Alex is a litigation and transaction lawyer, and the Managing Partner of A. Muoka & Co. – a Lagos-based commercial and litigation law firm.
He holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from the Lagos State University, a Master of Laws degree from the University of Lagos, and was called to the Bar in 1991 – at 20 (winning the Prize for the best student in Company Law and Commercial Practice at the Bar Final Examinations). He was appointed a Notary Public in September, an active member of the Lagos Branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), he has served as member and secretary of several committees of the Branch from 2005 – Branch Building Committee, Branch Law Week Committee, Branch Dinner Committee, Branch Land Enquiry Committee, Branch NBA Constitution Review Committee.
In 2011, he was elected Secretary of the Branch and brought a unique flair, innovativeness, and much needed improvements to the office. During his tenure as Branch Secretary, he pioneered the use of electronic mail in sending detailed minutes of meetings, reports and other information on Branch activities to the over 5,000 members of the Branch.
He penned a regular email newsletter, using catchy subject headings and an inimitable racy (almost irreverent), skilfully engaging, and descriptively narrative style of writing that members found deeply captivating – to regale his audience with vivid accounts of bar news, events and matters of national and local significance.
Members came to love and look forward to his often weekly chronicles, and were quick to forward them to other colleagues to read and enjoy. These innovations helped to increase the interest and participation of many members of the Branch who had never attended meetings and were lukewarm towards the NBA.
Thousands of Lagos lawyers who had hitherto been completely outside the information loop now had reports, minutes and news about the bar delivered directly to their phones and devices via e-mail – in the days before WhatsApp and instant social media.
He was elected Branch Chairman and served from 2013-2015 – administering the largest branch of the NBA comprising (at the time) over 5,000 lawyers (including hundreds of successful commercial solicitors, eminent senior advocates and in-house counsel). His tenure was marked by exemplary fiscal discipline, transparency and accountability, quality continuing legal education programmes, high-octane Branch dinners and social events, a robust bar-bench interaction, sponsored and subsidized interventions for young lawyers, and he continued to pen witty chronicles keeping members well updated with legal news and information.
His speeches and addresses at bar functions, valedictory sessions, and other events were always incisive, well-thought out, brilliantly delivered and well-received. Five years after he left office, he remains a much loved and respected former Chairman of the NBA Lagos Branch.
At the national level, he has been an active member of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the NBA since 2011 and is known for regular attendance and constructive contributions at meetings. He has also served on several NBA National Committees including as Secretary of the NBA Niger Delta Task Force (from 2016-2018) and as Member of the NBA Technical Committee on Conference Planning for the 2017 NBA Annual General Conference.
He is an active member of both the NBA Section on Business Law and Section on Legal Practice and has served in Conference Planning Committees in both Sections. He has also facilitated sessions as Moderator and Panelist at Conferences of the two Sections, as well as at the NBA Annual General Conference.
Outside of the NBA, he has been Treasurer of the Intellectual Property Law Association of Nigeria, Member of the Steering Committee ICF of the Lagos Court of Arbitration, and Member of the Public Complaints and Training Committee of the Lagos State Judiciary. He is currently a Member of the Lagos Settlement Week Committee of the Lagos Multi-Door Courthouse, and Trustee of the Lagos Public Interest Law Partnership.
He has delivered papers and spoken at NBA National Conferences, as well as conferences of the Section on Business Law and Section on Legal Practice. He regularly facilitates legal trainings, seminars and webinars on practice and procedure, drafting legal processes, compliance obligations, witness preparation, etiquette, defamation, medical negligence, medical ethics and litigation avoidance, and the Freedom of Information Act – imparting and empowering young lawyers with valuable legal skills.
On a lighter note, he is a much sought after compere at legal events, lectures and book presentations where he adroitly combines a very formal delivery with light banter and wise-cracks – helping to add colour and warmth to otherwise sombre proceedings. And his academic skill as a Book Reviewer has received judicial notice and professional attention.He is passionate about legal practice, legal ethics and continuing legal education.
He co-authored (with Mrs. Labake Adetunmbi) “My Learned Friend” – a handy compendium on dress ethics, language and etiquette for the lawyer. His interests include: pro-bono criminal defence litigation, writing, poetry, travelling, and collecting Art.
