Our lawyers have the required experience in identifying the various methods by which finance can be raised, sourced and provided to various sectors. We can help our clients with finding the long-term finances for industrial projects and infrastructure based on the projected cash-flow of the particular project. At Avante & Schmidt, we create a project financing structure for our clients by leveraging on our strong relationships with a number of equity investors as well as a syndicate of banks that are willing to provide loans to suit our clients’ needs. Our dedicated team of lawyers will ensure that the financing of these projects is equitably distributed among multiple parties if necessary, so as to distribute the risk associated with the project while simultaneously ensuring profits for each party. Members of the finance team also act in the context of broader project work, and have a full understanding of the commercial requirements and practicalities involved.

At Avante & Schmidt, we understand that closing a business transaction can be a very complex venture on its own. This is why we have a team of lawyers whose core competence is to effectively represent and protect our clients’ interest on the bargaining and negotiation table from start to finish. From determining what is fair market value to advising our clients on what may constitute a sound business transaction, we are fully prepared to act as facilitators on behalf of our clients, if and when necessary. We have successfully brokered deals for our clients in a wide variety of sectors.

We recognize that most businesses will go on the market at some point in time during their life-cycle, so our lawyers are on hand to advice our clients about the legal implications of merging, selling or acquiring a particular company. At Avante & Schmidt, we can assist our clients interested in acquiring a business in the search process and, depending on the resources at their disposal, help negotiate the acquisition of a targeted company. We cannot make the decision to sell or acquire for you, but we can help you navigate the myriad of legal obstacles you will face along the way. We assist our clients with strategic acquisitions of different levels of shareholdings in local companies in a number of sectors and on establishing local joint ventures if/when necessary. We can advise our clients on a wide range of legal issues that arise from a potential merger, acquisition or consortium agreement including sound business valuation, financing options, management restructuring, brand & equitable considerations, short and long-term factors etc. We recently advised a group of investors interested in pooling their resources together to form a consortium in executing a major project at the heart of our nation’s capital.

In their quest to expand globally, foreign individuals and corporate entities now recognize emerging markets and economies as potential gold-mines in terms of yielding a worthwhile Return on Investments (ROI). At Avante & Schmidt, our lawyers are on hand to advice and assist our foreign clients on a wide range of investment issues including meeting incorporation requirements, the coordination and monitoring of investment promotion activities, the registration and maintenance of an accurate record of foreign investments and the provision of assistance and aid to incoming and existing investors. We are equipped to act as a dependable liaison between investors, government departments, agencies and other institutions connected with investments on our shores. We also advice and help our foreign clients secure some worthwhile incentives designed by the Federal Government which includes pioneer status, Relief in respect of Commonwealth Income Tax, Relief in respect of Interest on any foreign loan, Export Development Fund (EDF), Duty Drawback/Suspension Scheme, Currency Retention Scheme, Investment & Repatriation Mechanisms etc.

The real estate services comprises of fully serviced houses and apartments, and residential, commercial and industrial lands for sale or rental, ranging in size and value to suit individual needs. Availability and cost is dependent on which area and also the state within which the land is situated. The real estate and property market is booming across the globe and is known for yielding one of the highest Returns on Investment (ROI) in comparison to other sectors in the global economy. At Avante & Schmidt, we help our individual and corporate clients by providing sound legal advice in the areas of property development, project finance and mortgage options.

One of our major clients is a renowned manufacturer of premium computer products, and we successfully provided sound legal advice from the drawing, trademark and patents stage to the manufacturing, assembly and distribution stage. We advice our clients on every aspect of the regulatory process relating to the manufacture and distribution of locally-made or imported products,  good manufacturing practices, shipping, customs & clearing of cargo, product safety and quality control.

The capital market is made up of a regulator, stock exchange and stock brokers. The Securities and Exchange Commission regulates the activities in the capital market in accordance with the Investment Securities Act, LFN 2007. Our team of lawyers are on hand to assist and advice our clients on working with a wide array of financially sound and established commercial, merchant, and investment banks, both domestic and international, listed shares and debentures, stocks and bonds and options on those shares and debentures are traded on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE).

At Avante & Schmidt, we recognize that it is certainly within the realm of possibilities for disputes to arise as a result of business dealings.  Litigation aside, alternative forms of dispute resolution are on the meteoric rise in Nigeria because the regular courts are usually burdened with delays for diverse reasons. An attempt to combat these delays and ensure swifter dispensation of justice has seen the emergence of Alternative Dispute Resolution and the multi-door court house.

The multi-door courthouse is a court-connected ADR centre which offers a variety of alternative dispute resolution processes. It is a multi-faceted dispute resolution centre established to supplement available resources for access to justice.

The methods of alternative dispute resolution in Nigeria are Negotiation, Mediation, Conciliation, and Arbitration. Arbitration and Conciliation in Nigeria is governed by the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, LFN, 2004.

At Avante & Schmidt, we always advise our clients to include clauses in their contracts that provide for recourse to mediation or arbitration where a dispute arises. We also advise our clients to agree on a governing law and to the jurisdiction of international arbitration forums.

In a nutshell, we will assess our clients’ needs on a case-by-case basis in order to determine whether or not litigation or any other dispute resolution mechanism may be appropriate given the circumstances. 

Our lawyers are on hand to provide consultancy services for our clients if the need arises. We specialize in providing management consultancy services for individual, government and corporate organizations. AtAvante & Schmidt, our lawyers apply a result-oriented approach to establish an effective and unique starting point.  Our focus cuts across 4 main areas: Business Development, Strategic Planning, Project Management and Resource Management.

Our firm is well-equipped to perform secretarial duties to our commercial clients if and when the need arises. From general advice to legal drafting, our lawyers are on hand to execute the following:

•    Advise on legal and regulatory matters arising from the day-to-day running of the Company.
•    Preparation of Statutory Books of the Company, including the register of Shareholders and minute book.
•    Preparation of all documents and notices required to convey Annual General Meeting of the Company.
•    Attendance at Annual General Meetings and other meetings to take minutes and advice on issues of procedures
     and compliance with laws regulating companying business in Nigeria.
•    Filing all documents, which the Company is required to file at the Corporate Affairs Commission.
•    Advice on proposed and desired changes in the corporate documents or structure of the Company.
•    Assist the Company in the drafting and preparation of Board and other resolutions.
•    Execute documents as secretary when requested by the Board of Directors.
•    Generally assist in ensuring that the Company complies with all the provisions of the Companies and Allied
     Matters Act and other relevant laws, thus avoiding embarrassment from the Government Agencies as a result of
     non-compliance with applicable regulations.