As the legal market continues to recover from the 2008 recession, many law firms have begun creating or expanding their practices in African countries. These offices focus on a wide array of legal practices.
Norton Rose Fulbright operates several offices in African countries, including areas such as Cape Town, Bujumbura, Casablanca, Dar es Salaam, Durban, Harare, Johannesburg, and Kampala. These offices practice in areas such as energy and infrastructure, mining and commodities, agriculture, and technology. Gregory Nott heads the Africa team, based in Johannesburg, at Norton Rose Fulbright. He is an energy attorney with much experience in the upstream oil and gas sector in South Africa.
DLA Piper has also expanded its practices in Africa. DLA Piper focuses on advising international and African companies, as well as government entities in various aspects of commercial law. DLA Piper enjoys a thriving business law practice in Africa. David Church, the International Development Partner of the firm, heads the development of the firm's practices in Africa.
John J. Beardsworth Jr. is the head of Hunton & Williams' Africa practice, which has been operating for close to two decades. In its African offices, the firm focuses on water, telecommunications; regulatory reform and market design; energy; international law and dispute resolution; international boundary and maritime disputes; equity investment; sector restructuring; commercialization and privatization; and infrastructure, project development and finance.
Jones Day's Africa practice employs over 50 attorneys who have experience working in over 30 countries on the continent. The firm focuses on state-owned enterprise representations, international arbitration, corporate investigations, restructurings, mergers and acquisitions, publicly financed transactions, private equity, infrastructure projects, and oil and gas concessions. Javade Chaudhri, who previously served as general counsel and the chief compliance officer for Sempra Energy, heads the Africa practice. Chaudri has a significant amount of experience in global disputes, mergers and acquisitions, energy transactions, and internal investigations, corporate compliance programs and employee misconduct.
Vinson & Elkins' Africa practice has grown rapidly in the past decade. This practice focuses on natural resources, dispute resolution, telecommunications, and mining and metals. Alexander Msimang, the managing partner of the London office, also a member of the Energy Transactions and Projects Group, leads this practice.
Latham & Watkins also has an extensive practice in African countries. Its key focuses are mergers and acquisitions, outsourcing transactions, private equity and funds, capital markets, international arbitration, and project development and finance. The firm has advised public, private and state-owned corporations, governments, financial institutions, and other entities in Africa. Clement N. Fondufe is the global chair of the Africa practice. Fondufe focuses on international and domestic corporate, commercial and financial transactions.
Cleary Gottlieb's Africa practice was one of the first international practices on the continent. It has led many deals in several industry growth sectors in Africa, including telecommunications, energy, and industrial projects. The firm has practiced in over 30 African countries. Gamal M. Abouali, a partner, heads this practice. Abouali has extensive experience in mergers and acquisitions, capital markets transactions, privatization, and project financing.
Williams Mullen also enjoys a presence in Africa. The firm has helped not only African businesses with commercial transactions, but also American companies who have sought expansion in Africa. It has helped these businesses in areas such as export controls, immigration, business development, international trade, international tax, and building infrastructure. William J. Benos, a partner who practices in strategic legal planning for companies and individuals in international business, heads this practice.
Greenberg Traurig has noted that African countries have the fastest growing economies in the world. The firm helps businesses and individuals with investments and other such transactions that will strengthen the economy of these nations. Jude Kearney serves as the chair of the Africa practice, and focuses his practice on corporate transactions with an emphasis on international project finance.
Linklaters began its Africa practice roughly 30 years ago, and has experience in nearly every country on the continent. It is the only international law firm with an office in Lisbon, and its relationship with Webber Wentzel, a South African law firm, provides additional support to its practice. Linklaters' practice in Africa centers on energy, mining, telecoms, infrastructure/power, and financial services. Andrew Jones is the head of the Africa practice. Jones has 20 years of experience working in Africa, and he has practiced in over 30 countries.
