We have been at the forefront of financing in the African markets for over three decades. Our experience stretches across the continent, and encompasses transactions in jurisdictions ranging from Algeria to Zambia.
broad experience
Our work includes representations in the Oil and Gas, Metals and Mining, Telecommunications, Aviation and Infrastructure and Water sectors, advising corporations, lenders and underwriters across the Project Finance, Transportation Finance, M&A, Securities and Finance areas. We have worked on transactions that brought satellite communications to the continent as well as cellular telephony to areas that had no fixed line service, significant M&A transaction involving companies across the Africa continent, world-scale mining developments, "first of a kind" securities issuances, and major oil and gas installations.
Award winning transactions
Many of the transactions on which we have advised have been awarded “Deal of the Year” accolades, including:
- O3B Networks, where we advised on the financing of a constellation of satellites to provide fast broadband services to Africa and other emerging markets. Described by the BBC as “one of the most ambitious commercial space projects of the decade”. O3b was named “African Telecoms Deal of the Year” by both Project Finance magazine and Project Finance International magazine.
- Bharti Airtel, where we advised on the financing arrangements supporting the acquisition of the Zain Group’s mobile operations in 15 African countries. The acquisition was named “African M&A Deal of the Year” by The Banker magazine.
- The Ambatovy nickel and cobalt mine project in Madagascar, where we advised on the financing. This was one of the largest project financings ever undertaken in Sub-Saharan Africa and one of the largest project financings ever undertaken in the mining sector globally. This deal was named by Project Finance International as “EMEA Mining Deal of the Year”, by Project Finance magazine as “African Mining Deal of the Year” and by Global Trade Review as “Deal of the Year”.
- The Afren high yield note offering, in respect of Afren’s Ebok and Okoro fields in West Africa, where we advised the underwriters. The offering was named “African Corporate Bond of the Year” by The Banker magazine.
- An approximately $3.2 billion program to rehabilitate and/or construct some 22 Nigerian offshore oil fields, where we advised the lenders on the financing of the program. The deal Project Finance magazine.
Our partners whose practice spans the African continent are widely recognized as leaders in their fields by leading legal publications, including Chambers UK, Chambers Global, Legal 500 and a wide range of the Who’s Who guides to the legal profession. We can execute transactions in Anglophone, Francophone or former Portuguese jurisdictions, spanning both common law and civil law legal systems. We also have close working relationships with leading local law firms throughout the continent, having worked with them successfully over many years.