to honour the lawyer’s contributions to practice, scholarship and mentorship. Among the guests were former Minister of State for Budget and National Planning Udo Udoma, retired Supreme Court Justice Bode Rhodes‑Vivour, and senior lawyer Dr. Wale Babalakin (SAN). Justice Lateefah Okunnu of the Lagos State High Court and Justice Yinka Adeniyi of the National Industrial Court, Abuja, were also in attendance. Colleagues from NineWells Law Practice, Seplat executive Larry Ettah, MTN Nigeria Chief Executive Officer Karl Toriola, and Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board Prof. Segun Aina joined the celebration. Justice Rhodes‑Vivour, who chaired the ceremony, congratulated Adaralegbe on his elevation, describing the achievement as the result of hard work and divine grace. He recalled their professional relationship dating back to Adaralegbe’s early days at Babalakin & Co., when he was a judge of the Lagos State High Court. “We had many battles together, but they were friendly battles,” he said. Rhodes‑Vivour also expressed surprise at Adaralegbe’s academic pursuits, noting that he had not realised the lawyer had ventured into academia until later in his career. Dr. Babalakin, who employed Adaralegbe in 1991, described him as a dependable lawyer, outstanding scholar and remarkable advocate. He recalled watching the lawyer evolve from a shy young associate into a seasoned practitioner over 34 years. “Bayo is reliable. You can trust him. When you give him an assignment, he will commit his entire quality and rigour to the assignment,” Babalakin said. He also shared a humorous anecdote about a client assignment involving a prominent businessman and his estranged wife, illustrating the challenges the lawyer had faced. Adaralegbe’s wife, Eleanor, thanked guests for attending despite the heavy traffic in Lagos and said the gathering celebrated not only his elevation to SAN but also God’s faithfulness throughout his career. “It’s nice to say ‘Learned Silk, sir,’ ‘SAN, sir.’ That’s not all we’re celebrating. We’re mostly celebrating God’s faithfulness,” she said. The celebrant himself expressed gratitude to God and to everyone who attended. He noted that the occasion marked the first time he had deliberately organised a celebration for his birthday. “As we all know, today I celebrate two in one, my birthday and the conferment of SAN on me. For those two milestones, I’m very grateful to God,” he said. His daughter, Ifeoluwa Oduntan, paid tribute to him as a present and attentive father who made time for his children despite demanding professional commitments. She recalled how he would return home late but still spend quality time with her and her sister, and how he mentored her during her law studies by reviewing her academic essays in detail. Amanda Opara, managing associate at NineWells Law Practice, described Adaralegbe as a courageous, visionary and purposeful leader. She praised his decision to establish an independent practice after 34 years at Babalakin & Co. and highlighted his “go big or go home” philosophy, which she said encouraged younger lawyers at the firm to pursue challenging assignments. Adaralegbe’s career began when he was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1988 after studying law at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile‑Ife, and attending the Nigerian Law School. He joined Babalakin & Co. in 1991, became a partner in 2000, and earned an LLM with distinction from the University of Dundee, United Kingdom, in 2001. He later earned a PhD focusing on investor‑state treaty arbitration. He is an adjunct professor at the Centre for Petroleum, Energy Economics and Law, University of Ibadan, and a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, United Kingdom. He is the lead partner at NineWells Law Practice, which has offices in Lagos and Abuja. The SAN conferment on 12 October 2026 marked another milestone in a career that spans legal practice, academic research, teaching and arbitration. Article source: The Punch | Image credit: The Punch
Former Nigerian lawyer and academic Prof. Bayo Adaralegbe was formally elevated to the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and celebrated his 64th birthday on Friday, 12 October 2026, at Harbour Point on Victoria Island, Lagos. The event drew a mix of legal, political, academic and corporate dignitaries, as well as family members, to honour the lawyer’s contributions to practice, scholarship and mentorship. Among the guests were former Minister of State for Budget and National Planning Udo Udoma, retired Supreme Court Justice Bode Rhodes‑Vivour, and senior lawyer Dr. Wale Babalakin (SAN). Justice Lateefah Okunnu of the Lagos State High Court and Justice Yinka Adeniyi of the National Industrial Court, Abuja, were also in attendance. Colleagues from NineWells Law Practice, Seplat executive Larry Ettah, MTN Nigeria Chief Executive Officer Karl Toriola, and Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board Prof. Segun Aina joined the celebration. Justice Rhodes‑Vivour, who chaired the ceremony, congratulated Adaralegbe on his elevation, describing the achievement as the result of hard work and divine grace. He recalled their professional relationship dating back to Adaralegbe’s early days at Babalakin & Co., when he was a judge of the Lagos State High Court. “We had many battles together, but they were friendly battles,” he said. Rhodes‑Vivour also expressed surprise at Adaralegbe’s academic pursuits, noting that he had not realised the lawyer had ventured into academia until later in his career. Dr. Babalakin, who employed Adaralegbe in 1991, described him as a dependable lawyer, outstanding scholar and remarkable advocate. He recalled watching the lawyer evolve from a shy young associate into a seasoned practitioner over 34 years. “Bayo is reliable. You can trust him. When you give him an assignment, he will commit his entire quality and rigour to the assignment,” Babalakin said. He also shared a humorous anecdote about a client assignment involving a prominent businessman and his estranged wife, illustrating the challenges the lawyer had faced. Adaralegbe’s wife, Eleanor, thanked guests for attending despite the heavy traffic in Lagos and said the gathering celebrated not only his elevation to SAN but also God’s faithfulness throughout his career. “It’s nice to say ‘Learned Silk, sir,’ ‘SAN, sir.’ That’s not all we’re celebrating. We’re mostly celebrating God’s faithfulness,” she said. The celebrant himself expressed gratitude to God and to everyone who attended. He noted that the occasion marked the first time he had deliberately organised a celebration for his birthday. “As we all know, today I celebrate two in one, my birthday and the conferment of SAN on me. For those two milestones, I’m very grateful to God,” he said. His daughter, Ifeoluwa Oduntan, paid tribute to him as a present and attentive father who made time for his children despite demanding professional commitments. She recalled how he would return home late but still spend quality time with her and her sister, and how he mentored her during her law studies by reviewing her academic essays in detail. Amanda Opara, managing associate at NineWells Law Practice, described Adaralegbe as a courageous, visionary and purposeful leader. She praised his decision to establish an independent practice after 34 years at Babalakin & Co. and highlighted his “go big or go home” philosophy, which she said encouraged younger lawyers at the firm to pursue challenging assignments. Adaralegbe’s career began when he was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1988 after studying law at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile‑Ife, and attending the Nigerian Law School. He joined Babalakin & Co. in 1991, became a partner in 2000, and earned an LLM with distinction from the University of Dundee, United Kingdom, in 2001. He later earned a PhD focusing on investor‑state treaty arbitration. He is an adjunct professor at the Centre for Petroleum, Energy Economics and Law, University of Ibadan, and a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, United Kingdom. He is the lead partner at NineWells Law Practice, which has offices in Lagos and Abuja. The SAN conferment on 12 October 2026 marked another milestone in a career that spans legal practice, academic research, teaching and arbitration.
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