GENI & KEBE

Managing Partner: Mouhamed Kebe
Partners and Team Leaders: Mohamed Abdallah Dieng, Mame Ngone Sow, Boubacar Diakité, Fodé Sarr, Franky Lukuanda, Mbaye Seck, Yankhoba Ndiaye, Fatoumata Watt, Mouhamadou Bassirou Balde,
Attorneys and Counsel: Aissatou Ndong, Annick Kobenan, Cecilia Ahouadi,, Mahamat Atteib, Ousmane Aliou Ly, Ruth Balounga, Soraya Imani, Thierry Dadji, Ousseynou Damiens Aw, Mamadou Bakhoum, Emmanuel Djiba, Saliou Fall, Ndeye Coumba Dia, Aida Ndiaye, Agaisha Kebe, Brigitte Otele, Alassane Ouattara, Andi Germain Tano, Marlene Dassourou, Roger Ahinongbe, Mame Diarra Ndiaye
Of Counsel: Dr Sylvain Sankale, Timothy Cherry, Basile Mayoue
Business Development Manager: Aly Kebe Dieng
Human Resources Manager: Fatima Princess Diop
Finance Director: Bakary Traore, Hamidou Billa
Languages: English, French, Arabic

Firm Overview:
GENI & KEBE, a member of DLA Piper Africa, is a full-service commercial law firm providing legal services in sub-Saharan Africa, mainly in the francophone jurisdictions. Founded in 1912 to provide legal advice to foreign embassies and companies wishing to undertake investments in French West Africa and French Equatorial French. More than a hundred year of expertise have enabled it to expand its network and to develop a system of affiliation and collaboration with recognised law firms in the UEMOA-CEMAC and ECOWAS to provide a full range of legal services throughout the 17 countries of the region.

Experience tells us that our model – dedicated practitioners with a regional focus who value working collaboratively with clients, affiliates, and international partners – leads to quality legal advice and practical legal solutions for investors.

That’s why Chambers Global says we are “a premier firm, thanks to its international approach and high standard of work.”

GENI & KEBE is a part of a network of 20 leading law firms based in all sub-regions of Africa with a team of more than 450 lawyers. This enables it to provide its clients with a wide range of support on a continental level, as well as access to global DLA Piper law firms.

Our ability to serve clients with excellence is a result of the passion and dedication of our team. We are an international team with lawyers and Counsels with qualifications from leading universities in Africa, Europe, the Americas, and Australia. Our international qualifications underscore our strong foreign perspective, and as a proud home-grown firm, we also know the local business and government environments intimately.

We currently have three (3) offices in Senegal (Dakar, Mbour, and Tambacounda) and one in Côte d’Ivoire (Abidjan). We further possess a strong presence in the continent as we work with affiliate offices in thirteen (13) other countries namely Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, and Togo to provide advice across the region.

Chambers Global interviewees attest that GENI & KEBE provides “high-quality advice and an ability to handle pan-African corporate transactions” and acknowledge GENI & KEBE as “one of Senegal’s premier firms thanks to its international approach and high standard of work.”

Welcome to GENI & KEBE as we look forward to working with you with efficiency and efficacity.

Main Areas of Practice:

• -Banking & Finance/Islamic Finance
• -Corporate/Mergers & Acquisitions
• -Dispute Resolution (including Alternative Dispute Resolution)
• -Employment & Labour
• -Natural Resources (Energy, Oil & Gas, Mining)
• -Public-Private Partnerships
• -Real Estate & Construction
• -Telecommunications, Media & Technology
• -IPT & Fintech
• -Tax

Banking & Finance/Islamic Finance:
With significant commercial experience of the WAEMU and CEMAC banking legislation, GENI & KEBE advises on finance transactions across the 17 OHADA states, including cross-border investments.

• We provided critical expertise to JPMorgan Chase & Co, the lead Manager of the bond sale, in the $750 million Eurobond issued in June 2024 by the Republic of Senegal.
• Advising ISDA through Dentons on the capacity, authority of the counterparty and the enforceability of close out netting arrangements under the ISDA Master Agreement.
• We have assisted Standard Chartered Bank in connection with a Murabaha financing structure to finance the Banque Nationale pour le Développement Économique (BNDE). The financing of Euro 95,020,260.28 was guaranteed by the Republic of Senegal represented by the Ministry of Finance and Budget.
• We have assisted the Development Bank of Southern Africa Limited with regard to the implementation of a Euro 70 million term loan to BNDE
• We provided FERA a public State entity with legal assistance throughout the negotiation and signature phase for the financing of a total of 774 million euros as part of the special opening-up program which covers more than 70 road construction projects in Senegal, representing 2,700 km of roads throughout the country over a period of 3 years to facilitate the conditions for agriculture development.

