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UK Court Rejects Appeal by P&ID Lawyer Over Misconduct Findings in $11 Billion Nigeria Dispute
A British lawyer involved in a multi-billion-dollar legal dispute between Nigeria and Process & Industrial Developments Ltd (P&ID) has failed in his attempt to overturn findings of professional misconduct.
Seamus Andrew, who represented P&ID during its high-profile arbitration case against Nigeria, had sought permission to appeal a 2023 ruling by London’s High Court that found serious irregularities in the proceedings. That judgment concluded that the original $11 billion arbitration award in favor of P&ID was obtained through fraudulent means, including bribery and the misuse of confidential information.
In the same ruling, the High Court found that Andrew, who became a director and part-owner of P&ID in 2017, acted improperly by acquiring confidential documents from Nigerian officials during the arbitration. The court noted that Andrew and other P&ID lawyers knew they were not entitled to access those materials. The presiding judge described Andrew’s conduct as “indefensible.”
Andrew appealed, arguing that he had not been given adequate notice or a fair opportunity to address the court’s criticisms. He claimed the judgment was procedurally unfair and lacked proper explanation regarding the misconduct findings.
However, in a decision delivered on Tuesday, Lord Justice Julian Flaux of the Court of Appeal dismissed Andrew’s application for permission to appeal. The judge ruled that the application had been submitted too late and affirmed that the criticisms of Andrew were foreseeable and supported by the evidence presented.
The legal saga stems from a failed 2010 gas supply and processing agreement between Nigeria and P&ID, a British Virgin Islands-based company.