Our Francophone Africa Practice Our Approach to Africa
Our Francophone Africa practice Our approach to Africa
We were one of the first international law firms to open an office in Africa over 30 years ago. In addition to over 100 lawyers based in our local African offices, our clients are supported by Africa specialists from across our global network of 77 offices, and our network of African Relationship Firms. We provide our clients with a seamless service supported by our global reach, local knowledge, industry expertise and best practice.
CAIRO Awards International Law Firm of the Year – African Legal Awards 2017 and 2015 Environmental, Energy and Natural Resources Team of the Year – African Legal Awards 2017 and 2016 CSR Award – African Legal Awards 2017 and 2015 Banking, Finance and Restructuring Team of the Year – African Legal Awards 2015 Baker McKenzie is identified by Acritas as “the leading international firm for high value work across Africa” Africa Relationship Firm jurisdictions according to the Sharplegal Global Elite 2016 Africa report. Baker McKenzie offices
Our Francophone Africa practice Our Francophone Africa practice is a key component of our Africa Initiative. We recognise that the most effective way of doing business in Africa involves achieving the correct balance of sector and transaction expertise, legal understanding and linguistic ability. A key strength of our Francophone Africa team is its ability to optimise efficiencies across Francophone civil law jurisdictions (including West/Central Africa and North Africa). We have extensive experience advising local and international clients throughout French-speaking Africa. We have deep industry expertise in areas such as Energy, Mining, Infrastructure and related Financing, Banking, Telecoms and Technology, Retail & Consumer, Real Estate, Agribusiness, Automotive and Pharma & Healthcare. We specialise in advice relating to compliance, public procurement, trade and contracts, employment, finance and corporate matters. Our team’s ability to assist on transactions in Francophone Africa is greatly enhanced by its ability to leverage off its experience in OHADA Treaty Countries. This Treaty provides a uniform system of business law directly applicable in now 17 African countries and has in part aligned the laws of these countries with current or recently amended French laws, in particular with respect to corporate law, security interests, insolvency and arbitration. OHADA encompasses matters such as foreign exchange and certain economic sector regulations including mining, telecommunications and competition. Richard Mugni, a Paris-based partner in the group, is a recognised expert in OHADA law, and has helped to implement it within 200 enterprises in French speaking Africa and contributed towards the publication of an official OHADA case law gazette. Our Francophone Africa experience
Advising an international investment Assistance with to a solar plant consortium on the potential acquisition public procurement bid litigation of a desalination plant in Algeria before Burkinabe jurisdictions Advised on a multimillion dollar DOJ Advised SITARAIL, a train operator, Settlement for FCPA violation involving within the framework of a new rail Algeria concession agreement between Côte Algeria Burkina Faso d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso Prepared a Global Custody Survey including Algeria Corporate maintenance for US clients in Algeria Advised clients on post-merger reorganisation and related regulatory Assistance of an investment fund and tax issues in Algeria in acquiring the port activity at the Assisted a client on a supply contract Deep Sea port of Kribi, of a French for locomotives conglomerate. Advised clients on conclusion of services contracts with Sonatrach in Algeria, related tax and labor aspects Cameroon Advised clients on the negotiation of multi-million dollar defense contracts
Assistance to Cotonou Terminal Assistance to an Australian Mining Company in the negotiation of company regarding mining a container terminal concession concessions in Congo Brazzaville convention located in Cotonou Assistance to Congo Terminal Litigation relating to the claim of Company in the in the negotiations the concessionaire rights of Bénirail Congo of the concession convention for the Benin company before the Bénin Supreme container terminal located in Pointe Court Brazzaville Noire Advising Puma Energy in relation to a development of an oil terminal in the port of Cotonou (Benin). Advising LafargeHolcim Maroc Afrique in relation to an acquisition of a stake in SCB Lafarge Benin from LafargeHolcim. Acting for a major mining Assistance to Cote d’Ivoire Terminal Company company in the negotiation