Africa
A&O Shearman has one of the world’s leading Africa practices.
We advise corporations, sponsors, lenders, investment and development banks, funds, governments and state-owned enterprises on business activities across the continent.
Our Africa group comprises over 150 lawyers who are actively engaged on matters across the continent and covering the firm’s core strategic sectors, including: energy; infrastructure & transport; mining & metals; technology, media & telecoms; financial markets & institutions; private capital.
Lawyers from our offices in London, Casablanca, Paris and across Europe, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and the Americas, enable us to deliver seamless, cross-border legal solutions across the continent regardless of the centre of gravity.
For over 30 years, we have partnered with African and international clients, advising on large-scale transactions and complex matters in one of the world’s most dynamic regions. Our experience spans project development, finance, M&A, capital markets, and disputes. In the past two years alone, we have advised in over 40 jurisdictions in Africa.
What sets us apart in the region
Unrivalled Pan-Africa expertise with market-leading, on the ground presence
Our deep understanding of African markets, built over decades across our global network, means we can deliver services across all product and sector lines, combining local insight with international best practice. Our long-standing and market-leading presence on the ground in Casablanca, Morocco, a strategic hub for the continent, is a key differentiator and indicative of the importance that we attach to Africa as a firm.
Sector depth and breadth
Our lawyers have advised on many of Africa’s most ground-breaking and complex transactions, and our long-standing and ongoing involvement across sectors and product lines gives us the unrivalled insight that comes from both having shaped precedent-setting deals across jurisdictions and asset classes and our deeply entrenched, ongoing involvement as markets and transaction structures and approaches have subsequently evolved.
Integrated local and global service
Cross-border matters in Africa demand coordinated expertise across multiple jurisdictions. We work alongside leading national law firms across the continent, leveraging our long-standing relationships to deliver seamless, high-quality integrated advice as part of a truly pan-African service.
Our Global Experts and Markets (GEM) network in Africa, including over 100 relationship law firms and strategic partnerships, ensures agile, on-the-ground support wherever our clients operate.
A strong presence in the region
Our Casablanca office anchors a deep and long-standing presence in Morocco, where our lawyers handle some of the most complex and high-profile transactions in the region. With strong relationships across corporates, investors, regulators, and government agencies, we bring the market understanding and trusted networks that only sustained, on-the-ground commitment can deliver. This established platform also enables us to support clients on matters across North Africa and the wider continent.
Multilingual, multijurisdictional team
Our lawyers are fluent in English, French, Portuguese and Spanish, and possess deep expertise in both common and civil law systems. This enables us to navigate the legal, political, socio-economic, and commercial landscapes unique to each African jurisdiction.
