IFLR is delighted to reveal the shortlist for the third annual Africa Awards. Below is the full list of deal, team and national and international firm of the year finalists.
The IFLR Africa Awards focus exclusively on legal innovation in cross-border transactions. Deals must have reached financial close between June 1 2021 and May 31 2022 to be considered. The full methodology and criteria can be found here.
Winners will be announced on August 25, when IFLR will also announce the recipients of the Lifetime Achievement Award, In-House Market Maker and Rising Stars of the Year Awards.
IFLR will announce the winners online, with podcasts and written profiles to explore the work covered in the awards and the teams and individuals behind it. Previous IFLR Awards podcasts include the Europe Awards, Asia-Pacific Awards, Americas Awards, Asia-Pacific Market Reform Award, Americas Market Reform Award and Americas Lifetime Achievement Award.
To find out more please contact Emily Kyriacou.
The winners will be announced on August 25. To ensure the widest possible audience, the broadcast is open-access and there is no fee to attend.
The shortlist below is based on preliminary research. If your team advised on one of these transactions but has not been listed please contact Jamie Rayat.
DEALS OF THE YEAR
Capital markets
Access Bank Tier-1 eurobonds
Aluko & Oyebode
Banwo & Ighadalo
Clifford Chance
Templars
White & Case
Wigwe & Partners
AXIAN Telecom bonds
ALN Tanzania|A&K Tanzania
Aquereburu & Partners
Benoit Chambers
BLC Robert & Associates
Bowmans Tanzania
Latham & Watkins
Lexel Juridique & Fiscal
Madagascar Law Offices
Martial Akakpo & Associés
White & Case
Bank of Industry senior notes
Allen & Overy
Banwo & Ighodalo
Olaniwun Ajayi
White & Case
Guaranty Trust Bank GDR delisting and listing
Aluko & Oyebode
White & Case
IHS Holding senior notes
Aluko & Oyebode
Clifford Chance
McDermott Will & Emery
NautaDutilh
Templars
Walkers
White & Case
MTN Nigeria Communications equity offering
Banwo & Ighodalo
F O Akinrele & Co
G Elias & Co
Udo-Udoma & Belo-Osagie
Prosus/Naspers voluntary share exchange offer
Allen & Overy
Cravath Swaine & Moore
Webber Wentzel
Domestic
Dangote Cement bonds
Banwo & Ighodalo
Olaniwun Ajayi
Sefton Fross
Grupo Carrinho / Banco de Comércio e Indústria
ASP Advogados
VdA Vieira de Almeida
Northam Platinum BEE
Allen & Overy
Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr
Webber Wentzel
Pan African Towers acquisition financing
Aluko & Oyebode
G Elias & Co
Olaniwun Ajayi
Rand Water SLB
Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr
Standard Bank Group / Liberty Holdings
Bowmans
Davis Polk & Wardwell
Udo Udoma & Belo-Osagie
Webber Wentzel
The Imperial Group ESG facilities
Allen & Overy
Bowmans
De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek
Webber Wentzel
Titan Trust Bank / Union Bank of Nigeria
Banwo & Ighodalo
Drey Law Practice
G Elias & Co
Norton Rose Fulbright
White & Case
Loans
Coca-Cola financing
Al Tamimi & Company
Bookbinder Law
Bowmans
Couto Graça e Associados
ENSAfrica Ghana
HD Bossau & Co
Development Bank Ghana
Bentsi-Enchill Letsa & Ankomah
IHS Towers refinancing
Aluko & Oyebode
Clifford Chance
White & Case
Lagos State Government bus corridors
Udo-Udoma & Belo Osagie
White & Case
Medi-Clinic Southern Africa (MCSA) term loan
Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr
Webber Wentzel
Moove
