Dele Belgore SAN

Dele Belgore was called to the bar in 1985 and four years later, before he turned 30, he started his own law practice: Sofunde, Osakwe, Ogundipe & Belgore. Ayisha Osori caught up with Dele recently to talk about legal education, law reform and lots more. Read on and find out the connection between a commercial litigation expert who is a closet ‘giant slayer’ and being a movie star.

How did it all begin with law?
Clearly being from a family of lawyers, which at last count included 5 judges and about 5 lawyers, influenced me. The influence was partially direct: my father not too subtly let me know that he would like me to become a lawyer and largely indirect: living with law books, wigs and gowns and the constant reference to how learned lawyers were.

I started law practice during my NYSC in the legal department of the defunct Nigerian Merchant Bank; joined the chambers of Chief Rotimi Williams in 1986 and became a founding partner of Sofunde, Osakwe, Ogundipe & Belgore (SOOB) in 1989. The rest is history.

Share something you find interesting about any law or your area of specialty that you think people don’t know.
The benefits of arbitration if properly used. A complicated dispute between persons from the same industry and trade does not have to be dealt with by a judge but by their own chosen arbiter, who’ll understand their business, their concerns and would address the issues with expedition and cost efficiency. A lot of corporate don’t realize this and they will be much better for it when they do.

What legal problem or issue have you had to deal with in your professional life which was particularly interesting?
Two readily come to mind. The first was when I was in Chief Rotimi Williams’ Chambers. An old retiree from a large company had his pension withheld by the company for no just cause. This guy was quite junior and his salary was insignificant to the company, but it was all the guy had. I took out garnishee proceedings against the company to attach the company’s funds in the hands of a third party such that the third party paid my client directly. This is not the most complicated work that I have done in my legal practice, but it is one of the most gratifying because of the enormous joy and relief it brought to the client; poignant for its ‘David’ defeats Goliath scenario.

The other instance was when SOOB investigated a fraudulent life insurance claim on behalf of a U.S. insurance company. The investigations led us to Imo State where it turned out, the insured who was supposed to be dead, and upon whose death his son made the claim to our client, was alive and well and had just retired from the police force. Indeed, my partner, Babajide Ogundipe and I, met the “dead man” in his house and had a long conversation with him. This discovery was supposed to be a slam dunk, end of case discovery, but the persistence of the fraudster was unbelievable. Upon being confronted with our discovery, he said that the man we saw and who admitted that he was his father was not his father but his uncle and because his father was dead and by their local custom and tradition, the man steps into the shoes of his father, would never admit to anyone that he’s not his biological father. Both men – the “deceased” and the “uncle” had the same initials. In the end, there was some other insignificant falsehood in the insurance claim form that the guy mailed to my client so he was threatened with prosecution for a postal offence if he did not abandon his claim. That was how the matter was resolved.

Would you practice law again if you could do it all over?

Probably… because I cannot think of anything else that I would like better, other than being a world renowned movie or pop star. This is not because law practice has been a wonderful thrilling life experience for me, but rather by default.

You come from a family of lawyers. Would you want to influence your children to study law? How would you feel if none of them did?
Personally, if none of my children studied law it would make absolutely no difference to me. I want them to study whatever it is they think they enjoy and are good at (and I have told them this) and in the process hopefully they will be guided to a career. I have heard however that my son told a close friend of mine that there are “invincible forces” pressurizing him to study law. That pressure is not coming from me – maybe from his grand father or other family members or maybe it is just his imagination.

As a lawyer of 23 years, 19 as a partner in a law firm, what would you say are the most challenging aspects of a law partnership?
To use an old cliché; a law partnership (any business partnership) is like a marriage. It works because you trust and complement each other and agree to work towards a common purpose. This means you will not always have your way and might feel that in certain situations you might be able to produce better results. So it’s a challenge of restraint, acceptance and mutual respect. If I might add, if I had to do it all over again I would hope I get exactly the same persons as partners as I have now. They are wonderful human beings and of the highest standard of professional ability and integrity.

