Dr. Sanford U. Mba – Corporate Lawyer ProfileAbout the Lawyer Sanford Mba is a Corporate and Commercial Partner at Dentons ACAS-Law. Known for his ability to navigate complex legal landscapes, Dr. Mba delivers strategic solutions to both local and international clients. His practice spans a broad spectrum of corporate and commercial matters, with a focus on providing high-level counsel in banking, finance, and corporate financing. In his M&A practice, he advises on corporate mergers, acquisitions, and strategic partnerships, ensuring that transactions align with clients' business objectives and regulatory requirements. Dr. Mba regularly advises clients across various industries and sectors and has acted as lead or key member of teams on high-value corporate finance and transactional mandates. These include advising Africa Finance Corporation on the US$35 million financing of Waltersmith’s 5,000 barrel per day modular refinery in Ibigwe, Imo State, Nigeria; Standard Chartered Bank on the US$55 million financing of the National Assembly power project; and Interswitch’s management on Visa’s US$200 million investment in Interswitch, as well as on Leapfrog’s and TanaAfrica’s investment in the company. He has also advised Medallion in its acquisition by Digital Realty; Subsea7 in the divestment of Jagal from Nigerstar7; Verod in its acquisition of a 65% stake in iFitness; and Sun International in its divestment from Tourist Company of Nigeria Plc. Driven by a passion for solving intricate legal challenges and facilitating successful business transactions, Sanford combines rigorous academic insight with practical experience. He is widely recognised for his expertise in banking and finance and plays a leadership role in the firm’s financial services offering, advising commercial banks, development finance institutions, private equity sponsors and multinational corporates on complex, cross-border corporate finance transactions. His work often involves structuring bankable and regulatory-compliant financing frameworks in highly regulated and multi-jurisdictional sectors. Experience Dr. Sanford Mba has built a strong corporate law practice through significant experience in complex financing, mergers and acquisitions, and strategic corporate transactions. As a Partner in the Corporate and Commercial practice group at Dentons ACAS-Law, he is closely involved in major corporate finance mandates and capital-intensive projects in Nigeria and across Africa. His experience includes advising lenders, sponsors and corporates on syndicated facilities, project financings and corporate restructurings, often involving intricate security packages and regulatory considerations.

Advising a syndicate comprising Sterling Bank Plc (as lender and facility agent), First City Monument Bank Limited, Wema Bank Plc, African Export-Import Bank and Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria on a syndicated facility in the sum of US$403 million granted to Pan Ocean Oil Corporation Nigeria Limited for the construction of a 70-km liquid hydrocarbon transportation pipeline and for the exploration, development, production and management of OML 147, including advising on restructuring of the facility and drafting finance and security documents.
Advising a borrower equally owned by the Federal Ministry of Finance Incorporated and Federal Ministry of Petroleum Incorporated, and its wholly owned subsidiaries as co-obligors, on the rehabilitation of refinery plants and associated ancillary infrastructure, in connection with a Naira-denominated commercial term loan facility.
Representing Africa Finance Corporation in a US$35 million secured term loan facility for the construction of the Ibigwe 5,000 barrel per day modular refinery.
Advising an international bank on an up to US$55 million term loan facility, backed by an export credit institution, to the Federal Government of Nigeria for the construction and implementation of a 17MW hybrid solar power project in Abuja.
Advising a client on obtaining a multi‑billion Naira facility from a syndicate of lenders for the construction of a rail line and related infrastructure.
Advising Travelex as Nigerian counsel in connection with a GBP 60,000,000 restructuring facility and related security documentation.
Advising FBNQuest Trustees on an N18 billion facility to a fast‑moving consumer goods company in Nigeria and facilitating the security documentation.
Advising Unity Bank Plc in its proposed merger with Providus Bank Ltd.
Advising Mota-Engil as borrower on a N10 billion bridge facility for operating expenses.
Advising Gateway Real Estate Africa and related parties on the review and negotiation of finance documents for a US$13 million term loan facility from Stanbic IBTC for the development of a data centre in Eko Atlantic City.
Advising a fintech client on a US$100 million facility, including reviewing the facility agreement from a Nigerian law perspective, negotiating security documents comprising a guarantee provided by a related entity, advising on registration of the security, and providing legal opinions and general legal support.
Advising Interswitch’s management on Visa’s US$200 million investment in the company.
Advising Subsea7 on the divestment of Jagal FZE and the acquisition of shares by the client in Nigerstar7.
Advising a lender on the provision of trade loans to a multilateral financial institution.
Advising a leading fabrication and construction company on the sale of its assets, on an “as is” basis, to a buyer specialising in fabrication, construction and project execution across multiple sectors of the Nigerian market.

