Tiwalola is a Partner in the firm’s Intellectual Property, Technology, Media & Telecommunications, and Mergers & Acquisitions practice groups.
She has advised local and multinational companies on corporate structure, regulatory compliance and acquisitions. She was part of the team which advised The Coca Cola Company on its acquisition of a 100% stake in C.H.I. Limited, Nigeria’s leading still beverages producer.
Within the intellectual property practice, she regularly advises clients on the protection of intellectual property rights, including trademarks, patents, industrial designs and copyright, IP portfolio management, the provision of franchising and licensing advice. She has been involved in several high-profile franchising transactions. In this regard, she advised the foreign franchisors of the Cold Stone Creamery, Johnny Rockets and Hard Rock Café franchises. She is currently involved in advising other foreign franchises that are actively taking steps to enter the Nigerian market.
She has actively and successfully been involved with protecting client brands from dilution, unfair use by third parties and bad faith trademark applications. In this regard, she handled the trademark opposition proceedings preventing the registration of trademarks similar to the OLYMPIC trademarks in Nigeria. Also notable is her handling of the successful opposition of the application for the registration of Walmart’s “ALWAYS LOW PRICES ALWAYS” trademark which is similar to Shoprite’s “Lower Prices You Can Trust Always” trademark.
Tiwa won the Rising Star of Africa award in the 2021 guide to the world’s leading financial law firms published by the International Financial Law Review (IFLR). She was ranked by Who’s Who Legal as a 2022 Global Leader in Franchising and also ranked by WTR 1000 in its 2022 review of trademark practitioners. She is Vice President of the Executive Committee of the Intellectual Property Law Association of Nigeria, and a Group Leader in the Well-Known Marks Committee of the International Trademark Association.
Year Joined Firm: 2010
Education/Alumni: LL. B Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria; Member International Law Section, Forum on Franchising and Business Law Group- American Bar Association; VP, Intellectual Property Law Association of Nigeria; Member, Anti-Counterfeiting Coalition Nigeria
Network Memberships: INTA, IPLAN, ICC, IBA AIPPI
