Practice area 08
Employment and pensions
Contracts, handbooks and hard conversations, handled fairly and within the law.
We advise employers of every size, from Abuja schools and clinics to national companies, on the full life of the employment relationship: hiring, contracts, handbooks, discipline, redundancy and exits.
When a dispute reaches the National Industrial Court we defend it, but most of our work is preventive. A clear contract and a fair process are the best defence, and we train managers to follow both.
We also advise on pensions compliance, group life cover, HMO arrangements for staff and the immigration paperwork for expatriate hires.
The practice
Services, process and example fees
Documents
Offer letters, contracts and handbooks that fit Nigerian law.
Discipline
Queries, panels and fair hearing support for HR teams.
Restructuring
Redundancy planning and union consultation.
Disputes
Defence of claims at the National Industrial Court.
Benefits
Pensions, group life and HMO arrangements.
- Day 1
Facts
What happened and what the documents say.
- Days 2 to 5
Options
A short written note with the risks of each route.
- Next
Process
We guide or run the process step by step.
- Close
Records
Every step documented in case it is ever tested.
| Service | Scope | Example fee | Typical time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Staff handbook | Up to 100 staff | ₦850,000 | 3 weeks |
| Contract templates | Three role types | ₦450,000 | 1 week |
| Termination advice | One case | ₦250,000 | 2 days |
| Court defence | Phased | Quoted per matter | Varies |
Example rates for this demo, plus VAT at 7.5 percent and government fees at cost.
Selected matters
Recent work (examples)
Rewrote the handbook for a school group with 400 staff across three campuses (example matter).
Guided a manufacturer through a fair redundancy programme agreed with the union (example matter).
Defended a bank against an unfair dismissal claim, dismissed after the process records were produced (example matter).
Writes the contracts and handbooks that keep employers out of court, and defends them at the National Industrial Court when a dispute arrives anyway.
The team
Who leads your employment matter
Partner
Funmilayo Adeyemi
Employment and pensions
Senior associate
Efe Oghenekaro
Dispute resolution
How we staff it
Funmilayo leads and signs off every piece of advice. Efe runs the matter day to day and is your first call. A pupil or NYSC member supports research and filings, supervised at every step.
If your matter touches other areas, Funmilayo brings in the right partner and keeps one fee estimate.
Questions
Asked often
Can I end an employment contract with notice only?
Often yes, but the contract, the handbook and the reason matter. Ask before you act.
Do you act for employees?
Yes, for senior executives in exit negotiations, where there is no conflict with an employer client.
Is a handbook legally binding?
Parts of it can be, which is why it must be drafted carefully.
Do you run HR training?
Yes, short sessions for managers on discipline and fair hearing.
Related
Areas that often work alongside this one
01
Dispute resolution
Litigation, arbitration and mediation, run with a plan, a budget and an honest view of your chances from the first meeting.
02
Corporate and commercial
From the day you register the company to the day you sell it, with clean records in between.
03
Technology, data and IP
Data protection, platform terms and trade marks for companies that build, sell or rely on software.
Consultations
Book a consultation with the right partner
Forty-five minutes, in chambers in Gwarinpa or by video, for ₦50,000 (example rate), credited to your first invoice. We run a conflict check before we meet.
