Thursday 3 April 2014

WOLE OLUFUNWA SHINES AT INTERMODAL CONFERENCE




Most participants who attended the 12th Intermodal Africa 2014 Nigeria Exhibition and Conference, had ample opportunity to reflect on the role and impact of the shipping industry in Africa. The conference explored topical issues and challenges facing global transportation and logistics, and addressed where the shipping and port industry currently stand and their impact on the region. The event was part of the two-day conference, hosted by the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, on Thursday 27 and Friday 28 March, held at the Lagos Oriental Hotel, Nigeria. 
Intermodal Africa is the biggest and most established annual Container Ports, Shipping and Transport Logistics Exhibition and Conference event on the African continent. Hosted by, the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, and it took place, for the first time in Nigeria, at the Lagos Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, on Thursday 27 and Friday 28 March 2014.
 The two-day conference featured a panel of 20 world-class conference speakers and moderators, and 35 international exhibiting companies and five event sponsors. It was attended by a gathering of senior executive harbour masters, harbour engineers, port engineers, maintenance supervisors and procurement decision makers together with the world’s leading shippers, cargo owners, importers / exporters, shipping lines, freight forwarders, logistics companies, ports, terminal operating companies, railway operators, port equipment and services suppliers from 17 countries.  
 Wole Olufunwa, an Associate lawyer at Holman Fenwick Willan, Singapore, was one of the 20 world-class speakers at the conference. His lecture delved on, Unchartered Territory in Charter Parties – Legal Effect and Consequences of Piracy. Olufunwa joined Holman Fenwick Willan, HFW, the renowned global law firm in Singapore, in November 2010. Over the years, he has expanded the breadth of his practice area of Dry Shipping Arbitration/Litigation to include Trade Commodity and Marine Insurance Disputes.
 HFW is an international commercial law firm with more than 450 lawyers, with focus on delivering full services in shipping, transportation, offshore, trade and marine insurance. The firm has 14 offices in Europe, Asia Pacific, South America and the Middle East. 
Olufunwa has handled large-scale multi-million dollar trade and commodity. He is particularly experienced in representing commodity traders in coal, oil and nickel/iron ore trading markets. Much of Olufunwa’s commodity work spans the South East Asia and Austria/Asia region. 
As for the shipping side, Olufunwa regularly acts for vessel owners, vessel managers, oil majors, charterer and P&I Clubs. Most of his shipping works include advising clients on contract of affreightment disputes, charter-party and bills of lading disputes. 
 After completing his LLM in Maritime Law at the University College, London, in 2006, Olufunwa joined London City Firm, Bentleys Stokes & Lowless, where he completed his two-year legal training. Upon qualifying as a solicitor in 2008, he joined the London office of Reed Smith LLP, a top American firm, where he worked in the Dry Shipping Disputes Department. 
In his early 30's, Olufunwa is a former Nec Harlequin Rugby player. As a matter of fact, he had captained the London Nigerian RFC Rugby tour to Lagos, Nigeria in July 2007. Given the difficult hot and humid weather conditions in Singapore, Olufunwa has now hung his Rugby boots and has settled for playing football on a weekly basis with his local team, Singapore Pirates FC. 
Olufunwa enjoys spending time with his wife, Kehinde, who is an actress and an English teacher in Singapore. Both enjoy traveling and have explored many different cultural spots  in Asia. 





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