Akunne Nzube Johnpaul

Akunne Nzube Johnpaul is the Head of the Maritime Law Practice Group and an Executive Senior Associate at Olisa Agbakoba Legal (OAL). He is a seasoned legal practitioner with nearly two decades of experience, specialising in maritime law, dispute resolution, environmental justice, energy law, real estate, and alternative dispute resolution.

He has advised and represented government agencies, multinational corporations, financial institutions, and major industry players in high‑stakes and technically complex matters. His notable engagements include representing NIMASA in a landmark case on the classification of offshore rigs as vessels under the Cabotage Act, and representing the Nigerian Shippers' Council in securing a favourable interpretation of a Federal Government Executive Order on port charges. He has been involved in the recovery of over ₦5 billion in disputes involving major oil companies, successfully executed vessel arrests in enforcement of maritime claims, and led debt recovery mandates for First Bank, Polaris Bank, Fidelity Bank, and GTBank.

Mr. Akunne is at the forefront of environmental justice litigation in Nigeria, actively involved in landmark cases including the Opara Appeal before the Supreme Court and the Gbemre Appeal before the Court of Appeal, addressing critical questions on environmental rights, corporate accountability, and constitutional interpretation. He is also engaged in policy development initiatives aimed at strengthening environmental rights protection in Nigeria.

He holds an LL.B (Hons), a B.L. from the Nigerian Law School, and an LL.M from the University of Lagos (Commercial & Corporate Law, Maritime Law, Energy Law, Secured Credit). He is a member of the Nigerian Bar Association, the NBA Section on Business Law (SBL), the NBA Section on Legal Practice (SLP), the Business Recovery and Insolvency Practitioners Association of Nigeria (BRIPAN), the Nigerian Maritime Lawyers Association, the Space Law and Arbitration Association, and the Environmental Law and Advocacy Network.

He is a recognised Mondaq Thought Leader and has authored numerous publications on dispute resolution, energy law, oil pollution, environmental justice, maritime law, and corporate governance. He has also completed specialised training programmes on shipping and maritime law with the Nigerian Chamber of Shipping and insolvency training with BRIPAN.