Africa

Shearman & Sterling has been active in Africa for over 50 years, advising companies, financial institutions, States and State-owned entities on many types of projects, corporate transactions and international disputes. We have acquired extensive knowledge and understanding of the cultural, political, social and commercial environment of most African countries, and have established a close relationship with local companies, law firms and authorities throughout the continent. We advise both African clients and clients investing in Africa.

Our practice covers both North and Sub-Saharan Africa, in French, English and Portuguese-speaking countries alike. Our Africa team comprises lawyers trained and qualified in both common law and civil law jurisdictions, who are also familiar with and practice OHADA law, the set of uniform commercial laws currently applied in 16 African civil law countries.

Industries	Practices
Infrastructure & Transportation	Capital Markets
Media & Telecommunications	FCPA/Anti-corruption
Mining & Metals	International Arbitration
Oil & Gas	M&A/Joint Ventures
Power	Public International Law
Water	Project Development & Finance

Our experience includes a number of market firsts across the continent such as:

• ERC Mostorod Refinery | Largest project financing in Africa to date
  Advised Project sponsor Egyptian-listed private equity firm Citadel Capital S.A.E. and project company Egyptian Refining Company (Takrir) on the US$3.5 billion financing for the redevelopment of its refinery at Mostorod in Egypt.
  
  
• Contourglobal Power Plant Development and Financing | Africa Power Deal of the Year 2009—Project Finance
  Advised ContourGlobal on the EPC, O&M and financing aspects of its US$146 million non-recourse financing from Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) for the development of a 100 MW thermal power plant in Lomé, Togo, the first substantial foreign investment in Togo in the past 10 years.
  
  
• Mmamabula Power and Mining Project | Largest IPP in Africa to date
  Advising the commercial lenders and IFC on CIC Energy Corporation’s US$5.5 billion 3,600 MW Mmamabula coal-fired power and mining project in Botswana, for electricity sale to Eksom in South Africa
  
  
• Bain Capital/Edcon LBO | Largest leveraged financing in Africa to date
  Advised Absa Capital and Barclays Capital in the funding of Bain Capital’s ZAR 26 billion acquisition of Edgars Consolidated Stores (Edcon).
  
  
• Imouraren | Largest uranium mine in Africa to date
  Advised a major uranium company on the development and corporate transactions in relation to Imouraren uranium mine in Niger, one of the world’s largest uranium deposits.

View more examples of our Africa experience.