Banwo & Ighodalo
Norton Rose Fulbright
Templars
White & Case
Oceana Group loans
ENSafrica Namibia
White & Case
M&A
Ardagh Group / Consol Holdings
Aman Assefa & Associates
Bowmans
Udo Udoma & Belo-Osagie
Webber Wentzel
BUTEC Group / Engie African subsidiaries
ADNA
Linklaters
Equinix / MainOne
Banwo & Ighodalo
Bowmans Mauritius
ENSafrica Ghana
KSK Société d'Avocats
Slaughter and May
Udo-Udoma & Belo-Osagie
Nutreco / Unga Farm Care JV
Bowmans Kenya (Coulson Harney)
DLA Piper Africa, Kenya (IKM Advocates)
DLA Piper Africa, Uganda (Sebalu & Lule)
Private Equity
Actis exit from Mouka
Banwo & Ighodalo
Clifford Chance
Jackson Etti & Edu
Norton Rose Fulbright
AfricInvest and IFC / AutoXpress
Anjarwalla & Khanna
BLC Robert & Associates
Bowmans
K-Solutions and Partners
ALN Tanzania | A&K Tanzania
ALN UAE | Anjarwalla Collins & Haidermota
ALN Uganda | MMAKS Advocates
ARAF and FMO Farmerline Group investment
Bowmans
N Dowuona & Company
Sidley Austin
British International Investment and DP World unincorporated JV
Addleshaw Goddard
Cabinet Habibatou Toure
Clifford Chance
Mahmoud Gitau Jillo
Matouk Bassiouny & Hennawy
International Finance Corporation / Equity Group stake
Anjarwalla & Khanna
Covington & Burling
DLA Piper Africa, Kenya (IKM Advocates)
DLA Piper Africa, Tanzania (IMMMA Advocates)
DLA Piper Africa, Uganda (Sebalu & Lule)
DLA Piper Africa, Rwanda (Equity Juris Chambers)
Matadi & Associes
Piyanile & Co Advocates
Walker Kontos
Qatar Holding / Airtel Mobile Commerce
Herbert Smith Freehills
White & Case
Sojitz Corporation / Axxela
Banwo & Ighodalo
Hogan Lovells
Latham & Watkins
Templars
Project finance
Aba IPP
Baker McKenzie
G Elias & Co
Hogan Lovells
Templars
Udo Udoma & Belo-Osagie
Ambatovy Nickel – Cobalt Mining Project
Milbank
Sullivan & Cromwell
Bita Water Angola
Allen & Overy
Norton Rose Fulbright
Cote d’Ivoire Terminal
Allen & Overy
Chauveau & Associés
Shearman & Sterling
Ghana railways
Clifford Chance
ENSafrica Ghana
Vinge
GreenYellow and Egnon Consulting Benin solar projects
Clifford Chance
Mayer Brown
Sinclair Legal
Gujeni iron-ore mine and plant
Aluko & Oyebode
Norton Rose Fulbright
Templars
Temane power project
Clifford Chance
Shearman & Sterling
Restructuring
Afarak Mogale
Assheton-Smith Ginsberg
Werksmans
Air Mauritius
ALN
BLC Robert & Associates
Clayton Utz
FTPA
Horizon Legal
Morrison & Foerster
Ornano & Associates
St James Chambers
Webber Wentzel
Ambatovy Nickel – Cobalt Mining Project
Milbank
Sullivan & Cromwell
ARM Cement debt restructuring
DLA Piper Africa
Walker Kontos
Two Rivers Mall
Bowmans
TEAMS OF THE YEAR
Capital markets
Allen & Overy
Aluko & Oyebode
Banwo & Ighodalo
Clifford Chance
Latham & Watkins
Templars
Webber Wentzel
White & Case
Loans
Allen & Overy
Aluko & Oyebode
Bowmans
Clifford Chance
Norton Rose Fulbright
Udo-Udoma & Belo-Osagie
Webber Wentzel
White & Case
M&A
Banwo & Ighodalo
Bowmans
DLA Piper
Norton Rose Fulbright
Udo Udoma & Belo-Osagie
Slaughter and May
Webber Wentzel
White & Case
Private equity
Anjarwalla & Khanna
Clifford Chance
Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr
DLA Piper
Latham & Watkins
Webber Wentzel
Project finance
Allen & Overy
Clifford Chance
Hogan Lovells
Norton Rose Fulbright
Shearman & Sterling
Sullivan & Cromwell
Restructuring
Allen & Overy
Bowmans
Milbank
Sullivan & Cromwell
Webber Wentzel
Werksmans
REGIONAL AWARDS
International law firm of the year
Allen & Overy
