Clifford Chance, a leading international law firm, is responding to demand for more Africa-focused expertise from clients in the Middle East by strengthening its regional presence.

Edmund ‎Boyo, the head of Clifford Chance's Anglophone West Africa practice relocated in early January from Frankfurt to work out of the Middle East.

He brings with him a team of associates, also from the Frankfurt office, including Stephen Chance, Elizabeth Wood, Ozan Yalti and Shahrukh Mian. The team will continue to support non-Middle East clients on Africa-related matters, said a statement from the company.
 
The move follows the arrival of Alhassane Barry, a counsel from Clifford Chance's Paris office and another Africa specialist, who relocated to the region in 2016.

The Middle East team continues to advise on high profile mandates in Africa including recently advising Yinson Production (West Africa) on its $780 million commodity Murabahah financing (Africa Deal of the Year 2016: Islamic Finance News Awards); Citi on the sale of its consumer banking business in Egypt to Commercial International Bank; and an African airways company in connection with the sale and leaseback of three new B787.

Clifford Chance has a strong globally-based Africa practice, which has advised on a number of recent headline deals in the Africa market in the last 18 months, including:
•350 transactions of all types spanning 40 countries across Africa
•100 M&A and PE transactions across 25 countries
•50 lending and capital markets transactions across over 20 African countries for over US$5 billion
•100 project financings in more than 30 African countries for over US$6 billion   
•Over 25 disputes across 20 African countries.
 
Middle East managing partner, Robin Abraham said: "We are delighted to welcome our colleagues to the Middle East, where demand for Africa-focused expertise is growing rapidly. This is an opportune time for us to be expanding our capabilities and capacity, building on our existing track record."
 
The new arrivals complement the Clifford Chance existing Africa team based in the region, led by Mohamed Hamra-Krouha, Jason Mendens and Andrej Kormuth.-TradeArabia News Service