INTERNATIONAL FIRMS FIRM BRIEFINGS “We found working with them very helpful for the advice they gave
and experience they have,” says a client: “they have been working on a number of projects in Nigeria and in the power sector, so they have a lot of country and power experience”. Clients regularly recommend Bayo Odubeko, Arun Velusami and Nick Prowse. Another client praises Richard Metcalf, for commercial contracts and Richard Hill for EPC and drafting: “Very pleased, couldn’t have expected better… very experienced, they did a thoroughly good job and they fixed a lot of is- sues.” Other oft mentioned names include Simon Currie, Martin Mcann and Alain Malek. The firm’s track record across the continent on energy and infra-
structure deals is impressive and it has been deeply engaged in the re- newables programme in South Africa, Nigeria’s power privatisation process and East Africa’s oil and gas drive.
Matters Stephen Rigby and Jason Moss led a cross-office team advising Denham Capital Management on its partnership with Fotowatio Renewable Ventures, to invest in solar projects in South Africa, while Odubeko and Prowse assisted Kingdom Zephyr Africa Management on an in- vestment into First Hydro-Carbons Nigeria. The firm also acted for Anvil Mining on its takeover by DRC state owned Gécamines, valued at $1.25 billion. Madhavi Gosavi, Velusami and Hill were working with Standard
Bank of South Africa and ICBC on project financing for the 83 MW Athi River thermal IPP (independent power project) in Kenya while the South Africa office, led by Gavin Noeth and Muzi Kubeka, ad- vised SPP Project Solutions (transaction advisor to the government) on financing, worth $800 million, for the Mauritian Road Decon- gestion Programme PPP (public-private partnership). The firm was very active in South Africa Renewable Energy IPP Pro-
curement Programme, advising developers, lenders, sponsors and con- tractors in up to 40 wind, solar and hydro projects. A vast project has Metcalfe and Hill working with the Zimbabwe Power Company for expansion projects estimated at $3 billion for Hwange Thermal and Kariba South.
Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe
2012 Firm Overview Active jurisdictions
Benin, Cameroon, Congo (Republic of), Cote d’Ivoire, DRC, Ethiopia, Gabon, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Togo, Zambia
Key offices London, Paris, New York, Hong Kong
Highlight clients
Gécamines, African Development Bank, Exxaro Resources, DRC and Cameroon governments
Most active disciplines Disputes, corporate, banking and finance, EPC
Law capability English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, US
Key partners Pascal Agboyibor, Yves Lepage, Peter O’Driscoll
Orrick has a very committed Suub-Saharan Africa projects practice and especially so in Francophone Africa and OHADA countries, where Pascal Agboyibor and Yves Lepage emerge as leading names, especially on the government advisory and state entity side. Highlight examples of this are the roles the firm is playing in the vast Project Inga III and Gécamines projects in the DRC. The firm matches this with private client work, for instance on behalf of Exxaro Resources.
“We worked quite a lot with them and they were advising across the
table for the government,” according to a client who says the team was “practical”, showed “good knowledge” and kept “things moving for- ward. I give them high marks for knowing their stuff, problem solving skills, ability to negotiate… and now I recommend them”. Clients also praise Lepage as “very strong”: “he has a very good business relationship with his clients [and where] you need to be more than just a lawyer”. The firm has a strong profile for PPP, mining and metals, oil and gas and power work, including renewables, and has a very committed Africa practice.
Matters In 2012 Agboyibor, Laurent Jaeger and others were busy on large arbi- trations before the ICSID, ICC and African courts of arbitration most commonly over breach of contract or concession agreement involving a state. Agboyibor and Philippe Hameau were advising Gécamines (DRC
state mining entity) in relation to the takeover of Anvil Mining by China Minmetals and on a settlement agreement with Copperbelt Minerals, however one of the corporate headline deals saw the firm act for Exxaro Resources on all aspects (corporate, finance, tax, competi- tion) of a $3.4 billion combination and NYSE listing of the newly formed holding company Tronox Limited. Nell Scott and Peter O’- Driscoll both played key roles on the deal. Another headline deal had Agboyibor acting for the government of
the DRC on Project Inga III, a $9 billion 3500 hydro-power project. In 2012 the firm was assisting on the tender documents.
Reed Smith
2012 Firm Overview Active jurisdictions
Angola, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Cote d’Ivoire, DRC, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritania, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Sudan, South Sudan, Uganda, Zambia
Key offices London, New York, Abu Dhabi, Paris
Highlight clients
Frontier Resource Group, Cameron International, Quantum Global Capital
Most active disciplines ADR, international arbitration, litigation, M&A and joint-ventures, private equity and funds, project finance (energy, resources, infrastructure)
Key sectors Mining and metals, oil and gas, power, ports, rail
Law capability English, French, US, UAE
Key partners Peter Cassidy, Kyri Evagora, Samantha Roberts
In 2012 Reed Smith has been active across a broad range of countries in Sub-Saharan Africa handling disputes, corporate and finance mat- ters. The firm dealt with corporate and commercial matters, private eq- uity investments, project financings and equity and debt financings in ports and shipping, oil and gas, heavy industry and aviation, among other sectors. The firm has a close relationship and association with the South
African Chamber of Commerce (SACC) and helped establish the SACC in the UK. The Africa practice is led by Kyri Evagora, while Peter Cassidy, who focuses on energy, natural resources, projects and infrastructure, Samantha Roberts, Alexandra Poe, Vince Gordon (Abu Dhabi) appear prominently on matters.
20 ENERGY & INFRASTRUCTURE | SUB SAHARAN AFRICA 2013
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