Couto, Graça e Associados Limitada (CGA)

Chairman: Pedro Couto
Managing Partners: Pedro Couto, Telmo Ferreira
Number of partners: 8
Number of lawyers: 36
Languages: English, French, Spanish, Portuguese

Firm Overview:
CGA — Couto, Graça & Associados is a Mozambican law firm. It develops its activities with the purpose of providing high-quality legal services to its clients. CGA accounts for more than 20 years of experience and practice of law within the Mozambican market has a strong reputation in corporate, concessions, PPPs, including the energy and natural resources and infrastructure sectors, dispute resolution, labour and investment, as well as leading practices in banking, real estate, and tax. The firm has the experience, dimension and professional reputation required to ensure international standards, technical innovation and capacity when providing legal services.

CGA is a member of the ‘Lex Africa’, a unique legal service group with a wide network of long-lasting relationships with the African continent’s leading law firms. CGA was awarded by IFLR the distinction of Law Firm of the Year for 2020 and 2021 and was further distinguished in 2019 at the African Legal Awards as the ‘African Environmental and Renewables team of the Year.

Main Areas of Practice 

Corporate & M&A:
The firm’s corporate and commercial practice advises clients on national and international corporate transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, capital market, joint ventures, private equity investments, corporate restructurings, corporate governance, assets and business transactions and collaboration agreements. This includes:
■ Legal Assistance on the acquisition of ABC by Access Bank
■ Legal assistance on the merger of ABC and Access Bank
■ Legal assistance to concessionaires and operators of area 4 Concession of the Rovuma Basin
■ Transfer of participating interest on the operator of the Coral FLNG project (Operator of the Coral South reservoir of the Rovuma Basin)
■ Public offer of shares on Beverage and Energy sectors and listing with the Mozambican Stock Exchange
■ Acquisition of 49% of a Cement Company
■ Sub-concession of a power plant
■ Assignment of 15% of a major hydroelectric company
■ Issuance of bonds by Financial Institution and respective listing before the Mozambique Stock Exchange
■ Restructuring of Telecommunication Company’s share capital
■ Merger of banks
■ Merger of insurance companies
■ Acquisition of a beverage business
■ Transformation of paper factory
■ Regulatory intervention of a bank followed by a reduction and increase of its share capital
■ Acquisition of control of a bank
Partners: Telmo Ferreira, Emília Camacho

Banking & Finance:
The firm’s specialized finance practice includes counseling to all corporate and structured finance transactions, including asset, acquisition, corporate, project, and structured financing; sale-and-leaseback transactions; other models of asset outsourcing; asset, mortgage, and synthetic securitizations; assignments of credit; issuing of fixed-income and structured instruments as well as other financial instruments; and consumer credit.
■ Legal Assistance on the acquisition of ABC by Access Bank
■ Legal assistance on the merger of ABC and Access Bank
■ Incorporation of banks
■ The regulatory intervention of Bank institution
■ Merge of Mozambican Banks
■ Legal Assistance regarding the Final Investment Decision and fulfillment of Conditions Precedent regarding Coral FLNG project(Operator of the Coral South reservoir of the Rovuma Basin)
■ Establishment of branches of foreign credit institutions
Partners: Pedro Couto, Telmo Ferreira, Célia Francisco

Cross Border Financing:
■ Loan Financing for the construction of a hotel
■ Loan financing for the construction of a cement plant
■ Legal assistance in loan finance for financial institution operating in Mozambique
■ Legal assistance in loan finance for the rehabilitation of the emergency network of the electricity operating company
■ Legal assistance in loan finance for the rehabilitation of a pipeline
■ Legal assistance in loan finance for a financial institution for ultimate use finance a public company
Partners: Pedro Couto, Telmo Ferreira, Célia Francisco

Public Law & Regulatory Compliance:
CGA has a dedicated Energy, Natural Resources and Infrastructure Division catering to a wide range of transactions in oil, gas and power sectors (conventional and renewable energies) and infrastructure. Contractual arrangements such as concession contracts under the PPP regime, production sharing agreements, participation agreements, royalty agreements, joint bidding agreements, PPAs, JOAs, turnkey and other construction contracts, equipment and service purchase contracts. Experience comprises, among other:
■ Legal assistance to an oil company with the government of Mozambique for the negotiations on the LNG projects
■ Legal Assistance on development of a 30 Megawatt’s a solar project in the North of Mozambique
■ Legal assistance to the Hydroelectric power plant project
■ Providing legal consultancy services to Ministry of Mineral Resources and Energy in respect of the development of a Mozambique Energy Sector Reform Road Map
■ Legal Assistance for the development of a solar IPP project in relation to the PROLER Project (Promotion for Auctions of Renewable Energy Projects)
■ Legal assistance for the development and implementation of a 41 MW photovoltaic power plant in Mozambique.
Partners: Pedro Couto

Foreign Investment:
The firm has been advising all major companies on structuring of foreign investments in Mozambique regarding the specific framework for the realization in the Mozambican territory of ventures that involve national or foreign private investments in order to assure the legal protection of goods and rights.
■ Advising a group of hotels on the investment extension of US$ 17.5 million for purposes of rebuilding and renovation of the hotel and capital increase of share capital by means of new capital contributions in by converting a credit vis-à-vis
■ Advising a petroleum company on the investment extension for purposes of the rebuilding of Matola Terminal and upgrade of Beira and Nacala Terminals
■ Advising Chinese mining company, Chinese entities and bid winners for the Chibuto Heavy Sands Deposit project in Mozambique
■ Advising acquisition and rebuilding of hotel worth USD 30 million
■ Advising mining company on transfer of shares
■ Advising on dissolution and liquidation of an hotel company operating on tourism area
Partner: Faizal Jusob

Litigation:
The firm provides clients with representation in all types of litigation; focusing on matters of commercial, civil, criminal, and administrative law. It also provides representation in mediation and arbitration.
Partner: Álvaro Pinto Basto

Labour & Employment:
The firm provides clients with multiple services, from strategic planning of employment-specific treatment required by senior management, employment due diligence, as well as client representation during inspections by labor authorities, and in labor disputes, negotiations, and litigation. This includes:
■ Draft/Review HR policies
■ Provide comprehensive and strategic employment advice including the process of termination of employment contracts, retrenchment process, calculation of severance, etc
■ Draft/review templates of employment contracts according to the local law
■ Help Clients to understand compliance labor requirements
■ Advice on disciplinary proceedings
■ Advice on labor lawsuits
■ Assisting Clients on their needs regarding and immigration law in order to obtain work and residence permits
■ internal and external audits and compliance for NGOs
Partner: Rui Loforte

Intellectual Property:
The IP area provides legal advisory services in the process of registration of trademarks, patents, internet domain names, management, follow up and litigation of trademarks, patents, industrial designs as well as on the copyrights.
Partner: Rui Loforte