Sub-Saharan Africa

We act for a group of co-investment partners of Indian origin, resident in the UK and Dubai, on the structuring and governance of a c.£1bn UK commercial property portfolio and the establishment of separate family office structures for their global investments, with all advice delivered in accordance with Shari’ah principles. Our work has included advising on a Jersey holding structure for UK real estate, jurisdictional reviews and operational frameworks for family offices, UK operational and risk management matters, Shari’ah compliant charitable structuring, and cross border succession planning (including DIFC wills for Dubai based assets), reflecting our ability to deliver integrated, culturally attuned advice across complex family office, governance and estate planning needs.
 

Successfully assisted Swiss investors in an investor-State arbitration against an African State.

Advised Samsung Electronics South Africa (PTY) Ltd on arbitration and public international law issues in its successful appeal before the Dubai Court of Cassation to uphold an ICC multi-million arbitration award rendered in Samsung's favour in the UAE.

Conduct of a series of complex and parallel internal investigations into allegations of bribery, corruption, fraud, false accounting and tax evasion for a European headquartered corporate with global operations including concerns arising in Northern and Central Africa.

Advising a former Compliance Director in relation to a National Crime Agency investigation regarding the Libya Investment Authority. We ensured our client was treated as a witness rather than a suspect in this complex NCA investigation, with the focus remaining on the more senior executives of the company

Co-counsel in an investigation, led by the US Department of Justice and involving multiple law enforcement agencies, into allegations of corruption in the corporate's South African operations.

Advising a UK based company on bribery and facilitation of tax evasion risks arising in respect of its operations in Nigeria.

Advising an African State on drafting an investment treaty and on the interplay between constitutional law and public international law issues.

Worked with an Egyptian family to establish family holding vehicles where some of the beneficiaries are US citizens and some are UK residents.  In addition, with family interests in both France and Egypt, we have also been required to consider French and Egyptian tax issues and the applicability of double tax treaties to determine tax status.

Acting for multinational company in multi-jurisdictional enforcement proceedings against an African State in UK, US and South African courts, involving complex issues of sovereign immunity.