Chinasa Unaegbunam, SAN

Chinasa Unaegbunam, SAN is the Managing Partner of the Firm and team leader of the Firm's Dispute Resolution and Aviation Practice Groups. Her primary practice area is Dispute Resolution.

She has played a leading role in advising and representing international clients in the aviation and oil and gas sectors, leveraging her litigation and arbitration experience. She has acted in a wide range of commercial disputes including oil and gas, company law, aviation, employment, construction, domestic trade disputes and taxation. Her related practice areas include aviation law, arbitration and mediation, and energy.

She was co-counsel responsible for drafting the Civil Aviation Act and the subsequent declarations made by Nigeria in pursuance of the Cape Town Convention. She has also been involved in the review of power industry template contracts and advised on proposed greenfield power projects.

Her notable representations include the N213 billion Nigerian Electricity Market Stabilization Facility, an intervention fund established to resolve liquidity issues in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry by settling outstanding legacy gas debts among other measures; a multi-trillion Naira suit filed for the enforcement of the provisions of the Stamp Duties Act relating to stamp duty on receipts, electronic transfers and teller deposits from 2004 to 2013; a Federal High Court to Supreme Court appeal to secure the purchase of three oil blocks by a company listed on the London Stock Exchange and the Nigerian Stock Exchange from another international oil and gas company; and securing a multimillion-dollar export credit facility from US EXIM Bank for the acquisition of new aircraft.

She holds a BL from the Nigerian Law School and an LLB from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. She is a member of the Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria, a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (UK), a member of the International Aviation Women's Association, and a Council Member of the Nigerian Bar Association, Section on Business Law. She is also a co-author of the Nigerian chapter of Getting the Deal Through publications on Aviation Finance & Leasing, Enforcement of Foreign Judgements, Aviation Liability, and Air Transport.