Our People

Wole Olufunwa

Senior Associate

Talk to Wole about

• Shipping
• Dispute Resolution

More about Wole

Wole is a dual British and Nigerian citizen and a nine-year PQE Senior Associate lawyer, who qualified in England and Wales in 2008.

After being awarded an LLM in maritime law with merit from University College London, he worked in the shipping and transport department of a large international law firm in London, joining our Singapore office in 2010.

Wole is a specialist dry shipping lawyer (COA, charter-party, bill of lading and pooling arrangement disputes) and an experienced commodities disputes lawyer (petroleum products, coal, cement, iron ore, nickel ore precious metals). He advises extensively on the drafting of bunker supply contracts and bunker contamination/quality disputes and is a specialist on IMO 2020, advising clients on fuel transitional requirements as well as drafting of contracts.

Experienced in advising on international arbitration matters subject to English and Singapore law, typically governed by LMAA, SIAC, SCMA, LCIA Rules or Ad Hoc Rules, he also plays an integral role in building the firm's West African international arbitration profile, having lectured regularly in Nigeria on this area of work.

Wole's clients include P&I Clubs, shipowners and mid-sized bulk commodity traders and charterers operating out of South East Asia and West Africa. He is the Founder and President of the SALI (Singapore-Africa Law & Investment) Club and has a keen interest in investment treaty law.

Having undertaken multiple secondments, Wole has gained beneficial in-house experience: he spent three months with Shell/STASCO in London, six months on secondment with The Shipowners' Club in Singapore and, in 2018, with Rio Tinto in Singapore, heading their marine desk.

Wole is an active contributor of knowledge in his areas of specialism, regularly requested by industry publications to offer insight on IMO 2020-related articles and topical issues in West Africa.