Allen & Overy's Africa practice includes over 100 attorneys spread out in various offices across the globe. Its Africa practice has been active for 20 years, and advises international organizations, banks, African corporations, and investors on their business transactions. Tim Scales, who practices out of the firm's Paris office, leads the Africa Group. Scales has worked daily on projects in Africa for over 15 years.
White & Case was the first foreign law firm to establish an office in South Africa when it opened an office in Johannesburg in 1995. Since then, it has established strong relationships with all levels of South African government, local securities competition and other regulatory entities. The practice focuses on bank finance, IPOs and capital markets transactions, energy, mining, and mergers and acquisitions. Joshua Siaw is a partner in the Africa practice, and advises banks and other financial institutions in regards to cross-border project development and financial transactions. He also advises such entities on general bank lending.
Baker & McKenzie's Africa practice focuses on telecoms, FMCG, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, mining, energy, and banking and finance. It advises various clients on risk, investments, project management, and issues of social corporate responsibility. Wildu du Plessis is the managing partner of the Johannesburg office and practices in financial transactions, acquisitions, restructurings, regulatory and general finance matters.
Take a look at the following chart to see an overview of these biglaw firms with African practices:
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| Norton Rose | Gregory Nott | Director | Sandton | South Africa | +27 11 685 8573 | +27 11 301 3200 | http://www.nortonrosefulbright.com/people/125106/gregory-nott |
| DLA Piper | David Church | Partner | London | United Kingdom | +44 (0)207 796 6357 | +44 (0)20 7796 6932 | https://www.dlapiper.com/en/uk/ |
| Hogan Lovells | Andrew Skipper | Partner | London | United Kingdom | +44 20 7296 2923 | +44 20 7296 2001 | http://www.hoganlovells.com/andrew-skipper/ |
| Hunton & Williams | John J. Beardsworth Jr. | Partner | Richmond | USA | 804.788.8637 | 804.788.8218 | http://www.hunton.com/John_Beardsworth/ |
| Jones Day | Javade Chaudhri | Partner | Washington | USA | +1.202.879.7651 | +1.202.626.1700 | http://www.jonesday.com/jchaudhri/ |
| Vinson & Elkins | Alexander Msimang | Partner | London | United Kingdom | 44.20.7065.6022 | 44.20.7065.6001 | http://www.velaw.com/lawyers/AlexanderMsimang.aspx |
| Latham & Watkins | Clement N. Fondufe | Partner | New York | USA | +1.212.906.1359 | http://www.lw.com/people/clement-fondufe | |
| Cleary Gottlieb | Gamal M. Abouali | Partner | Abu Dhabi | United Arab Emirates | +971 2 412 1720 | +971 2 412 1899 | http://www.cgsh.com/gabouali/ |
| Williams Mullen | William J. Benos | Partner | Richmond | USA | 804.420.6402 | 804.420.6507 | http://www.williamsmullen.com/people/william-j-benos |
| Greenberg Traurig | Jude Kearney | Shareholder; Chair, Africa Practice | Washington | USA | +1 202.331.3100 | +1 202.331.3101 | http://www.gtlaw.com/People/Jude-Kearney |
| Linklaters | Andrew Jones | Partner | 442074565892 | http://www.linklaters.com/AboutUs/OurPeople/Pages/AndrewJones.aspx | |||
| Allen & Overy | Tim Scales | Partner | Paris | +33 1 40 06 53 76 | http://www.allenovery.com/people/en-gb/Pages/Tim-Scales.aspx | ||
| White & Case | Joshua Siaw | Partner | Johannesburg | Republic of South Africa | + 44 20 7532 1497 | http://www.whitecase.com/jsiaw/#.VSz_fmcn9SM | |
| Baker & McKenzie | Wildu du Plessis | Partner | Johannesburg | South Africa | + 27 11 911 4301 | http://www.bakermckenzie.com/WilduduPlessis/ |
