From our European offices including in London, Paris and Lisbon, with direct links to Anglophone, Francophone and Lusophone Africa, as well as our Asia offices and practices (principally China, India, Korea, Singapore and Japan), the Americas (US and Brazil) and the Middle East, we have a proven track record of supporting our clients in achieving their Africa-focused strategies.

What sets our Africa practice apart?

Pan-African footprint

Unique in Africa - we are the only law firm with comprehensive Anglophone, Francophone and Lusophone capabilities. This is crucial for clients, as understanding local customs, insights and intricacies is key when working on African matters.

Our collaborative alliance with Webber Wentzel builds on the longstanding and deep rooted relationship between the firms. We work seamlessly together to provide clients with an integrated, fit for purpose offering.

Across Africa, we have longstanding relationships with the best local firms. We work regularly as international counsel, alongside local counsel, on the largest and most innovative transactions across the whole of Africa.

Proven yet innovative product offering

We help our clients mitigate risk and navigate the complex issues that exist in cross-border deals and projects within both established and developing African economies. We deploy this knowhow across the full range of products, including M&A, Energy & Infrastructure, Banking, Capital Markets, Litigation, Arbitration & Investigations, Antitrust & Foreign Investment Group and Environment, Social and Governance.

Industry experience

The long-term success of our Africa practice has been underpinned by our expertise in all of the relevant sectors, including: mining, oil and gas, energy, infrastructure, telecoms, banks, private equity, consumer, agribusiness, healthcare and insurance.

Capturing investment flows

Our Africa practice comprises leading lawyers from our offices worldwide, allowing us to support investment flows into Africa from key trading partners in Asia (such as China, Japan and Korea), the Americas, Europe and the Middle East.

For each matter, we put together the most appropriate team from across our network, and we work in a co-ordinated way to provide our clients with the seamless services that they expect in order to complete their transactions across the continent.

Leading deals

  • Arise IIP on the creation of a 400 ha integrated industrial platform in the region of Adétikopé in Togo, some 20 km north of Lomé, in partnership with the Republic of Togo to be developed through a joint venture company held by Arise IIP and the Republic of Togo.
  • Helios Towers plc across five countries in sub-Saharan Africa, on its initial public offering on the premium segment of the London Stock Exchange.
  • GSEZ, a subsidiary of Arise Holding, a pan-African infrastructure and logistics solutions company developing ecosystems committed to make Africa thrive, on the sale of a minority interest (10%) in GSEZ Ports, the owner and operator of the bulk multipurpose New Owendo International Port (“NOIP”), and major logistics player in Gabon, to STOA, the French infrastructure and energy fund.
  • Azura Power Limited, Africa50 and Actis on their acquisition of a stake in a portfolio of power stations in Senegal (Tobene Power, Kounoune Power and Malicounda Power) and Kenya (Thika Power) from Melec Powergen Inc.
  • Arise and Meridiam, on the development and financing of the $390 million Nouakchott port modernisation PPP – a key component of Mauritania’s plan to become a maritime hub for the Sahel region 
  • French renewables company Neoen on the development and financing of a 41 MW solar photovoltalic power plant located in Cabo Delgado, Mozambique.
  • Linklaters has advised China Development Bank as arranger and lender on the $629m financing of Nigeria’s first deep sea port - the Lekki Port. The project is sponsored by China Harbour Engineering Limited (CHEC) and Tolaram Port Investment Inc. under a concession originally granted by the Nigerian Port Authority in April 2011. Upon completion, Lekki deep sea port will become one of the deepest draught ports in Africa.
  • Linklaters advised GSEZ Ports on the refinancing of the New Owendo International Port project by the EAIF and the AfDB
  • Linklaters advised the lenders on the Nacala Corridor project, a US$4bn rail and port project in Malawi and Mozambique, the largest infrastructure project financing in Africa (Winner: Africa Transport Deal of the Year: Nacala Logistics Corridor, IJ Global Awards 2018; Winner: Africa Logistics Deal of the Year: Nacala Corridor Rail and Port project, Project Finance International Awards 2017)
  • Linklaters advised the sponsors (Eni, CNPC, ENH, GALP and KOGAS) and their affiliate borrowers on the US$5bn project financing of the Coral South FLNG project financing. This financing is Africa’s largest ever project financing and is also the first ever project financing of a floating LNG project anywhere in the world (Winner: Africa Midstream Oil & Gas Deal of the Year: Coral South FLNG, IJ Global Awards 2018; Winner Africa Oil and Gas Deal of the Year: Coral South, Project Finance International Awards 2017)
  • Linklaters advised Albatros Energy Mali S.A. on the structuring and financing of the first IPP project in Mali
  • Linklaters and Webber Wentzel advised on the restructuring of African Bank
  • Linklaters advised Amethis Africa Finance and National Bank of Canada on their equity stake purchase in NSIA Participations (Winner: Advisor of the Year - Single Deal: Amethis Finance and NBC - NSIA, Private Equity Africa Awards 2016)

Our renowned experience is recognised by the market

  • Africa-wide Corporate/M&A Law Firm of the Year Award
    Chambers Africa Awards 2021, 2018
  • Linklaters Africa Group has more Band 1 rankings and is also ranked in more categories than any other law firm,
    Chambers Global 2020
  • International Law Firm of the Year,
    IFLR Awards Africa 2020
  • Sovereign Debt Deal of the Year Award,
    Bonds, Loans & Sukuk Africa Awards 2020
  • African Network/Alliance of the Year , Linklaters and Webber Wentzel,
    Africa Legal Awards 2019
  • African Infrastructure Deal of the Year: Lekki Port,
    Project Finance International Awards 2019
  • Bertrand Andriani wins the most influential lawyer in francophone Africa award in 2019
    Jeune Afrique 2019