Webber Wentzel has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with leading West African law firm Bile-Aka, Brizoua-Bi & Associés, based in Côte d’Ivoire.
The deal is designed to offer a more complete solution to their respective clients’ needs in the OHADA region and further develop their regional law practices.
OHADA – the Organisation for the Harmonisation of Business Law in Africa – is an international organisation created in 1993 and currently comprising 16 member states.
Both firms have collaborated on projects and transactions in West Africa for a number of years.
Roddy McKean head of Webber Wentzel’s Africa Practice said that Webber Wentzel’s work in Africa now represents a significant and growing part of the firm’s practice.
“Being able to draw on the recognised expertise and know-how of one of Africa’s leading law firms is a boon for us. Webber Wentzel gains access to Bile-Aka, Brizoua-Bi & Associés’ capability, knowledge and expertise under OHADA business law and its on-the-ground experience throughout West-Africa
“By combining our expertise with the insight of local partners, we provide our clients with a competitive advantage when operating in Africa. “
The firms will also share business and legal intelligence and set in place a secondment programme amongst other strategies to service clients.
Michel Brizoua-Bi, Head of the International Department at Bile-Aka, Brizoua-Bi & Associés commented: “Webber Wentzel has strong industry experience in key sectors in Africa. The association of the two firms’ strengths and knowledge of African business environment reinforces our ability to provide legal advice of an international standard.
“We have worked extensively with Webber Wentzel and have found that we share a similar vision about the need for more collaboration and integration between leading African firms”.
In a move to service better its clients in Francophone Africa, Webber Wentzel also recently appointed Steven De Backer as a director in the Africa Practice. Steven, who grew up in the Democratic Republic of Congo and was previously with Freshfields in Brussels and Mkono & Co in Burundi and Dar-es-Salaam, has brought extensive on-the-ground experience of leading transactions in Francophone Africa.
Steven is backed by a team of French speaking and civil law qualified lawyers who are able to assist clients in relation to their transactions and operations in Francophone Africa.
Webber Wentzel is currently acting for Vale SA, the world’s largest iron-ore producer, in relation to its investment in Guinea and its implementation of the multi-billion dollar Zogota project.
The firm is also currently advising clients on a variety of matters in Francophone countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Burundi and Senegal.