Clifford Chance
Herbert Smith Freehills
Latham & Watkins
Norton Rose Fulbright
Shearman & Sterling
Slaughter and May
White & Case
In-house team of the year
Access Bank
Africa Finance Corporation
Coca-Cola
Guaranty Bank
IFC - International Finance Corporation
Legal network of the year
ALN
DLA Piper Africa
Miranda Alliance
Morais Leitão Legal Circle
VdA Legal Partners Network
IFLR Women Dealmakers Hall of Fame
Azeezah Muse-Sadiq, Banwo & Ighodalo
Beatrice Nyabira, DLA Piper Africa, Kenya (IKM Advocates)
Jackie Midlane, Norton Rose Fulbright
Olubunmi Fayokun, Aluko & Oyebode
Sally Hutton, Webber Wentzel
Previous Hall of Fame winners: Brigette Baillie (2021), Kofo Dosekun (2020)
NATIONAL LAW FIRMS OF THE YEAR
Angola
ALC Advogados
ASP Advogados
DLA Piper Africa, ADCA
Fátima Freitas Advogados, Miranda Law Alliance
PLMJ Colab Angola – RVA Advogados
Ghana
Bentsi-Enchill Letsa & Ankomah
ENSafrica Ghana
JLD & MB Legal Consultancy
N Dowuona & Company
Kenya
Anjarwalla & Khanna
Bowmans (Coulson Harney)
DLA Piper Africa, Kenya (IKM Advocates)
Dentons Hamilton Harrison & Mathews
Walter Kontos
Madagascar
John Ffooks & Co
Lexel Juridique & Fiscal
Madagascar Law Offices
Mauritius
Benoit Chambers
BLC Robert & Associates
Bowmans Mauritius
Dentons
ENSafrica Mauritius
Juristconsult Chambers
Morocco
ADNA
ASAFO & Co
Clifford Chance
Gide Cuatrecasas Casablanca
Naciri & Associés Allen & Overy
Mozambique
Couto Graça e Associados
GDA Advogados
DLA Piper Africa, Mozambique (SAL & Caldeira)
Pimenta e Associados, Miranda Law Alliance
Namibia
DLA Piper Africa, Ellis Shilengudwa Incorporated (ESI)
ENSafrica Namibia
H D Bossau & Co
Nigeria
Nigeria firm of the to be year announced on the night
Capital markets - Nigeria
Aluko & Oyebode
Banwo & Ighadalo
G Elias & Co
Templars
Udo Udoma & Belo-Osagie
Loans – Nigeria
Aluko & Oyebode
Banwo & Ighodalo
Templars
Udo Udoma & Belo-Osagie
M&A – Nigeria
Banwo & Ighodalo
G Elias & Co
Olaniwun Ajayi
Udo Udoma & Belo-Osagie
Templars
Project finance - Nigeria
Aluko & Oyebode
Banwo & Ighodalo
G Elias & Co
Templars
Udo Udoma & Belo-Osagie
OHADA
ADNA
Asafo & Co
Chauveau & Associés
Houda Law Firm
John W Ffooks & Co
Rwanda
DLA Piper Africa, Rwanda (Equity Juris Chambers)
ENSafrica Rwanda
K-Solutions & Partners
Trust Law Chambers
South Africa
South Africa firm of the year to be announced on the night
Capital markets - South Africa
Bowmans
Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr
ENSafrica
Webber Wentzel
Loans - South Africa
Allen & Overy
Bowmans
Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr
Norton Rose Fulbright
Webber Wentzel
M&A - South Africa
Bowmans
Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr
ENSafrica
Webber Wentzel
Werksmans
Project finance - South Africa
Allen & Overy
Bowmans
ENSafrica
Fasken (incorporated in South Africa as Bell Dewar Inc)
Webber Wentzel
Tanzania
ALN Tanzania|A&K Tanzania
Bowmans Tanzania
Clyde & Co
Dentons EALC East African Law Chambers
DLA Piper Africa, Tanzania (IMMMA Advocates)
Tunisia
Eversheds Sutherland El Heni
Ferchiou & Associés
Global Lawyers North Africa in partnership with Gide Loyrette Nouel
Uganda
ALN Uganda|MMAKS Advocates
Bowmans Uganda
DLA Piper Africa, Uganda (Sebalu & Lule)
ENSafrica Uganda
Shonubi Musoke & Co Advocates
Zambia
Bowmans Zambia
Corpus Legal Practitioners
Musa Dudhia & Co
Note: National firm winners across the rest of the region will be announced on the night