Corporate/Mergers & Acquisitions:
GENI & KEBE advises on M&A transactions, incorporation of branches or subsidiaries, and acquisition of domestic companies and assets by foreign-owned companies.

• Advised Innovo Project LTD on Legal advice on the execution of a public procurement in relation to performance bonds and holdbacks.
• We advised ATLAS in their reorganization concerning the appointment of the Directors and the name change in Senegal.
• We advised Oxfam America in the restructuring of a new ONG (Oxfam Senegal) involving the transfer of assets and accreditation from Oxfam Novib to Oxfam Senegal.
• Advised Standard Chartered Bank financing BNDE for an ANER project for the supply, installation, servicing and maintenance of 50000 solar streetlights across the regions of Senegal.
• We assisted and advised ITA Airways in the establishment and opening of a branch in Senegal.
• We assisted Palladium Group Global LLC, a USA based company in the establishment and registration process in Senegal, Mauritania, Niger, Togo and Cote d’Ivoire.
• We advised Leonardo an Italian company in issuing a Legal Opinion by completing a Commercial Advisors and Sales Promoters questionnaires pursuant to Mauritania and Togo Laws (legislation and policy).

Dispute Resolution:
GENI & KEBE advocates have experience in all courts in Senegal and in the OHADA region. They also represent clients in alternative forms of dispute resolution (such as mediation and arbitration), including before the World Bank’s International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID).

• Dangote – Successful appeal before the Senegalese Supreme Court on investment matters.
• Plan International – successful defence of a labour claim before the Court of Appeal of Kankan, Guinea
• SANOFI - Successful defence before the District Commercial Court of Abidjan in Ivory Coast
• ICSID - Successful defence on an Investor-State arbitration before the ICSID in Senegal
• As local counsel, we conducted research under guidelines proposed by the MITSUI & Co LTC with regards to credit Carbone for a deal worth $12 million. We drafted a legal advice for them and proposed a memo relating to Credit Carbone.
• We successfully represented Citigroup in a debt recovery claim before the District Court of Dakar, Senegal.
• We assisted VA INTERTRADING AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT “VAIT” in a seizing property procedure which mortgage is valued at over € 4 millions.
• Successfully represented BBC in a dismissal case before the Labor Court of Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire
• We advised Willis Towers Watson in their Procedure for engaging the professional civil liability of an insurance broker for breach of his obligations to provide advice and information

Employment & Labour:
GENI & KEBE advises employers and employees on contracts, wages, dismissals, cross-border employment, social security, redundancies, corporate restructuring, human resources issues, in relation to mergers, income tax, and negotiations with trade unions and staff representatives.

• We have advised and assisted the ASCO SENEGAL LLC SUARL in establishing its presence in Senegal. Our support involved providing comprehensive legal and administrative information to help understand the Senegal legal framework, and provide legal guidance on the day-to-day operations on all employment and immigrations issues that may arise
• We assisted the Tony Blair Institute on local processes and on legislation but also on legal requirements for redundancy purposes in Senegal.
• We advised Mastercard Foundation on immigration and employment matters in Senegal with regards to foreign matters.
• On Probono, we completed a Research Project for UNHCR on Travel Documents for Persons in Need of Protection such as asylum seekers, refugees, and/or stateless persons.
• We successfully represented ETG shipowner group the largest federation of fishermen’s unions in Senegal organized itself to challenge the working conditions of Senegalese fishermen on European fishing vessels.
• Louis Berger – Employment contract terminations in Cameroon
• Nokia - for the closure of offices in Mali and Niger
• BBC - On a Labour claim before the District Labour Court in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.
• Oracle – On employment obligation in Burkina Faso and Gabon

Natural Resources:
GENI & KEBE has advised Cairn Energy, on Senegal’s first offshore oil discovery, as well as on the country’s largest ever electricity project. GENI & KEBE also represents renewable energy operators and energy multinationals in relation to regulatory compliance, private-public partnerships and environmental approvals.

• We have assisted Standard Chartered Bank in a project initiated by the State of Senegal through the Agence Nationale pour les Energies Renouvelables du Sénégal (ANER), involves the supply, installation, servicing and maintenance of 50,000 solar streetlights across the regions of Senegal.
• We have assisted the Government of Chad as part of the project relating to the setting up of a national electricity transmission company (SONATREN)
• Kosmos Energy – Joint operating agreement and regulatory requirements for oil exploration in Senegal
• American Capital – Renewable wind farm project in Taiba Ndiaye, Senegal
• African Development Bank - for the financing of a Thermic Power plan in Malicounda Senegal
• Sundance – Acquisition of an equity interest in Congolese mining company Iron Congo
• Endeavour Mining - Acquisition of Teranga Gold

Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs):
With growing interest in forming PPPs to accelerate development. GENI & KEBE advises on the contractual and regulatory requirements in PPP projects and provides training on understanding the legal environment for PPP investments.

