About the firm
Cresthood Legal advises artists, rights holders, creative businesses, sports clients and designers across Nigeria and the United Kingdom.
Nigerian creative output has become a global business faster than the legal infrastructure around it has caught up. Records made in Lagos are streamed in every market on earth. Designers here are commissioned by houses abroad. Athletes sign deals that span continents.
What has not kept pace is access to counsel who understand both sides of that — the law, and the way the industry actually operates. Too many creatives sign the first document they are handed, because the alternative is no deal at all, and because nobody has ever walked them through what the clauses mean in practice.
We built the practice around closing that gap. Not by making the law simpler than it is, but by making it legible, and by being in the room early enough for it to matter.
You get told what a clause does and what it costs you, in language you can repeat to your manager or your partner without translating it first.
Most damage is done at signature, not in the dispute afterwards. We would rather spend an hour on the term sheet than a year on the claim.
Not every unfavourable term is worth fighting. We tell you which ones actually matter for the deal in front of you and which are noise.
Nigerian and UK-facing work sit in the same practice, so cross-border deals are handled as one matter rather than handed off.
You deal with the lawyer doing the work. Questions get answered by the person who read the contract, not relayed through a chain.
Careers are long and catalogues are longer. We aim to be the firm you call for the next deal, and the one after that.
Partner · Lead entertainment counsel
Sanmi works at the intersection of intellectual property and music rights, representing Afrobeats talent in Nigerian and international markets. His practice covers recording and publishing agreements, brand endorsements and the commercial structuring that sits behind them, with a focus on helping artists retain and build long-term ownership of their work.
Partner · Co-chair, media & entertainment
Prince co-chairs the firm’s media and entertainment practice and advises on the full commercial life of a recording, from creation through to payment. His work covers recording and publishing agreements, splits and administration, distribution and royalty accounting, and image rights and brand partnerships.
Partner · Lead dispute resolution counsel
Olaronke leads the firm’s dispute resolution practice, acting for clients when a commercial relationship breaks down and negotiation has run its course. Her work covers contentious contract and rights disputes, enforcement, arbitration and mediation, and the strategic decisions about when to litigate and when to settle.
Ownership is the difference between a good year and a good career.Cresthood Legal
Tell us about the matter and we’ll come back on whether we’re the right fit.
