Making businesses work as dispute resolution evolves (LIDW26 briefs)

Craig Sisterson Craig Sisterson

4 June 2026 - 22:08

London International Disputes Week (LIDW26) has gathered leading figures from across the global dispute resolution community, including speakers and delegates from Africa. During a break in the Main Conference on Tuesday, we spoke with Chinasa Unaegbunam, SAN, a Managing Partner of Nigerian firm Streamsowers & Kӧhn

Over the course of this week, thousands of delegates and leading figures from the global dispute resolution community are gathering in person and online to learn, share, network, and socialise across a huge variety of LIDW26 events, exploring key issues and topics, and helping to drive awareness and best practice globally.

The future of international dispute resolution is being written, and Africa’s voice at the table has never mattered more. With its young, dynamic population, resource riches, and technological leaps, Africa is set to play a growing role in how the world responds to energy transition, climate change, and other pressing challenges.

Throughout this week Africa Legal will be in attendance, spotlighting key conversations relevant to Africa and its legal practice, along with African lawyers in attendance. During the Main Conference, we grabbed a few moments with Chinasa Unaegbunam, SAN, a Managing Partner of Nigerian firm Streamsowers & Kӧhn.

What inspired you to attend London International Disputes Week, especially when there’s the large ICC Africa Conference also happening in Lagos this week?

So last year, a lot of lawyers from Nigeria came to LIDW, and I heard about a lot of networking and new topics. Interestingly, I then got an invite to speak on an LIDW panel this year on International Enforcement of Judgments, and it’s a topic I’m passionate about. So I got an opportunity to come to LIDW, and so far it’s been worthwhile, I’ve heard new interesting things a lot today, and I’m having a good time.

Would you like to tell our readers a little more about yourself and your practice, and also your Lagos-based law firm Streamsowers & Kӧhn?

Okay, so I’m a disputes lawyer, commercial disputes, covering a lot of areas like oil and gas, sometimes employment and tax. I do a lot of aviation work as well, carriage of goods, all that kind of stuff. Streamsowers and Kӧhn, interestingly we are 20 years old this year. We are a diverse law firm based in Lagos, with offices also in Port Harcourt and Abuja. We do commercial law, oil and gas, tax, litigation and disputes, and we’ve been around for two decades now. We do cross-border work, mostly arbitration, particularly when one of the parties is Nigerian and in oil and gas. We’re also seeing a lot in mining and things like that. So that’s the kind of work we do.

How has dispute resolution in Nigeria evolved over the course of your career - are you seeing more ADR nowadays, are there more international matters, or more arbitrations now happening at the Lagos Court of Arbitration, for instance?

So, it has really evolved. Everyone knows three years ago Nigeria brought in a new Arbitration and Mediation Act, which replaced the old Arbitration and Conciliation Act [from 1988], so mediation has begun to play a bigger role in dispute resolution. There has been a lot of innovation, with third-party funding, interim relief, so you see a lot of parties now going to arbitration and mediation. We still see the international centres playing a big role, ICC, the LCIA, even though the Lagos centre is picking up. We’re hoping that the kind of structure we’re putting in place in terms of arbitration, making arbitral awards more enforceable, not easily setting aside awards now, so we’re creating that avenue for people to rely more on the Lagos Court of Arbitration.

Thanks for taking the time to chat today, Chinasa. Is there anything else you’d like to share about yourself, LIDW, or Streamsowers & Kӧhn?

Okay, so Streamsowers and Kӧhn is a diverse law firm, like I’ve said. We’re very focused on solving clients’ issues. We pay really detailed attention to your issues, and want to help solve your problems. It’s not about billable hours and all that stuff, we’re really interested in helping you work well as a commercial entity. We make your business work by doing the legal work.

This interview is part of Africa Legal's coverage of London International Disputes Week 2026 (LIDW26). You can read more about other delegates, insights, and events:

Or view our full suite of LIDW26 coverage here.