Adedotun Abioye Alabi Akinbisehin, affectionately known to his friends as Shaky, was born forty-five years ago in Lagos into the illustrious family of late Chief Bayo Akinbisehin (SAN) of Ile-Oluji, Ondo State and Princess Aderogun Aderemi from the Oshikola ruling house in Ile-Ife, Osun State.

Dotun, whose life, we are gathered to celebrate lived a short, but remarkable life of devotion to family, service to others, loyalty to his friends and fidelity to noble causes.

Dotun was educated at Our Lady of Apostles Private Primary School in Lagos and in 1983, proceeded to Federal Government College, Kaduna. In 1990, he was admitted to the Faculty of Law, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife for a bachelor’s degree in Law. He was called to the Nigerian Bar in September 1999; to his disappointment and deep regret, his dad was not alive to share this monumental achievement. Dotun began his law career with Olawoyin & Olawoyin, a prominent law firm located at Lapal House, Igbosere Road, Lagos. While his entry into legal practice was through commercial litigation, his interest soon shifted to international commercial law, banking and finance, shipping and international trade. Dotun exhibited a calm and methodical approach to law; quite clinical and devoid of melodrama. He acquired insights that he felt were requisite to enhancing his knowledge and practice of the law while also satisfying his personal curiosity and drive for intellectual stimulation.

Soon after leaving Olawoyin & Olawoyin, Dotun embarked on an intense period of academic activity. He enrolled at the University of Lagos from 2001-2002, for the postgraduate degree of Masters in International Law and Diplomacy (MILD). Thereafter, he attended the University of Buckingham in the 2003-2004 session where he completed his second master’s degree in law (LLM) with concentration in International and Commercial Law.

Dotun returned to law practice in Nigeria and worked in the chambers of Chief Rotimi Williams, one of the most prestigious law firms in the country, between 2009 and 2012. A third LLM was to follow from the University of Swansea, with specialization in International Commercial and Maritime Law in the 2012-2013 academic session. He was known to have explored doctoral studies, possibly as a prelude to a career in academics that he had expressed more than a passing interest in, before his untimely passing. Unsurprisingly, Dotun set up his own boutique law consulting firm that offered trainings and specialized legal services to law firms and individual lawyers alike. He had amassed an admirable collection of books and articles (some of which he authored) and was contemplating writing a monograph based his research interests.

In January 2007, Dotun married his sweetheart, Funto and the union is blessed with a daughter, Fara, to whom Dotun was immensely devoted. A warm but intensely private person, a man of integrity, one wedded to his word. Despite his instinctive academic leanings, Dotun was also a partisan of the arts, jazz, afrobeat and good literature. He could, in the one dazzling breath, discuss musical chord structure and effortlessly switch to an obscure judicial decision.

Such was Dotun…Husband. Father. Brother. Friend. Gentleman. Neighbour.

Forever in our hearts, rest in peace!