He was a senior partner and the head of the Corporate and Commercial Practice Group at Templars law firm in Nigeria until his resignation on 31 August 2023 to enable him to pursue partisan politics.

In September 2023, he hosted the program "KingsWeek 2023" with the Old Boys Association, King's College, Lagos.

[1] He became the first non-Senior Advocate of Nigeria in 28 years to be elected president of the Nigerian Bar Association in July 2020.

He obtained a bachelor's degree in law from University of Benin, Edo state in 1992 and was called to the bar in 1993.

[2] Akpata began his legal practice in Delta State under the tutelage of Mudiaga Odje.