Introduction

Tope is a dual qualified barrister (England & Wales and Nigeria), specialising in Professional Discipline, Regulation and Alternative Dispute Resolution.

An experienced advocate who is highly regarded for her thorough case preparation, effective advocacy style and excellent client care, Tope appears regularly before the major regulatory bodies in professional disciplinary matters. She is also Legal Adviser to the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), advising its various committees on the law. In 2023, Tope was appointed Vice Chair of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales' Appeals Committee (ICAEW).

As an arbitrator, Tope acts in a range of international and domestic disputes and has been appointed on over 20 separate occasions under a variety of rules (ICC, CIARB, ABTA and Commercial Rent (Coronavirus) Act). Before joining Chambers, Tope was a member of the Financial Ombudsman Service’s panel of ombudsmen in which capacity she drafted hundreds of final awards on disputes between financial businesses and consumers. Her regulatory practice includes financial services and as a former ombudsman, she has extensive experience of retail banking disputes, Consumer Credit Act matters and financial mis-selling claims.

Tope is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (FCIArb) and currently serves as Chair of the institute’s London Branch Committee. Additionally, she is a current Barrister Member of the Bar Council’s Appointments Service Panel.

Tope is qualified to accept instructions directly from the public.

Professional Discipline

Tope has extensive expertise in professional disciplinary work particularly in regards to matters before the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), the General Optical Council (GOC), the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and Social Work England (SWE).

She conducts lengthy substantive hearings, routinely acting for professionals and regulators in matters concerning the most serious allegations of professional misconduct. Many of her cases involve the cross examination of expert witnesses.

Tope has particular experience in the area of accountancy. She is currently Vice Chair of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales' Appeals Committee (ICAEW) and is a Legal Adviser to the ACCA's Disciplinary and Regulatory Committees.

Tope is regularly instructed to advise registrants and regulators on cases prior to the hearing stage and has experience of conducting case reviews, advising on grounds of appeal and drafting representations for the consideration of the relevant regulatory committee.

Notable Cases

GOC V MC
Appeared on behalf of the Council; Optician accused of defrauding their employer over a period of two years.

NMC V JE
Successful defence of a mental health nurse accused of multiple failings said to have caused the death of a patient. Case involved the cross examination of numerous experts and members of the deceased’s family.

PSA v SWE and AW
Represented a social worker in appeal brought by the Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care against a sanction of suspension imposed by a panel of SWE Adjudicators.

ACCA V BD
Legal advice provided in a matter relating to a member alleged to have acted in breach of the associations Global Practising Regulations through their conduct of public practice without the appropriate licence.

SWE V AG
Acted on behalf of a social worker facing allegations of breach of professional boundaries through the conduct of a sexual relationship with a service user.

HCPC V AL
Acted for the registrant. Case involving a paramedic accused of theft and the subsequent self-administration of opiate medication. No case to answer was found in respect of all the allegations following legal submissions.

NMC V SD
Appeared on behalf of the NMC in a two-week remote hearing involving extensive CCTV footage. Nurse faced allegations of falsifying medical records, dishonesty and breaching professional boundaries.

ACCA V JQ
Represented the ACCA; accountant accused of misconduct arising from multiple criminal convictions for fraud.

ACCA V GK
Represented the ACCA; accountant faced four allegations of misconduct concerning the alleged laundering of client’s moneys.

Arbitration & Mediation

A Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and a dual qualified barrister (England & Wales and Nigeria), Tope acts as arbitrator and counsel in disputes.  

She is often appointed as sole arbitrator in commercial disputes with a financial element and is a member of the Court of Arbitration for Art's panel of arbitrators (CAfA), the Lagos Chamber of Commerce International Arbitration Centre’s panel of neutrals (LACIAC), the CIArb’s Business Arbitration Scheme, the Travel Arbitration Commercial Services panel, the Kigali International Arbitration Centre panel of arbitrators (KIAC) and the Asian International Arbitration Centre’s panel of arbitrators (AIAC).

Tope also regularly receives adjudication appointments through the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) Independent Adjudication Scheme and the Communication & Internet Services Adjudication Scheme (CISAS). She is an elected member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators' London Branch Committee, currently serving as honorary secretary.

