DRV

What DRV does

Doyin Rhodes-Vivour & Co. (DRV) is a private niche law firm headquartered at Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria, founded in 1997 in collaboration with the long-established A.M.O Akande firm (founded 1967). The firm operates across 18 practice areas spanning Admiralty & Shipping, Arbitration & ADR, Aviation, Banking & Finance, Capital Market, Company Secretarial Services, Construction/Infrastructure, Corporate and Commercial, Criminal Law, Energy, Entertainment Law, Foreign Investment, Insolvency Practice, Litigation, Real Property Transactions, Telecommunications, Travel and Tourism, and Wills/Estate Planning. Its core technical and intellectual assets are the credentials of its Managing Partner, Mrs. Adedoyin Rhodes-Vivour SAN, C.Arb (Senior Advocate of Nigeria), who holds seats on the ICC International Court of Arbitration, the World Bank Group Sanctions Board (only Nigerian member), the LCIA African Users' Council, and the African Arbitration Association board.

The firm generates revenue through billable professional services, with fees structured by matter complexity, duration, and specialist expertise, typically delivered under custom multi-year or matter-specific retainers. Its go-to-market is enterprise field sales driven by referrals, professional networks, industry conferences, and thought-leadership publications, targeting international organizations, banks, oil and gas companies, government regulators, telecommunications firms, and high-net-worth individuals in Nigeria. Notable mandates include designing arbitration schemes for the Nigerian Communications Commission and the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, advising on BPE privatizations via the Legal Alliance consortium, and serving Nigeria's pioneer private telecommunications company on regulatory and export credit matters.

DRV runs on a partner-led boutique model with a small core team of senior counsel and associates, delivered from a single Lagos office. There are no disclosed subsidiaries, no external investment, no parent company, and no technology platform beyond standard legal practice management and a comprehensive law library. Customer acquisition relies almost entirely on the personal reputation and institutional affiliations of the Managing Partner, making the firm's competitive position and revenue continuity tightly coupled to her continued leadership and external appointments.

Name

DRV

Legal name

Doyin Rhodes-Vivour & Co.

Website

https://drvlawplace.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Doyin Rhodes-Vivour & Co. is a private Lagos-based law firm founded in 1997, offering legal services across 18 practice areas to enterprise and government clients in Nigeria, with particular specialization in arbitration and alternative dispute resolution.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (541110), Legal Services (5411)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Litigation Support & Expert Witness Services (BPAHALAG)

Keywords

• Legal services
• Arbitration and ADR
• Commercial litigation
• Corporate advisory
• Banking and finance law

Headquarters

HQ city

Ikoyi

HQ country

Nigeria

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Legal Professional Services: The firm generates revenue through billable legal services including corporate and commercial law, litigation, arbitration and ADR, transactional services, and advisory work. Fees are structured based on the nature and complexity of legal matters handled.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

DRV is a niche law firm providing comprehensive legal services across 18 practice areas including arbitration and ADR, banking and finance, corporate and commercial law, litigation, energy, telecommunications, capital market, foreign investment, and wills/estate planning. Services are delivered to corporate, institutional, and individual clients domestically and internationally, with particular specialization in international and domestic arbitration, and SEC-licensed capital market advisory.

Product overview

DRV (Doyin Rhodes-Vivour & Co) is a niche law firm offering comprehensive legal services across 18 practice areas including Admiralty & Shipping, Arbitration & ADR, Banking & Finance, Capital Market, Corporate and Commercial, Energy, Entertainment Law, Foreign Investment, Litigation, Real Property, Telecommunications, and Wills/Estate Planning. The firm specializes in contentious and non-contentious legal matters domestically and internationally, with particular expertise in arbitration and alternative dispute resolution.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Named customers8 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• African Arbitration Association (AfAA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 June 2018Managing Partner appointed as board member of AfAA, an institution committed to the growth of arbitration in Africa, launched in June 2018. The association promotes African arbitration and arbitrators and coordinates capacity-building activities.
• International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) International Court of ArbitrationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 June 2018Managing Partner Mrs. Adedoyin Rhodes-Vivour C.Arb appointed to the ICC International Court of Arbitration for the 1 July 2018 – 30 June 2021 term, joining pre-eminent arbitration practitioners from over 110 countries.
• Legal Alliance ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe firm was a member of the Legal Alliance consortium of law firms specializing in handling privatization matters for the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE). The consortium handled divestment of government-owned companies including Delta Steel Company Ltd, Iwopin Pulp & Paper Company Ltd, Central Packages of Nigeria Ltd, and Nigerian Newsprint Manufacturing Company Ltd.
• Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerServed as legal consultants to Nigeria's telecommunications regulator with the mandate to establish the industry's arbitration and Alternative Dispute Resolution scheme under the Nigerian Communications Act.
• Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAppointed as Consultant to the regulatory body in the electricity sector on the harmonizing and setting up of its Arbitration and ADR procedures for the emerging Nigerian power sector.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Aluko & Oyebode: Leading Nigerian full-service law firm headquartered in Lagos with comparable practice breadth across corporate, commercial, energy, banking, and dispute resolution. Directly comparable on geography, client base (multinationals and Nigerian corporates), and mid-size professional services structure.
• SPA Ajibade & Co. Lagos-based Nigerian law firm offering corporate, commercial, energy, banking, and dispute resolution services. Comparable on geography, client base, and mid-size full-service structure serving enterprise and institutional clients.
• Banwo & Ighodalo: Lagos-based full-service Nigerian law firm advising corporates, financial institutions, and government on corporate, commercial, energy, and dispute resolution matters. Closely comparable on geography, client mix, and mid-size firm positioning.
• Udo Udoma & Belo-Osagie: Premier Nigerian law firm in Lagos serving enterprise clients across energy, telecommunications, banking, and capital markets. Closely comparable on practice mix, premium client base, and history of acting for multinationals operating in Nigeria.
• Templars: Nigerian law firm with strong corporate, commercial, and dispute resolution practices serving enterprise and international clients in Lagos. Comparable on practice breadth, target market, and engagement profile for high-value mandates.
• G. Elias & Co. Established Nigerian law firm in Lagos with broad corporate, commercial, and dispute resolution practices serving domestic and international clients. Comparable on practice breadth, Nigerian market focus, and enterprise client engagement profile.

Broad incumbents

• Webber Wentzel: Leading South African law firm with deep African cross-border capability, including arbitration and dispute resolution. Comparable on African dispute resolution expertise, though anchored in a different primary jurisdiction.
• ENSafrica: Pan-African law firm with Nigerian and broader West African presence advising on corporate, energy, telecoms, and dispute resolution. Comparable on cross-border African mandates and arbitration bench, though significantly larger and broader in scale.
• Bowmans: Pan-African law firm with a substantial Nigerian practice covering corporate, finance, dispute resolution, and arbitration. Comparable on African cross-border mandates and arbitration expertise, but materially larger and broader in geographic and practice scope.

Others

• Africa Practice (Africa-focused legal & advisory): Africa-focused advisory firm supporting cross-border policy, regulatory, and commercial matters. Comparable thematically through Africa-wide regulatory and commercial engagement, though operating more in advisory/policy than law firm delivery.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/doyin-rhodes-vivour-co-legal-practitioners-arbitrators

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about DRV