Azubike Okoye

*** ******** ******, ***. *, Coral Gables, FL 33134 • 786-***-**** • adquh9@r.postjobfree.com BAR ADMISSIONS

Planning to sit for the New York Bar Examination, in July 2022. Admitted to practice law as a Barrister and Solicitor, Notary Public, Supreme Court of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Admitted with full rights of audience only before Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC Court) Kazakhstan. EDUCATION

University of Miami School of Law, Coral Gables, Miami, Florida, United States of America. Candidate for LL.M. in International Arbitration, May 2022 Honors: Awarded Full Tuition Scholarship, Young ICCA (International Council for Commercial Arbitration) Nigerian Law School, Lagos State, Nigeria

BL., (Barrister-at-law) with honors, November 2007 Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Anambra State, Nigeria

LL.B. (Bachelor of Laws) with honors, August 2006

Honors: Awarded Merit Based Undergraduate Scholarship by Federal Government of Nigeria PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

GST LLP., Miami, Florida, United States of America Legal Intern, September 2021 to date

Acted as an Arbitrator-Trainee in an International Arbitration hearing relating to premature determination of a commercial contract. Acted as Arbitrator's Assistant in International Arbitration proceedings administered by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and American Arbitration Association (AAA) respectively. Prepared and reviewed procedural orders and all documents submitted in International Arbitration hearings. F.O. Akinrele & Co., Lagos, Nigeria

Senior Associate Counsel, (Team lead), July 2011 – August 2021 Acted as a co-counsel with Simmons & Simmons LLP for a U.S. bank in protracted recovery proceedings against a Nigerian entity. Successfully defended corporate lenders and financial institutions in a lenthy complex monetary transaction before trial courts and at the appellate level. Awarded the Judicial Commendation by an Honorable Judge of the High Court of Lagos State of Nigeria for excellent litigation skills and in-depth knowledge of Nigerian Law. Effectively managed and supervised a team of Associates in all Litigation, Mediation, and Arbitration matters in my team. Associate Counsel, March 2009 – July 2011

Rendered legal advisory to a foreign construction firm connected with a contractor's rights in a multi-billion dollar construction project relating to the statute of limitation of causes of action in latent defects construction liability claims. Successfully negotiated in favor of foreign clients on the acquisition of real properties from a Nigerian State Government. Ministry of Justice, Niger, Nigeria

Pupil Counsel, November 2007 – October 2008

Researched and prepared diverse legal opinions for the Attorney General. Reviewed and proofread documents and correspondence to ensure grammatical usage and good communication. SELECTED MATTERS (illustrative and not exhaustive) Litigation: Acted for an international financial institution in defending claims in a multiple consolidated proceeding arising from a complex construction contract executed in Ghana. Acted for a financial institution regarding an instruction from a corresponding bank abroad premised on an indemnity contract for freezing a customer's account. Arbitration: Acted for a leading Nigerian-based construction company in a construction liability claim involving commercial terms and financial disputes relating to multiple engineering construction projects. Mediator: Acted as a Mediator in the successful resolution of a dispute of over seven years between an Employer and a Contractor on the assignment of contractual construction obligations. Acted as a Mediator in facilitating the resolution of a dispute involving the restructuring of an estate of a deceased prominent Nigerian involving his real properties. Served as a Mediator involving a Nigerian financial institution with a strong international presence in a hotly contested mortgage dispute Azubike Okoye

520 Valencia Avenue, Apt. 4, Coral Gables, FL 33134 • 786-***-**** • adquh9@r.postjobfree.com Mediations: Acted for an American Bank in defending a claim relating to Oil Exploration and Trustee obligation arising from a third-party liability claim. Acted for a European established telecommunication entity with a branch in Nigeria in a commercial dispute involving claims bordering on Wireline Network Services and outside Plan Civil Works Services. Acted for a foreign corporation in a failed real estate acquisition transaction predicated on enforcement of the letter of indemnity. Aviation: Defended an Airline in a claim arising from defaults in observing pre-checking formalities at the Airport leading to birth on-board an aircraft by a passenger. Acted for a Nigerian Airline regarding a winding-up claim presented by a leasing company arising from various leases in relation to accrued debts. Banking and Financial Services/ Loan facilities and Mortgage: Acted for a large financial institution in a dispute involving margin facility claims by a Customer in relation to the purchase of shares on a margin basis both at the trial and appellate level. Acted for a financial institution in defending excess charges claim on the Customer's account arising from various banking facilities granted to the Customer. Successfully defended a U.S. financial corporation with Kelley Drye & Warren LLP as co-counsel in a joinder proceeding arising from security obligations of the corporation in an indenture deed. Construction: Acted for a construction company in a claim arising from accrued payments due and payable on contract sum by its employer involving additional building works. Acted for a foreign contractor in a construction liability claim on outstanding punch list from patent defects arising from an engineering contract. Taxation: Acted for Federal Inland Revenue Service at the Tax Appeal Tribunal regarding multiple claims alleging excessive assessment arising from a production sharing contract involving Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation. Power: Acted for Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission regarding mass claims presented by licensees Electricity Distribution Companies on the discharge of obligations under various Electricity Distribution Licenses. Labor & Employment: Acted for a foreign national bank in defending multiple claims presented by its ex-staff on wrongful termination of a contract of employment and non-payment of accrued benefits. Acted for an Oil and Gas Company in defending a suit bordering on the propriety or otherwise of the employee's resignation premised on constructive dismissal. Represented an international bank with a branch in Nigeria against its ex-staff for a breach of confidentiality clauses in using Customer's records for a private commercial business. Real Estate/Acquisition & Leases: Acted for a real estate company and a developer regarding a claim arising from a commercial lease on the obligation to insure personal effects in a property. Acted for an international bank with a branch in Nigeria involving a claim by its Landlord on breach of covenants not to assign properties to its subsidiaries. Acted for a Bank in a dispute on a claim on the obligation to restore a property to its position before the lease or renovate the property to a tenantable position.

Expert Witness: Acted as an Expert witness in a maritime claim arising from an Advance Payment Guarantee and Performance Bond interpretation. Acted as an Expert witness in a contested matrimonial cause proceeding pending in the U.S. under the jurisdiction of a U.S. Court over a marriage celebrated in Nigeria between Nigerian-American Citizens. SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

Azubike Okoye, Setting Aside an Arbitral Award on the grounds of Misconduct, Thisday March 01, 2016, at 11. URL: https://www.pressreader.com/nigeria/thisday/20160301/282************. Azubike Okoye, Mandatory Injunction is not Granted as a Matter of Course, March 15, 2016, URL; https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4042899 Azubike Okoye, Importance of Properly Drafted Arbitration Clauses in Commercial Agreements: Nigeria as a Case Study, March 16, 2022, URL: SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4059332 Azubike Okoye, When can a non-signatory third-party be bound to an Arbitral Award? March 16, 2022, URL: SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4059332

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIP

Fellow (FCIArb), Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, U.K. Fellow (FPD), Prime Dispute, U.K.

Fellow (MIArb), Malaysian Institute of Arbitrators Fellow (Arb. & Med.), Arbitration and Mediation Institute of New Zealand [AMINZ (Arb. & Med.)] Member, Nigerian Bar Association

Languages: English (fluent); Yoruba (basic); Igbo (fluent).