Donald Smart Lawson‑Ogaree

Donald Smart Lawson‑Ogaree is a Senior Associate with expertise in dispute resolution and sports & creative industries. He represents clients in complex commercial litigation, debt recovery, election petitions, oil and gas disputes, and maritime matters across Nigerian courts.

He led a team of lawyers to recover hundreds of millions of naira for the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation and has successfully recovered debts for numerous high‑net‑worth companies and institutions. He challenged election results in several Rivers State constituencies, secured a judgment setting aside a billions‑of‑naira award against Nospetco Oil and Gas Limited, and successfully represented the Nigerian Navy in fundamental rights cases. He has been part of legal teams representing multinational oil companies in multi‑billion naira oil spill claims, a leading multinational liquefied gas company in high‑profile lawsuits, and a power distribution company against the transmission company and the Federal Government. He also advised a Chinese company on investing in Nigeria.

Donald holds an LL.B from Rivers State University of Science and Technology (now Rivers State University) and a B.L. from the Nigerian Law School. He has certifications in Debt Recovery, Management, and Cybersecurity. He is a member of the Nigerian Bar Association (including its Section on Business Law and committees on Sports, Entertainment and Media, and Maritime Law), a Fellow of the Institute of Debt Recovery Practitioners of Nigeria, a Full Member of the Institute of Strategic Management of Nigeria, a Graduate Member of the Nigerian Institute of Management, and a member of the Loan Market Association. He has received commendations from NYSC and other bodies.