Yemi Candide-Johnson SAN appointed President of the Lagos Court of Arbitration

The Lagos Court of Arbitration (LCA) Board of Directors have confirmed the appointment of Mr Yemi Candide- Johnson, SAN as the President of the Court.

Mr Candide-Johnson joined the Board of the LCA in 2010. He is a legal practitioner of repute with over 30 years professional experience in both local and International commercial arbitration, and a Senior Partner at Strachan Partners, a leading commercial law firm based in Lagos with substantial practice across the nation. As an ADR enthusiast, he serves on various functions in the arbitral sphere. Under his capacity as the Chairman of the Lagos State Arbitration Law Reform Committee, he was involved in the reform of arbitration laws, one of which, led to the enactment of the Lagos State Arbitration Law, 2009 and the subsequent establishment of the LCA.

With an enviable track record, Mr Candide-Johnson has featured in several high profile commercial cases. He continues to act as lead counsel/arbitrator in the areas of Maritime, Oil & Gas, Real estate and Construction. We are delighted that he will also lead the Board of Directors of the LCA in his new role and provide counsel to the leadership of the LCA on business strategies, portfolio choices, and organization decisions.

Commending his appointment, the outgoing President, Mr Olasupo Shasore SAN said, “We welcome Candide- Johnson’s experience and leadership. His accomplishments are phenomenal; The LCA will undoubtedly, benefit from his result- oriented approach”.

Mr Candide-Johnson is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators of England (FCIArb), an approved tutor and examiner for the UK Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, an honorary fellow at the Centre for International Legal Studies in Salzburg, Austria, and a supporting member of the London Maritime Arbitration Association. He was called to the Nigerian Bar in July 1984, appointed a Notary Public for Nigeria in 1988 and holds a Master’s degree in Law from the University of London. In 2013, he was conferred with the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria.

In addition, Mr Candide-Johnson is an author of several scholarly papers in the public sphere which includes the ‘Commercial Arbitration Law and International Practice in Nigeria’, (2012, LexisNexis) – a text he co-authored with Mr Olasupe Shasore, SAN.

He has held the following positions:

1. Chairman, of the Nigeria Bar Association, Section on Business Law.
2. Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association, Sub-Committee on Legal and Regulatory Matters, in which he was responsible for drafting the Telecommunications Law, 2003.
3. Chairman, Lagos State Arbitration Law Reform Committee 2007/2008.

Apart from being the President and a member of the Board of the LCA, Mr Candide-Johnson is currently a member of the following:

1. The Panel of Neutrals for the Lagos State Multi-door Court House, Lagos.
2. The Board of Trustees of Communicating for Change.
3. The Association of International Petroleum Negotiators.
4. The Nigerian Communications Commission Panel of Neutrals.
5. Secretary, Parish Church Council, Anglican Church on the Peninsula.
6. The Advisory Board of LEAP Africa.