in the negotiations of the concession of shareholder arrangements convention for the second container terminal relating to their upstream located in Abidjan earn-in to control position in Assistance to SITARAIL relating to an the DRC amendment to the concession convention of DRC Ivory Coast railways services in Ivory Coast and in Burkina Faso. Advised a US multinational on incorporation Assistance to Vivendi Group in Ivory Coast relating to the granting of a telecom license in Gabon Advised Laureate Education on the sale of Assistance of a major European its university in Morocco to KMR Holding Construction group in the Pedagogique. Gabon restructuring of its local Advising the ONEE on the procurement, entities. development and financing of its 850MW wind farm programme across five sites, Morocco including drafting all the tender documents, project contracts and financing agreements Assistance to China and on the procurement of the 150MW Taza International Water & Electric wind farm project (CWE) in the negotiations of hydro power projects in Guinea Advised clients on the negotiation of multi- million dollar defense contracts Guinea Advised SNI, the largest private Moroccan holding company, on the merger of Lafarge Ciments (listed company) and Holcim Maroc (listed company), resulting in the creation of Assistance to SDV in the LafargeHolcim Maroc, the leading company in negotiation of mining logistic the Moroccan building sector with the largest agreements relating to industrial market capitalisation in Morocco Ambatovy project Representing the most significant Moroccan institutional investors, Holmarcom, on the Madagascar Samir matter (management audit, various dealings for the bankruptcy/ restructuring of Samir) Representing Marsa Maroc in its IPO on the Casablanca stock exchange Legal assistance to a French group Assistance to a major port operator in in a litigation in Senegal. a competition litigation before UEMOA commission Assistance to Dakar Terminal Company in the negotiation of Assistance to the Vivendi Group in the Ro/Ro terminal concession developing cinemas and theatres in Senegal convention located in Dakar. Pan-Africa Africa. Advising a wind turbine Survey on use of electronic voucher manufacturer in respect of its system in multiple African jurisdictions establishment in Senegal including Mali, CAR, and Madagascar Assistance to BioTherm, a Advised on franchising agreements in SubSaharan based developer, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal in their renewable energy PPA Advised on distribution agreements in negotiations for a project in Francophone Africa, related customs and Senegal. The counterparty was regulatory issues the Senegalese power utility Advised on the review, revision and local law adaptation of distributorship agreements in OHADA zone countries on behalf of major U.S. wine and spirits producer and distributor. (Senegal, Ivory Assistance to Freetown Terminal Coast, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Company in the negotiation of Congo, Togo, Benin, Chad, Central African a containers terminal concession Republic, Burkina Faso, Mali convention located in Freetown Assistance to a leading French Oil & Sierra Leone Gas company on the assessment of competition law issues. Survey on encryption regulations in Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia and Senegal. Assistance to Vivendi Group relating to the granting of a telecom license Advice on e-commerce in several African in Togo countries, including intellectual property rights, taxation and exchange control Assistance to CanalOlympia relating issues. Togo to the analysis of the audiovisual Code applicable in Togo Advised SNI, the largest private Moroccan holding company, in relation to its acquisition of cement assets from LafargeHolcim in 4 African countries (Bénin, Cameroon, Guinea and Ivory Coast) Strategic advice regarding the incorporation of companies in Tunisia Advised on post-merger reorganization Tunisia Advised on regulatory requirements applicable to equipment for the installation of a telecommunication network Contacts
Kamal Nasrollah Richard Mugni Partner, Casablanca Partner, Paris +212 522 77 95 97 +33 1 44 17 65 42 kamal.nasrollah richard.mugni @bakermckenzie.com @bakermckenzie.com
Julien Grandry Celine Van Zeebroeck Counsel, Paris Of Counsel, Washington DC +33 1 44 17 75 22 +1 202 452 7083 julien.grandry celine.vanzeebroeck @bakermckenzie.com @bakermckenzie.com
Jessica Norrant-Eyme Keltoum Boudribila Special Legal Consultant, Senior Associate, Casablanca Washington DC +212 522 77 95 99 +1 202 835 4264 keltoum.boudribila jessica.norrant-eyme @bakermckenzie.com @bakermckenzie.com
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