The launch of Detail Dispute Lawyers coincides with a period in which arbitration is increasingly playing a significant role in resolving commercial disputes in Nigeria. The firm commenced operations on 16 March 2026, bringing together the disputes practice previously conducted through Broderick Bozimo and Company with the arbitration practice of Laura Alakija and Co. The founding partners are Isaiah Bozimo, SAN, and Laura Alakija, FCIArb.
Arbitration has become a common feature of major commercial transactions across several sectors of the Nigerian economy. Projects in areas such as energy, infrastructure and finance frequently involve participants from different jurisdictions, complex financing arrangements and long-term contractual relationships. Agreements governing such projects often include arbitration clauses that provide a structured forum for resolving disputes.
These provisions are now a familiar part of the legal framework supporting large commercial projects. When disputes emerge, arbitration allows parties to resolve their disagreements through a procedure designed specifically for commercial matters. The process allows tribunals with relevant experience to consider the issues in dispute and to issue awards that may be recognised and enforced in many jurisdictions.
For parties involved in cross-border transactions, this ability to resolve disputes within an internationally recognised framework can be an important consideration. Developments in Nigeria’s legal framework have also reinforced the role of arbitration in commercial dispute resolution.
The Arbitration and Mediation Act 2023 introduced updated provisions governing arbitration proceedings and the enforcement of awards in Nigeria. The Federal Executive Council also adopted the National Policy on Arbitration and Alternative Dispute Resolution in 2024 as part of a broader effort to strengthen the use of arbitration in commercial disputes.
Together, these developments reflect an evolving dispute resolution environment in which arbitration continues to play a central role. Large projects frequently involve multiple contractual relationships, regulatory considerations and financing arrangements. When disputes arise within such structures, arbitration can provide a forum to address complex legal and technical issues.
The founders of Detail Dispute Lawyers say the new firm was established with these developments in mind. The practice focuses on domestic and international arbitration, arbitration-related court proceedings, complex commercial litigation and dispute strategy.
The firm also works in alliance with Detail Commercial Solicitors, a Nigerian law firm that advises clients on corporate transactions and regulatory matters. The alliance allows lawyers from both firms to collaborate when disputes arise from the kinds of commercial arrangements that corporate lawyers originally helped to structure. Bozimo was the Attorney-General of Delta State and currently serves as Vice President of the ICC International Court of Arbitration, and acts as counsel and arbitrator in commercial disputes.
Alakija acts in commerical and investment-related arbitration matters under several international arbitration rules and has represented clients in disputes involving infrastructure and commercial projects. According to the founders, arbitration is likely to remain a central mechanism for resolving disputes connected to major commercial projects in Nigeria and across the region.
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Detail Dispute Lawyers launches with a focus on the transactions behind disputes
