The Federal High Court sitting in Abeokuta, Ogun state has barred the Big Four Accounting Firms; KPMG Professional Services, Deloitte & Touche Consulting Ltd, Ernst And Young Advisory Services Limited and Price Waterhouse Cooper Ltd(PWC), from rendering legal services in Nigeria.

Honourable Justices O. O Oguntoyinbo and M. Shitu Abubakar in a consent Judgment with SUIT NO.: FHC/AB/CS/71/2020, FHC/AB/CS/70/2020, FHC/AB/CS/69/2020, FHC/AB/CS/72/2020, instituted by Olumide Babalola Esq. against the firms, held that all parties consented that they don’t have the right to practice law nor offer any kind of professional legal services in Nigeria.

Delivering the consent judgment, the court perused the Terms of Settlement agreed and signed by parties in the suits dated, 5th July and filed 22nd November, 2021, 5th and filed 14th July, 2021, dated 15th, and filed 18th January, and 16th January and filed on 1st February, 2021, respectively.

Upon hearing the submissions of the Counsel, the Court entered the Terms of Settlement as the judgment of the court.

Part the terms reached are as follows:

1. The accounting firms are not firms of “Legal Practitioners” as defined under section 24 of the Legal Practitioners Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2010 and do not, and cannot, practise as Legal Practitioners in any form or guise in Nigeria or offer services reserved by law for Legal Practitioners. For the avoidance of doubt, the law has reserved the following for legal Practitioners;

Preparation, signing and/or franking of originating court processes, pleadings and/or court related applications or filing any such documents as Legal Practitioners in courts for clients in connection with court proceedings;

Representation of clients in courts as their Legal Practitioners;

Preparation, signing and/or franking of any agreement, contract, deed, letter or any other document that confers, transfers, limits, charges or extinguishes any interest in any immovable property; and

Preparation, signing and/or franking of any document relating to, or with a view to, the grant of probate or letters of administration.

2. The accounting firms agree that the current state of Nigerian laws does not permit them to operate as a firm of Legal Practitioners as contemplated by the Legal Practitioners Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2010 or offer services reserved by law for Legal Practitioners.

3. The Firm’s declare that its personnel who are legal practitioners by virtue of their professional training do not provide, and do not hold themselves out as providing, within Nigeria to the clients of the Defendants any of the services which the law has reserved for Legal Practitioners, and will not do so unless or until the applicable law in Nigeria permits same.

The parties agreed that these Terms of Settlement are definite, final and conclusive of all issues and questions for determination raised herein, contingent or otherwise, that have or that ought to have been raised by the plaintiff against the Defendants and vice Versa in this action and any other action.

Also sued as a defendant in the suit is the Attorney General of the Federation.