In addition to his transactional work, Dr. Mba has contributed to corporate law and governance discourse through articles and thought leadership on topics such as enhanced disclosure and governance obligations for listed companies, balance sheet restructuring in public companies, and rescuing distressed listed capital markets operators. His prior roles include Senior Counsel in the Corporate and Commercial practice group at ACAS-Law (now Dentons ACAS-Law) and Associate at Layonu & Co, giving him broad experience across Nigeria’s corporate legal market. Specialty Dr. Sanford Mba’s practice is focused on corporate law, with particular strength in banking and finance, corporate financing and mergers and acquisitions. He regularly advises on:

Structuring and documenting syndicated and bilateral lending transactions, including term loan facilities, bridge financing and trade finance for corporates and public sector borrowers.
Project and infrastructure finance involving pipelines, refineries, rail systems, power projects and data centres, including the negotiation of complex security arrangements and regulatory approvals.
Corporate mergers, acquisitions and strategic partnerships, guiding clients through transaction structuring, due diligence, regulatory compliance and alignment with business objectives.
Capitalisation and balance sheet restructuring of public companies, including the use of schemes of arrangement and share premium reclassification to address accumulated losses.
Corporate governance and disclosure obligations for listed companies, focusing on regulatory‑driven financings, capital markets interfaces and risk mitigation through robust legal documentation.
Cross‑border corporate finance transactions, where he advises commercial banks, development finance institutions, private credit funds, private equity sponsors and multinational corporations on multi‑jurisdictional, high‑value mandates.

His work often sits at the intersection of corporate financing, restructuring and regulatory compliance, and he is known for combining technical precision with commercial awareness in advising corporate clients and financial institutions. Education Alongside his corporate practice, Dr. Mba has a strong academic background that supports his work in complex corporate and financing matters. He has served as:

Academic Visitor at the Commercial Law Center, Harris Manchester College, Oxford University (2018).
Central European University Global Teaching Fellow (2017).
Visiting Scholar at Cornell Law School, Myron Taylor Hall (2017).
Recipient of the University of Benin Scholar Award, Faculty of Law (2007).

He has authored and co‑authored several scholarly works in corporate and insolv

Awards / Rankings
- Dr. Sanford U. Mba is recognized by international legal directories, including IFLR as a Rising Star Partner in Banking and Finance, Legal 500 for Banking, Finance and Capital Markets, and Who’s Who Legal / Lexology for M&A.
- Chambers 2025 notes that Sanford Mba co-leads the Financial Services Practice Group at Dentons ACAS-Law and recognizes him for handling technically complex, high-value mandates in banking and finance.
- Chambers 2026 ranks Dr. Sanford Mba among the firm’s Leading Lawyers for his exceptional work in his practice area.
Leadership Roles
- Dr. Sanford U. Mba is a Partner at Dentons ACAS-Law and Co-Head of the Firm’s Financial Services Practice Group.
- He is also described as a key figure in Dentons’ regional leadership and as Dentons Africa’s Co-Lead for Financial Services.
Major Contributions
- He advises on cross-border transactions, regulatory compliance, and transaction structuring for sectors including fintech, infrastructure, and capital markets, and is noted for work with development finance institutions, private credit funds, and sponsors.
- He provides strategic legal counsel across corporate and commercial law matters, with deep expertise in banking, finance, and mergers and acquisitions.