ON LEAVE OF ABSENCE
Fernandez (a.k.a. “The Fernist”) is a commercial and technology dispute resolution (litigation & ADR) specialist, a Tony Elumelu Foundation alumnus. His core competences/interests are technology and emerging trends, data protection and privacy, AI for law & law for AI, gamification of law, intellectual property, start-up advisory, robotic governance, web 3.0 and metaverse, and resolving disputes in all these areas.
He is a principal member of the Lawyers in Technology Initiative and a team lead at Innovation Law Club Africa, a group whose aim is to promote the use of technology in law as well as promote legal practice relating to technology. He is also a member of the strategy operations and management team of the Justice in Commerce Network, an advocacy initiative of the Lagos State Chamber of Commerce and International Arbitration Centre (LACIAC) and Commercial and Regulatory Disputes Best Practices Network (Cridlaw-Net) which authored the model Administration of Civil Justice Bill, passed in Ekiti and Delta States and ongoing enactment in other states.
He is co-founder and director of a LegalTech startup (wekrea8.com)
He holds an LL.B. degree from the Niger Delta University, Nigeria and an LL.M. degree in LegalTech from Mykolas Romeris University, Lithuania.
Professional/Social Affiliations
- Nigerian Bar Association
- African Bar Association
- Lagos State Chamber of Commerce & Industry (LCCI) – Commercial & Regulatory Disputes (Best Practices) Law Network (CRID-LawNet)
- Section on Business Law – Nigerian Bar Association
- Lawyers in Energy Network
- The Tony Elumelu Foundation
- Negotiation and Conflict Management Group (NCMG)
- Innovation Law Club Africa (ILCA)
- Lawyers in Technology Initiative (LiT)
- Capital Markets Solicitors Association
- Young Legal Professionals (YLP)
- Rotary Club of Lekki Central
- Bayelsa Professionals in Lagos