Banking & Finance | Global

Baker McKenzie's London and Paris offices both have a strong track record in trade and development finance. The firm often acts for blue-chip commercial lenders based in North America, Europe and Asia, and is also a frequent counsel to multilaterals and African sovereign states. Its comprehensive international network includes offices in Casablanca, Cairo and Johannesburg, all of which are well placed to provide support on major cross-border matters. The firm is active across the continent, with recent experience relating to jurisdictions such as Nigeria, Angola and Tunisia.

Hogan Lovells is noted for its deep expertise in trade and development finance work. It has a comprehensive practice which offers regular counsel to sovereign governments and development finance institutions, and which is well regarded by other prominent players in the market. In addition to its capabilities in this arena, Hogan Lovells has an impressive aviation finance group that is regularly involved in African transactions. The firm's London office acts as a hub for the practice, with further experience located in Paris and numerous other offices worldwide.

Norton Rose's African lending work has a strong emphasis on the telecoms sector, with a team that has acted on a wealth of acquisition finance mandates in this sphere. The firm also advises on trade and development finance, where it has experience concerning social impact loans. The core banking and finance team is well supported by a strong debt capital markets practice which has significant experience advising on sustainability bonds. Clients of the firm further benefit from access to Norton Rose's well-established offices in South Africa and Morocco, as well as its strategic alliances with law firms in Kenya, Uganda, Zimbabwe and Burundi.

Watson Farley & Williams (WFW) has a multi-disciplinary African finance group, calling principally on the expertise of partners based in London, Paris, Frankfurt and Dubai. It is active on a variety of asset finance, trade finance and reserve-based lending mandates, and is often to be seen acting for financial institutions, including multilaterals. Other clients include sovereign states as well as commodity trading companies. The firm's trade finance expertise is complemented by experience handling commodities trading disputes.

White & Case has considerable experience representing sovereign states in finance work, as well as acting for export credit agencies, development finance institutions and various commercial lenders. It is well versed in issues relating to the provision of term loans and revolving credit facilities, and is active on such deals throughout Africa. The firm's African finance practice is largely run from London, but with the frequent support of partners based in Johannesburg, Dubai and Cairo. In addition to its lender-side work, lawyers within the team are regularly called upon to advise borrowers operating in sectors such as oil and gas.