Corporate/M&A & Private Equity

Cleary Gottlieb has a particularly strong presence in francophone Africa and the UEMOA region. The firm handles cross-border M&A and PE mandates for domestic and international clients, with a well-established practice advising state bodies. An active player in the energy, infrastructure and telecoms industries, Cleary Gottlieb also has established experience acting for PE funds on the full gamut of their corporate activity on the continent. The team regularly provides counsel on acquisitions and joint ventures relating to energy and mining projects. The firm's Africa expertise primarily emanates from its Paris and London offices, with additional capabilities located in New York.

Cleary assisted Barclays with the divestment of its Africa operations through the GBP538 million sale of its stake in South Africa-headquartered Absa.

Barthélemy Faye co-heads the Africa practice from his base in Paris. He brings great experience to bear on cross-border M&A and other transactional matters. He is active on behalf of a number of major corporates and private equity funds.