CAC Orders Firm To Change Name Over Trademark Conflict With KPMG

Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) has ordered a company operating under the name KPMG Advisory Services to change its name within six weeks due to similarities with KPMG Nigeria, a well-known professional services firm.

The CAC, which gave the directive in a letter dated September 19, 2025 and signed on behalf of its Registrar General by Chidimma Laureen Nwite, stated that the business name KPMG Advisory Services (BN 2145583), registered on October 11, 2010, was mistakenly approved despite the prior registration of KPMG Nigeria.

The Commission also maintained that this directive was issued per Section 30(1) of the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) 2020, which prohibits the registration of names identical to or confusingly similar to those of existing entities.

The CAC further said in the letter that failure to comply within the time frame would make it difficult for the CAC to take necessary enforcement action.

A copy of the letter was also sent to the law firm Idowu Sofola & Co. for record purposes.

It will be recalled that the Lagos Division of the Court of Appeal had nullified the CAC’s registration of the business name “KPMG Professional Services” on July 10, 2025, after a lengthy legal battle spanning over two decades.

The unanimous decision, delivered by Justice Abdullahi Mahmud Bayero, firmly supported KPMG Nigeria, marking a significant victory in protecting Nigeria’s corporate brand identity.

The appellate court granted all four reliefs sought by KPMG Nigeria against the CAC (first Respondent) and KPMG Professional Services (second Respondent).

The court had held in its ruling that the registration of the second Respondent’s name was improper and misleading under Section 662(1)(d) of the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) 1990, now updated to Section 852 of CAMA 2020.

This section prohibits the registration of names that are identical or deceptively similar to existing ones.

The legal dispute started in 2002 when KPMG Nigeria, which includes its well-established audit, tax, and consulting divisions, filed an originating summons challenging the CAC’s decision to register a new entity named “KPMG Professional Services.”

KPMG Nigeria had argued that the newly registered name was deceptively similar and could mislead the public, infringing upon its long-established identity and reputation.

The Federal High Court in Lagos had dismissed the suit in 2005, arguing that an alleged merger between KPMG Nigeria and Akintola Williams Deloitte meant the plaintiff could no longer assert rights to the KPMG name.