Uwa Ohiku

Uwa is a distinguished Senior Partner in our Intellectual Property Practice. She is a Trusted Adviser to many, who rely on her tailored and commercially-sound advice and hands-on approach, to successfully navigate complex international and multinational IP landscapes and to effectively safeguard, leverage and maximise the value of their IP assets. She is the go-to person for complex matters and enjoys working with clients and mentoring teams.

She is the first Nigerian to be appointed by WIPO’s Arbitration & Mediation Center in Geneva, to handle domain disputes both as Sole and part of 3-Member Panels. She has also handled similar cases under Nigeria’s Dispute Resolution Policy (NDRP).

Uwa was a member of the Committee of Experts appointed by the Federal Minister for Science & Technology in April 2011, to evaluate the alignment of the Draft Science, Technology & Innovation Policy with Intellectual Property laws. She conducted a comprehensive study of Nigeria’s Patent & Trademark Office, for the Federal Minister of Commerce, infusing clear and defined accountability metrics and performance indicators in the Report. She chaired the Draft Trademarks Act (2002) Review Panel and advised the Federal Government on Nigeria's participation in ARIPO. A data-backed report to the supervising Federal Minister, highlighting potential revenue/ROI) resulted in the record publication of Trademark journals. She also drafted the Terms of Reference for a Study on Intellectual Property for OPEC’s Research & Development Officials (Nigeria) in July 2010.

Uwa's illustrious career has garnered a plethora of accolades. Business Day recognized her as one of Nigeria's 50 Most Influential Women in the legal profession in April 2011. On a global scale, Managing Intellectual Property (MIP) recognised her as the sole Nigerian among Top 250 Women in Intellectual Property Worldwide in its maiden edition in 2013. Standing tall and proudly representing Nigeria, she has made this list several more times thereafter and in 2022, was once again, the only Nigerian to be so recognised.

Her exceptional career and contributions have also earned her coveted positions in numerous other directories, including IP Star, Who’s Who Legal, solidifying her legacy as an icon. Chambers & Partners have rated her a Band 1 Lawyer for an impressive period of 8 years and more recently, elevated her to the distinguished and revered status of Senior Statesperson, the only Nigerian till date, to achieve this in IP. She was also recognised as one of the Most Influential Women in Intellectual Property by WIPR - World IP Review in 2020 and World Trademark Review (WTR1000) recently bestowed their highest honor - Gold Standard IP Practitioner - on her, acknowledging her as a Global Leader.  

She is a Trustee of IPLAN – the Intellectual Property Law Advocacy Network of Nigeria and was the Editor of the Nigerian Chapter of The Brown Book, a compendium of Trademark, Patent and Design Laws & Practice worldwide, published by Kluwer Law. At the 2008 BRICS IP Summit in Gurgaon, New Delhi, she was the only speaker from Africa.

Uwa is a Mentor, Life Coach and a qualified Health & Wellness Coach, with competency in Health Transformation Coaching, Person-centered Health, Wellness and Nutrition. She is a member of the Board of Directors of The Sickle Cell Foundation of Nigeria (SCFN) and Founder, The MediSSupport Foundation, which provides financial support to people living with life-threatening conditions. In her spare time, she writes, enjoys gardening and makes her own clothes.