We act as trusted independent and real-time advisors to financial institutions like banks as well as a variety of sophisticated and institutional investors, including investment banking firms, venture capital firms, accelerators and incubators, angel investors, endowments, pension funds and insurance firms.
Our Thinking
Case Study: Aligning Senior & Junior Partner Interests in a Venture Capital Fund
November 24, 2024The client is an Africa-focused venture capital established to invest in early-stage technology companies and with commitments from a variety of institutional limited partner.
Case Study: Legal Due Diligence in a Nigerian M&A Transaction
November 24, 2024The Client, a leading renewable energy firm, sought to acquire a controlling stake in a mid-sized Nigerian energy company to expand its footprint in Africa’s burgeoning renewable energy sector.
The CBN FX Code: Moving From Rules to Principles
October 22, 2024The introduction of the draft CBN FX Code marks a significant milestone in Nigeria’s foreign exchange market regulation as it signifies a shift away from a regulatory approach that is largely rules-based toward a more dynamic, principles-based regulatory approach. Effectively,
The CBN FX Code: Key Principles
October 10, 2024The draft FX Code, issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in October 2024, establishes a set of principles designed to promote a robust, fair, and transparent foreign exchange market. The FX Code seeks to enhance the integrity and efficiency of the Nigerian wholesale foreign exchange market.
Intermediary Liability: Legal Considerations for Tech Platforms in Nigeria
September 30, 2024Intermediary liability, as a legal and policy concern, raises the question: To what extent should tech platforms bear financial or criminal responsibility for the online actions or omissions of their users? As digital platforms continue to reshape industries and societies, this issue lies at the heart of balancing innovation with accountability
Central Bank Immunity and Fundamental Human Rights: Matters Arising
September 3, 2024A recent court decision, Chris vs. CBN, raises important questions regarding the doctrine of central bank immunity in Nigeria. In this case, the Court upheld a new central banking regulation (“Regulation 6a”) that requires Nigerian banks to collect customers' social media account details as part of standard Know Your Customer (KYC) procedures. The Court based its decision on the fact that Regulation 6a was issued in good faith.
Private Equity Investments in Private Companies – Financial Assistance Considerations
August 19, 2024The prohibition of financial assistance to private equity firms and other equity investors is probably the most important legal barrier to the growth of the local leveraged buyout market. With the passage of the Companies Act in 2020, private companies in Nigeria can now legally provide financial assistance to private equity firms and strategic investors in connection with an acquisition of their shares. This marks a crucial step forward for the leveraged buyout market in Nigeria, which has been constrained by a mix of legal challenges and limited sources of debt financing. This legal update examines some of the practical ramifications of the new financial assistance rules in Nigeria.
Some Compliance Learnings from FCCPC’s $220 million fine on Meta
August 15, 2024Until FCCPC's Decision imposing a $220m fine on Meta has been successfully appealed, the legal principles enumerated in the decision as well as the conclusions reached therein are generally legally binding on businesses operating in Nigeria. Without a doubt, the Decision has wide-ranging implications for tech companies and online platforms, operating in digital markets in Nigeria. In this client update, we highlight some of the key learnings from the Decision.
A Primer on Hell or High Water Clauses in Aviation Leases
May 23, 2024"Hell or high water clauses" are a standard fixture of aviation leases and it appears that courts will generally enforce "hell or high water clauses" in aviation leases, in the absence of extenuating factors. This legal update provides a primer on hell or high water clauses as relates to aviation leases under English Law.
We have wide-ranging experience with:
Client Success
We successfully advised an international investment bank in respect of a multi-million dollar term loan facility to a Nigerian financial institution
We successfully advised a leading international investment bank in relation to a multi- million dollar single currency term facility provided to an indigenous firm for general corporate purposes and to refinance an existing asset finance facility.
We successfully advised a dutch bank on a trade receivables securitization transaction with respect to a multi-million dollar debt owed by a Nigeria debtor and an offshore creditor.
We successfully advised a global private equity firm based in the MENA region on the acquisition of minority interests in an FMCG company based in Nigeria.
We successfully advised several fund managers on the formation on its first and second venture capital funds focused on investments in tech companies.
We successfully advised a Chinese investor on the acquisition of a majority stake in a Nigerian construction company with subsidiaries in 3 African countries.
We successfully acted on behalf for an alternative lender in relation to a development bridging facility secured on a mixed use development site in Lagos, Nigeria.
We successfully acted on behalf of a residential investment company in connection with the restructuring of its intra-group facilities across six group entities.
We successfully acted on behalf of international bank on a range of derivative matters in relation to ISDA Master Agreements and Schedules, Spot FX trading arrangements, netting and collateral arrangements, facing Nigeria clients.