Partners - IFC SOMINA

WALKER KONTOS

Walker Kontos was founded in 1988 by Peter Walker and Alexandra Kontos. Today the Firm has grown to comprise 9 partners, 16 associates, 5 legal assistants and over 35 support staff offering expert legal advice and support services to businesses, corporate entities, banks and financial institutions (including microfinance institutions), governments, multinationals, state corporations, diplomatic missions, NGOs, development agencies and private clients.

The partners and associates of the firm have varied educational backgrounds and their unique exposure to and qualifications in various jurisdictions enables us to import new views and ideas into our practice in order to meet the changing demands of our clients in a growing, globalised and liberal economy. We aim to better understand our clients’ objectives, both locally and from an international perspective, and to find solutions to their needs.

The firm’s focus lies in corporate and commercial law in Kenya and the region with particular emphasis and expertise in Company Law, M&A, Capital Markets, Corporate and Project Finance, Banking and Securitisation, Privatisation, Energy, Conveyancing and Property Law, among others. The firm’s dedicated litigation team handles complex commercial litigation, corporate recovery and alternative dispute resolution matters. Our partners and associates have participated in a number of consortia retained to examine legislative and regulatory reform in various sectors. These see us pool together our work in the various fields in which we practice.

Walker Kontos has been identified as one of Kenya’s leading commercial law firms for a number of years and is consistently ranked as a top tier outfit by international directors Chambers Global, IFLR 1000 and Legal 500. Four of the firm’s partners have been identified as leaders in their field by various independent international legal directories.

In addition to working in Kenya, the firm assists our clients in their regional work, utilising our wide network of established relationships with other firms in those jurisdictions. We also have established relationships with a number of international global firms from which we are able to resource a number of additional legal services that may be required by the client.

Walker Kontos is in a formal strategic alliance with global firm Norton Rose Fulbright. This arrangement allows the firm to expand its global reach.

The firm’s offices are housed in Hakika House on Bishops Road in the Upper Hill Area of Nairobi 5 minutes from the Central Business District.

We invite you to visit our website www.walkerkontos.com for more information about the firm.

MOGADISHU LAW OFFICE

MLO is a broad-minded medium sized firm of advocates having offices in Southern, Central Somalia and Somaliland. MLO was first established in 1983 and began operating back in Somalia in 2004. Our clientele extends throughout North America, Europe, Middle-East, Asia and Africa. We offer services in Somali, English, Italian and Arabic, and our lawyers are licensed to practice throughout Somalia’s judiciary system, including administrative and regulatory bodies, as well as customary tribunals. The firm is comprised of two partners

who have a collective legal practice experience amounting to over thirty-six years and have over the years gained considerable experience on a wide range of practice areas. In addition, the partners are complimented by seven qualified senior lawyers, who hold valid and current practicing certificates issued by the Somali Bar Association. The firm works with private individuals, local business, international multi-national corporations, as well as international organizations, including non- governmental organizations.

P R A C T I C E A RE A S

M O G A D I S H U L AW O F F I C E

Legislative drafting and judicial review Regulatory and constitutional Advisory
Commercial Litigation
Civil & Criminal cases/ Somali Courts
Commercial and Real Estate Conveyance,
Company Law & Business Law
Construction & Real Estate Law
Employment and Labour Law
Land Transportation & Civil Aviation law
Telecommunication and Copyright Law
Trademark and Patent Law
Copyright Law
Telecommunications
Logistics & Security Law
International Transactions, Trade, and Investment
Health & Insurance Law
Banking & Remittance Law
Family Law according to Sharia Law

Shearman & Sterling Project Development & Finance team

Shearman & Sterling Project Development & Finance team is a top-tier global practice that takes a client-centred approach, providing directly relevant advice that is both commercial and industry-focused. Within our practice, we have lawyers skilled in a wide range of sectors, including power (thermal, renewable and nuclear), power infrastructure, including transmission, oil and gas, mining and metals, telecom and media, transportation and other infrastructure. We advise on the full project finance cycle — from initial structuring and project development to financing. We advise on various financing options, including commercial bank, Shari’ah-compliant and bond financings, as well as export credit and development finance. We also advise on joint ventures, project mergers, acquisitions and dispositions, as well as novel split-risk arrangements, political risk insurance and project restructurings and disputes.

We have a strong focus on Africa. Our Africa group is composed of multidisciplinary lawyers with hands-on experience and a proven track record of working on some of the most significant and complex transactions, projects and high-stake disputes in Africa. We regularly advise sponsors, commercial lenders, banks and financial institutions, investment and development banks, governments and state-owned companies, funds and investors. We advise on all essential corporate disciplines, including project development, M&A, private equity, capital raising and investment transactions, as well as on international disputes. Our integrated Africa team includes lawyers based in London, Paris, New York, Abu Dhabi and Beijing who have the ability to advise on English, French and New York law. Multilingual, and able to advise and negotiate in English, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Cantonese and Mandarin, the team is also very familiar with, and regularly advises on, matters governed by OHADA law, the common body of commercial and company laws applicable in 17 African countries. Over a 50-year presence in Africa, we have developed extremely strong relationships with leading independent local law firms in jurisdictions across the continent.

Every year, the Shearman & Sterling team works on multiple award-winning transactions across the globe and receives numerous accolades for our global Project Development & Finance practice. A selection of a few of our recent accolades is highlighted below:

· Global Law Firm of the Year – Project Finance International 2019
· Global Multilateral Deal of the Year: Guinea Alumina Project – Project Finance International 2019
· African Mining Deal of the Year: Guinea Alumina Project – IJGlobal 2019
· African Oil & Gas Deal of the Year: Gimi Floating LNG – IJGlobal 2019
· Project Finance Team of the Year – IFLR Americas Awards 2020
· Chambers – Ranked Band 1 for Projects (UK Wide)
· Chambers – Ranked Spotlight Table for Projects (USA Wide)
· Chambers – Ranked Band 1 for Projects & Infrastructure (Asia-Pacific Region)
· Chambers – Ranked Band 1 for Projects and Energy & Natural Resources (Latin America-wide)