About Me

He graduated from Ahmadu Bello University Zaria where he bagged a Second Class (Upper Division) Degree in 2012. After his LL.B program, he proceeded to the Nigerian Law School in Lagos where he also graduated with a Second Class (Upper Division) and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 2013. He worked briefly as a Legal Assistant to Hon. Justice Asmau Mainoma of the Nasarawa State Judiciary before returning to full-time legal practice. He is currently undertaking a Master Degree program in Islamic Banking and Finance at the Bayero University, Kano.

Rilwan has led and structured notable commercial transactions for numerous clients. He helped a Chinese company, Bao Yao Hua Jian Iron & Steel FZE in the Calabar Free Trade Zone to negotiate and structure a debt of more than N1,600,000,000 (One Billion, Six Hundred Million Naira) in 2019 with the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria. He was also engaged by an Engineering firm, IRS Engineering Ltd to help the Nigerian Navy negotiate an indebtedness of N1,700,000,000 (One Billion Seven Hundred Thousand Naira) owed the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company Plc. He has also negotiated and perfected property transactions in major cities in Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa of more than N5,000,000,000 (Five Billion Naira).

Because of his knack for details and due diligence, he has been able to save his numerous clients of hundreds of millions in commercial and property transactions over the years. Rilwan was part of the team that represented an arms company, Société D’General Internationaux Nig. Ltd in the 2015 Presidential Investigation Panel on Procurement of Arms in Nigeria. The team was led by Rickey Tarfa SAN.

He was also part of the team that represented Late Hon. Justice Abdu Kafarati (former Chief Judge of the Federal High Court) and Hon. Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia at the National Judicial Council (NJC) over Petitions written against them.

Rilwan by his nature loves to create ideas and add value to clients’ businesses and ventures. While he worked with one of the leading litigation firms in the country, Rickey Tarfa & Co. his then Principal, Rickey Tarfa SAN termed him as a lawyer who thinks outside the box, a passionate and committed litigator, and a hardworking and result oriented individual. This earned him to be entrusted with the recovery of the sum of $8,600,000 (Eight Million Six Hundred Thousand Dollars) for an international company in the United States of America.

Very recently, Rilwan was engaged by a Port Harcourt based company to recover more than N500,000,000 (Five Hundred Million Naira) owed it by the Federal Ministries of Finance and Agriculture. He was engaged by some foreign investors to help buy investment stakes in one of the biggest restaurants in Abuja – ‘The Pasha restaurant’.  As an industry player with in-depth knowledge of the working of the real estate sector, he has successfully structured and advised on various joint venture transactions for giants in the real estate industry.  He has advised severally, few of the leading NGOs in Abuja, SCiDAR and Sydani Initiative for International Development on a few legal issues affecting their operations.

As a sterling litigator, he has employed his technical know-how and wealth of experience by using the instrumentality of the law to help numerous clients file debt recovery cases and has been able to recover hundreds of millions of naira for his clients. He has handled several criminal cases where he has secured the discharge and acquittal of his clients charged with different criminal offences.

As a form of Corporate Social Responsibility, Rilwan incorporated a Non-Governmental Organization called the Access to Legal Aid Initiative to offer free legal services to indigents who cannot afford legal services.

Rilwan has been involved in several high-profile election petition cases spanning from the tribunal to the appellate levels. He has registered more than 500 startup companies in Nigeria for his numerous clients. He has been described by many clients as a dynamic and enterprising lawyer, a solution provider, a pillar of support and a think tank.

His areas of practice and expertise include;

• Corporate and Commercial Practice,
• General Litigation, Risk Control/Management and Dispute Resolution
• Finance and Capital Market
• Tax Advisory
• Debt Recovery and Asset Tracing,
• Election Petitions.
• Corporate Governance
• Regulatory Representations,
• Legislative monitoring,
• Real Estate and Construction.
• Infrastructure Finance and Public-Private Partnerships
• Private Equity & Venture Capital
• Mergers and acquisitions
• Islamic Finance

He is a member of the International Bar Association (IBA) and has attended several International Bar Conferences around the World. He has also attended several seminars and conferences within Nigeria. He is also a member of the New York State Bar Association. In his free time, Rilwan enjoys playing lawn tennis, chess, bowling and reading. He is a Company Secretary/Legal Adviser to some notable companies in Nigeria few among these companies are Cardinal Group of Companies Ltd, CW & Co Group of companies Ltd, Rolling Group of Companies Ltd and Jamiya Multi Exchange Investment Ltd.

NOTABLE TRANSACTIONS WORKED ON BY RILWAN IDRIS

1. Helped a Chinese company, Bao Yao Hua Jian Iron & Steel FZE in the Calabar Free Trade Zone to structure and negotiate a debt of more than N1,600,000,000 (One Billion, Six Hundred Million Naira) in 2019 with the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria.

2. Negotiated on behalf of the Nigerian Navy  an indebtedness of N1,700,000,000 (One Billion Seven Hundred Thousan Naira) owed the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company Plc.

3. Negotiated and perfected property transactions in major cities in Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa of more than N5,000,000,000 (Five Billion Naira).

4. Engaged in the recovery of the sum of $8,600,000 (Eight Million Six Hundred Thousand Dollars) for an international company in the United States of America.

5. Recovery of more than N500,000,000 (Five Hundred Million Naira) from the Federal Ministries of Finance and Agriculture for a Port Harcourt based company.

6. Concluded investment transactions in ‘The Pasha restaurant’ on behalf of some foreign investors.

7. Structured joint venture transactions for giants in the real estate sector