Hogan Lovells wins top honors in four categories at the IFLR Africa Awards

The winning categories include:

Restructuring Deal of the Year: Ghana Cocoa Board Bills

We advised the Government of Ghana on the first ever debt restructuring undertaken by a statutory state-owned corporation in Ghana and relating to securities listed on Ghana’s domestic capital market. The deal relates to the restructuring of short-term indebtedness of Ghana Cocoa Board. It was structured as a debt securities exchange programme (which was reviewed and approved by the Ghana SEC) whereby holders of short-term securities exchanged them for longer-term bonds. The success of the transaction was critical for the Government of Ghana’s own domestic debt restructuring exercise. The value of the transaction was approximately US$670 million.

The Hogan Lovells team was led by partners Evan Koster, (New York), Bruno Ciuffetelli (Houston), and Ron Silverman (New York), with support from senior associates Juan Moreno (New York) and Jennifer Lee (Washington, D.C.). Partners Dennis Tracy (New York) and Alex Sciannaca (London), associate Guntash Gill (London) provided advice regarding sovereign immunity issues. Local law advice was provided by the firms of Addison Bright Sloane and Bentsi-Enchill, Letsa & Ankomah.

To learn more about this transaction, click here.

Projects Deal of the Year: Dakar Mobilité electric BRT project

We advised Proparco and Emerging Africa Infrastructure Fund (EAIF) on the financing of Dakar's future 100% electric BRT bus network, operated by Dakar Mobilité. The €135m financing is comprised of an €85.4m loan provided in equal parts by Proparco and EAIF, a €7m grant from the European Union, and a grant of around €9m from PIDG TA. Proparco and EAIF are also providing Dakar Mobilité with a €6.4m loan to finance the replacement of the bus batteries at the end of their service life (eight years). The balance is being provided by Meridiam and FONSIS.

The Hogan Lovells team on the matter was led by Olivier Fille-Lambie (Partner, IERP, Paris) and Bruno Cantier (Partner, IERP, Paris). To learn more about this project, click here.

Team of the Year: Private Equity

Our private equity capability spans the globe and includes teams in every major market. We advise on private equity related matters at all levels and stages of the private equity lifecycle both domestically and on a cross-border basis. Members of our Africa Private Equity team have advised on some of the most significant Private Equity deals across the African continent. Clients range from 'traditional' funds (private equity, venture capital, private credit, real estate, energy and infrastructure), direct investors (institutional investors, sovereign wealth funds, family offices) and alternative investors (hedge funds and alternative asset managers).

We are focused on putting our clients at the centre of everything that we do, going out of our way to understand our clients’ businesses and operating environments so as to provide high-quality advice which is, at the same time, both legally astute and commercially relevant. Through advising a wide variety of clients in different strategic projects, we have a unique combination of expertise and experience available to assist clients in identifying potential issues, averting crises, responding to, and shaping evolving legal and regulatory frameworks. 

Individual Awards – Rising star: national practice: Simone Izzard

Simone Izzard is a Senior Associate in the South African corporate team at Hogan Lovells. She focuses on cross-border corporate mergers and acquisitions work across various sectors, but with a particular focus on energy and natural resources, consumer goods, financial services, telecommunications, and life sciences and health care.

Simone has experience in advising local, regional and multinational clients on complex local and cross-border M&A transactions across Sub-Saharan Africa, most of which have required a deep understanding of the relevant political landscape and regulatory environment. Simone also assists clients with general commercial drafting and general corporate/commercial matters as well as pharmaceutical regulatory matters. Simone was recognised for her work on some of the most complex M&A transactions across the African continent for a number of blue chip and multinational clients, as well as development finance institutions IFC, Proparco and FMO.