Tope’s recent arbitral appointments include:

• Commodities dispute between Dutch and German parties concerning non - payment under a contract (Sole arbitrator, ICC Rules).

• Arbitration between entities in South Africa and UK concerning breach of a credit agreement (Sole arbitrator, CIArb Rules).

• Dispute between commercial landlord and tenant (restaurant) over rent arrears accrued during the Covid – 19 Pandemic. Statutory Arbitration. (Sole Arbitrator, Commercial Rent (Coronavirus) Act 2022).

• Dispute relating to the non-supply of services during the Covid – 19 pandemic and the validity of a Force Majeure clause (Sole arbitrator, ABTA Arbitration Rules).

• Dispute concerning the cancellation of a service agreement due to the Covid – 19 pandemic. UK and Spanish parties (Sole arbitrator, ABTA Arbitration Rules).

• Dispute over the alleged breach of UK government regulations applicable to a consumer services contract (Sole arbitrator, ABTA Arbitration Rules).

• Arbitration between entities in China and Ireland concerning breach of a loan agreement (Sole arbitrator, CIArb Rules).

• Mis-sale of luxury holiday dispute (Sole arbitrator, ABTA Arbitration Rules).

• Dispute between UK entities concerning compensation for damages arising from the non-provision of services under a supplier contract (Sole arbitrator, ABTA Arbitration Rules).

• Contractual disputes concerning variation of contract terms (Sole arbitrator, ABTA Arbitration Rules).

• Scottish and English parties. Dispute concerning the application of equality legislation to a contract (Sole arbitrator, ABTA Arbitration Rules).

• Dispute over the functionality of a company’s centralised booking system (Sole arbitrator, ABTA Arbitration Rules).

• Compensation dispute between a package holiday provider and its customer over multiple customer service failings (Sole arbitrator, ABTA Arbitration Rules).

• Dispute concerning the value of tokens as payment for services (Sole arbitrator, ABTA Arbitration Rules).

Other ADR appointments

• Sole adjudicator in approximately 205 disputes between consumers and businesses operating in the UK telecommunications industry. Appointed under the Communication & Internet Services Adjudication Scheme (CISAS).

• Sole adjudicator in approximately 76 disputes between consumers and businesses providing charted surveying services in the UK property sector. Appointments made under the Independent Adjudication Scheme for the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).

• Member of the Financial Ombudsman services panel of Ombudsmen. Appointed on approximately 380 occasions in financial services disputes on matters relating to portfolio investments, pensions, insurance, bridging loans and credit agreements.

Regulatory

As a former Financial Ombudsman, Tope has extensive experience of retail banking disputes, Consumer Credit Act matters and financial mis-selling claims undertaking advisory, drafting and court work in this area. She is qualified in both England and Nigeria and is therefore able to advise on matters with a cross border element.

Appointments

Chair, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators London Branch Committee (2024)
Vice Chair, Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales' Appeals Committee (ICAEW) (2023)
Legal Adviser, Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (2022)
Barrister Member, Bar Council Appointments Services Panel (2021)
Committee Member, ICAEW Practice Assurance Committee (2019 - 2023)
Financial Ombudsman, Financial Ombudsman Service (2014 – 2019)
Barrister Member, Bar Standards Board Professional Conduct Committee (2015 -2017)
Barrister Member, Bar Standards Board Equality & Diversity Committee (2014 – 2016)
Barrister Member, Bar Standards Board Education & Training Committee (2012 – 2014)

Memberships

Association of Regulatory and Disciplinary Lawyers (ARDL)
Arbitral Women
Nigerian Bar Association (NBA)
British Nigeria Law Forum (BNLF)
Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (Ciarb)
Lagos Chamber of Commerce International Arbitration Centre (LACIAC)

Teaching Experience

Lecturer, LLB Law Degree Course, Open University (2009 -2013)

Qualifications

LLB Law, Brunel University
B.L Nigerian Law School
Bar Vocational Course, BPP
Fellow, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators

Awards & Prizes

Benefactors’ Scholarship, Middle Temple
Florida Advocacy Course Scholarship, South Eastern Circuit

Direct Access

Tope is qualified to accept instructions direct from the public.