Razak Atunwa LLB(Hons) LLM Pub. Int. Law (Lond) MCIArb
Membership Status: Barrister - Full Member
General Information
Razak Atunwa is a seasoned barrister with a rich blend of experience in top-end civil/commercial matters including cases with international dimensions. He has a sound academic background, having obtained his LLB (Hons) (with a first-class in International law) and LLM in Public International law (with Distinction in Law of the Sea). He was called to the Bar in England and Wales in 1994.
Areas of Practice:
- Civil and Commercial Law
- Contractual and Business Disputes
- Arbitration: Domestic and International
- Aviation: Regulatory, Advisory and Litigation
Razak receives instructions to act for individuals and companies in contractual matters in the High Court and Central London County Court. He also provides comprehensive advice in highly complex civil/commercial matters to assist parties in determining their best cause of action.
Razak is Public Access qualified and has the authorisation to conduct litigation.
Razak is currently handling a number of arbitration cases as counsel for Claimants and Defendants. He is currently counsel in an international arbitration under the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC) rules.
He is also currently instructed in cases in relation to enforcement proceedings of foreign Arbitral awards of high value in excess of US$150million.
Razak enriched his experience when he sojourned into politics in Nigeria, rising from various sub-national positions to become a member of Nigeria’s House of Representatives (2015 - 2019). In that Parliament, he was the Chairman of the House Committee on Justice. He also Chaired an Ad-hoc Committee which conducted a Parliamentary inquiry into the largest and most complicated scandal in the oil and gas industry: the Malabu Scandal, involving alleged fraud of $1.3billion by Government officials and multinational companies. He has recently been instructed in 2024 by an international oil company to recover multimillion dollars compensation from a state oil corporation.
Razak is an aviation enthusiast. He was a leading member of the House Committee on Aviation. His Masters Degree included International Air Law. He spearheaded the establishment of the International Aviation College (IAC), Ilorin, which is a foremost aviation training institute in Nigeria. He supervised compliance with all the ICAO regulatory requirements for an Approved Training Organisation (ATO). He was the Alternate Chairman of IAC between 2008 and 2012. He later trained to become a pilot holding both an ICAO licence issued in Nigeria and an EASA licence issued in the United Kingdom. He covers regulatory compliance, advisory and litigation in the aviation field.
Bar Associations & Memberships
Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (MCIArb)
Member of the Technology and Construction Bar (TECBAR)
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Publications
Razak has appeared in a number of notable and high-profile civil/commercial cases reported in various Law Reports, including:
Mark v Mark [2005] UKHL 42 [House of Lords] {on Illegality of Stay, Domicile and Habitual Residence. This remains a landmark case and the leading authority on domicile in English law and perhaps the most frequently cited authority in the family courts on the topic in recent times.
AIC Ltd v Federal Government of Nigeria [2003] EWHC 1357 (QB) {on Sovereign Immunity and Civil Enforcement of Foreign Judgment}. This case is very frequently cited as authority in cases of recognition and enforcement of foreign judgment; procedure for service in enforcement of foreign judgment, and determination of "commercial purposes" of state accounts.
Murphy Shipping v Burt [2004] All ER (D) 287 {on Worldwide Freezing Injunction}
Attorney General of Zambia v Meer Care Desai, Chiluba and Others [2005] EWHC 2102 (Ch) {on international confiscation of proceeds of money laundering (former President Chiluba of Zambia)}.
Recently won substantial damages for the Claimant inAUE Capital Management Ltd v Tetra Tech International Development BV (subject of non-disclosure agreement in the Chancery Division of the High Court) for breach of contract on a DfID international contract.