What do you think about legal education in Nigeria? Any thoughts on what we should be doing differently?
Yes: there should be an accredited system of continuing legal education. Would you feel comfortable being attended to by a doctor who qualified over 20 years ago and who has not updated himself with modern medical techniques since he qualified? The same should go for lawyers. Having said this, the Business Law Section of the NBA provides a forum for this and so does the IBA, which a large number of Nigerian lawyers belong to. What is missing is a structured accreditation system for Nigeria. I think the NBA should set up a system whereby it is mandatory that you earn a certain number of points per year for continuing professional development. Courses, conferences and activities such as the IBA, NBA, publications, court appearances, advisory work etc. should go towards earning those points and a certificate or accreditation be given upon compliance. That way a client can satisfy himself that his lawyer is current in his practice.


How do you spend your time when you are not practicing law?
I am a homely person, normally at home with my family, watch TV or entertaining friends.
Where do you see the trend of legal practice in Nigeria over the next 5 years considering globalization?
I see greater and more defined lines of specialization and clients becoming more discerning. Today, a great deal of legal work is being dished out not on the basis of the competence of the lawyer but on personal relationships with the client. As the needs of the client become bigger and more sophisticated this will change. I expect also to see the creation of more partnerships and the merger of firms, and of course the incursion of foreign law firms.

If there was one law you think Nigeria absolutely had to have/modify/change what would that law be?
The Land Use Act. It is anachronistic and not commercially friendly, though from the point of view of the government it gives them control. I would also repeal our bigamy laws as they exist in our statute books as I am not aware of anyone having being prosecuted under them.

Since lawyers are considered learned and guardians of the conscience of society, care to share your views about leadership in Nigeria?
Leadership is about sacrifice and not personal benefit. The people you lead are the masters and you are their chosen servant. It is meant to be a selfless service. Unfortunately, in Nigeria most of our leaders don’t understand what leadership really entails or they do understand it but are so consumed by their selfishness. Rather than lead they lord it over people, they oppress rather than address or redress wrongs and they are the problem and not the solution.



Proust Questionnaire
1. To what faults do you feel most indulgent?
My family, if that could be considered as a fault
2. Who are your favorite heroes/heroines of fiction?
I can’t really think of any, maybe Indiana Jones, James Bond, essentially the action heroes who save the world and get the girls.
3. Who are your favorite heroes/heroines of history?
Selfless leaders or individuals who put the interest of others above their own and have had to make sacrifices in that process. Nelson Mandela comes top of the list in the modern age and going back in time it would be the likes of Mahatma Gandhi and Oliver Cromwell (who fought for parliamentary sovereignty in England.
4. Your most marked characteristic?
That’s looking at yourself in the mirror. I’ll let others decide.
5. The quality you most like in a man?
Forthrightness and honesty. It is an endearing quality to know where a man stands on an issue and to know that his stance is based upon his conviction
6. The quality you most like in a woman?
Same as with men but with added features of virtue, tenderness, intelligence and beauty
7. What do you most value in your friends?
Same qualities as I value most in men
8. What to your mind would be the greatest of misfortunes?
If I were to wake up and find that everyone that I care about is gone
9. What natural gift would you most like to possess?
Greater sporting and linguistic abilities
10. What is your present state of mind?
I would say that my present state of mind is free and balanced. Free in the sense that I don’t feel I am carrying any undue burden and I thank God for that. Balanced because I think I am fairly normal.
11. What is your motto?
Live and let live but thrive for improvement in yourself and in people and things around you.

In a nut shell
Dele Belgore, a partner in the law firm of Sofunde, Osakwe, Ogundipe and Belgore was born on the 25th of June 1961 in London.
He was educated in Capital School Kaduna, Offa Grammar School, Shoreham College and the Universities of Hall & Bristol
The ‘faults’ he is most indulgent with are his family, he wishes he had sporting & linguistic abilities and his present state of mind is free & balanced.