• Jindal Power– USD 900 million, 350 MW PPP power plant deal with state electricity company Senelec
• Mitrelli - EPC project with the Senegalese Government
• Advising Bechtel on a PPP Project relating to the Thies-Saint Louis Highway project in Senegal
• Advising Fraport on the PPP airport management contract for the new airport for Dakar.
• Acting for American Capital , the lenders to the Taiba Ndiaye Wind Farm Project (renewable energy) in a PPP with the Senegalese State electricity company

Real Estate & Construction:

• Orascom– Responsible housing project in Senegal
• Savini Group – USD 90 million housing project in Gabon
• Advising Club Med on a sale and lease back of a hotel unit in Cap Skirring, Senegal
• Advising Hilton on a franchise agreement of a hotel unit in Pointe Noire, Congo
• Advising Hyatt International on a due diligence in relation to a hotel management and related agreements with the owner, in Dakar, Senegal
• Advising Accor, on the project of renovation and extension of a Pullman hotel in Dakar, Senegal
• Advising Jumbo Group on a joint venture to develop 80 luxury villas in La Somone, Senegal

Tax:
GENI & KEBE advises on regulatory compliance, assists companies to maximise their tax position and represents clients in contentious matters with the tax authorities

• Maroc Telecom– Tax issues dealing with a share purchase agreement in Côte d'Ivoire
• British Airways –Tax issues following reassignment of Senegalese branch offices upon a merger with Iberia Airlines
• Yandex Taxi – Taxes on a software app in Côte d’Ivoire
• Providing Tax and Regulatory Advice Ivory Coast & Senegal - Completion of Questionnaires for Tata Africa Holdings Pty Ltd
• Advising AXA Climate / Africa on taxes applicable (e.g. insurance premium tax, VAT or other taxes) to parametric insurance and reinsurance contracts in the Ivory Coast & Senegal
• Due diligence on tax Registration in the Ivory Coast for GrainPro
• Advising Mitrelli on tax issues relating to their contracts with the Governments of the Ivory Coast & Senegal.
• Advising General Electric on Tax and Regulatory issues in the Ivory Coast
• Advising Woodside, Cairn Energy and FAR Limited on tax issues related to oil production in Senegal.

IPT & Fintech:

• Advising Viasat on licensing and regulatory queries providing broadband internet connectivity to individuals via satellite.
• Advised Ridetech International B.V (Yango) on the implementation of a new electronic payment, cashback/refunds and e-wallet functionality on its Yango platform in the Ivory Coast.
• Advised Ride Technology Global FZ-LLC (Yango) on the structuring of YangoPay and the regulatory compliance of its terms and conditions of use.
• Advised Mitsubishi Corporation in connection with the personal data breach relating to a cyber incident on one of its servers which manages the logins and passwords required to connect to Mitsubishi's PCs and network systems.

Telecommunications, Media & Technology:
GENI & KEBE provides advice on a broad range of telecommunications regulation, intellectual property and technology law issues

• Microsoft Corporation – Roll out of Windows Live Service across several jurisdictions in Sub Saharan Africa
• West African Economic and Monetary Union – Survey on the legal aspects of the TMT sector in six West African countries with the aim to harmonise legislation
• Sky Vision Global Networks –Telecommunications acquisitions in Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea and Niger

Our offices:

HEAD OFFICE (DAKAR)

47, Boulevard de la République
Immeuble Sorano, Dakar, 15023
Postal Address: B.P. 14392, Dakar, Sénégal

Tel: +221 33 821 19 16 | +221 33 822 46 36
Fax: +221 33 842 62 75

CÔTE D’IVOIRE - ABIDJAN OFFICE

3rd floor, Residence Nabil
Avenue Nogues Abidjan Plateau

Tel: +225 79 10 75 41 | +225 05 69 17 65

MBOUR OFFICE

Avenue Demba Diop, Mbour
Postal Address: B.P. 1399, Mbour, Sénégal

Tel: +221 33 957 58 50
Fax: +221 33 957 58 77

TAMBACOUNDA OFFICE

Bd. Diogoye Senghor

Tel: +221 33 981 58 50 | +221 77 539 39 33
Fax: + 221 33 981 58 50

Email: [email protected]
Web: www.gsklaw.sn