Africa Legal Podcast

In a new episode of the Africa Legal podcast, Dr Francky Lukanda, Partner at Ofori Conseils Africa LLP, joins Scott Cowan to discuss how Côte d’Ivoire is strengthening its position as one of Francophone Africa’s leading investment destinations. The conversation explores the country’s response to global economic disruption through sovereign investment reforms, logistics modernisation and regulatory...

What does it take to go from lawyer to leader in law? In a special episode of the Africa Legal podcast, Webber Wentzel partners Carryn Alexander, Kirsten Wolmarans, and Lumen Moolman chat with Craig Sisterson about taking on new responsibilities, and their visions for the future of their legal practice

What does the future hold for renewable energy projects in Africa? Ahead of the GC Forum Extractives in Cape Town in February, themed “Energy and Mining - the New Power Couple?”, energy and infrastructure law experts Muzi Kubeka of CMS South Africa and Pedro Couto of CMS Mozambique discuss Africa’s rapidly evolving renewable energy sector and the role it could play in socioeconomic development and...

In the latest episode of the Africa Legal Podcast, Scott Cowan interviews Audrey Alevina, the founding partner of Alevina and Partners, a law firm which started in Gabon and has now extended internationally through Dubai. In their conversation, Audrey shares her experiences of founding her law firm, overcoming obstacles in the male-dominated legal sector, and expanding into asset management with D...

In this episode of the Africa Legal Podcast, host Craig Sisterson speaks with Amala Umeike, partner at Stren & Blan Partners in Nigeria, and Samantha Silver, partner at Kennedys LLP in London, on Africa’s rapidly growing health and pharmaceutical sectors and evolving product liability law, with a focus on Nigeria. Amala explains how Africa’s healthcare growth, driven by increased investment and de...

The discussion begins with an overview of ESG and its impact on various business aspects, including environmental sustainability, social responsibility and corporate governance. Kamau explains that ESG is not just a trend, but rather a crucial framework for ensuring long-term business sustainability and ethical operations. He also highlights specific areas where ESG considerations are essential, s...

The O-shaped lawyer and Africa’s legal evolution In a recent podcast, Scott Cowan and James Kamau explored the concept of the O-shaped lawyer and its impact on Africa’s legal landscape. This model, created by Dan Kayne, emphasises openness, optimism, originality, ownership, and opportunity, and goes beyond traditional legal skills to meet the evolving demands of clients and society. Kamau, Chair o...

In this podcast, host Deepa Vallabh, partner at Hogan Lovells, chats to Javier Zapatero and David Auerbach about the way their business strategy is shaping Africa's green revolution while encompassing climate change, human rights and adherence to laws.

It’s essential for law firms to contribute to the space they’re working in and not just have answers for hypothetical situations. In this podcast, Africa Legal host Craig Sisterson chats to Eric Gumbo about providing real-world solutions to clients. In Africa’s dynamic and multi-faceted legal landscape, Eric Gumbo emerges as a paragon of collaborative success and relationship building. As a season...

In this third episode of the Ubuntu Mental Health Matters Series with Dr Mathero Michelle Nkhalamba, she speaks with Thomas Pearson about imposter syndrome, a mental health condition facing many in the legal industry. The competitive nature of the legal profession and the constant need to demonstrate expertise exacerbate feelings of inadequacy, often making even the most skilful lawyer feel like a...

In this Coffee Break episode, Africa Legal’s Tom Pearson chats to Mamadou Coulibaly, co-founder and managing partner of Satis Partners, about the shift in Mali’s mining regulations. Recent bold changes to Mali’s mining regulations aim to boost the West African country’s economy while empowering local communities. Mamadou Coulibaly, a seasoned lawyer at Satis Partners sheds light on these changes t...

In this podcast hosted by Tom Pearson, Jamal Fofana and Benoît Diouf from Asafo & Co. discuss the dynamic and evolving banking and finance sector across Africa. Leading law firm Asafo & Co. is influencing positive change and growth through its innovative legal and financial strategies and solutions. Jamal Fofana, a founding member of Asafo & Co., has rejoined the firm with his blended experience g...

Discover the potential of Nigeria's maritime industry in our featuring Joseph Siyaidon, Esq, MCIArb from Stren & Blan Partners. Joseph explores how legal reforms and economic strategies are set to revolutionise this sector, contributing significantly to Nigeria's GDP. Join us for an insightful journey into the future of maritime opportunities in Nigeria.

In this podcast, Tom Pearson chats to Tom Onyango and Chetan Hayer, the experts at the forefront of Kenya’s internationally recognised real estate development, The Marquis. Leading Kenyan law firm TripleOKLaw LLP has collaborated with Hayer One, a property development company, to deliver a landmark residential property in Nairobi, The Marquis. Recognised for its architectural design, superior buil...

In the second episode of the Ubuntu Mental Health Matters Series with Dr Mathero Michelle Nkhalamba, she speaks with Thomas Pearson about self care and coping mechanisms. There are various ways to mitigate the impact of trauma and help process it safely, says Dr Mathero Michelle Nkhalamba, an esteemed chartered psychologist from Malawi. One of these is through vicarious resilience – listening to p...

In this episode of the Breaking Ground, Breaking Barriers podcast series focusing on East Africa’s real estate and construction landscape, Nicole Gichuhi, a partner at ALN Kenya | Anjarwalla & Khanna chats to Tom Pearson about Africa’s development in the sustainability era. The real estate and construction sector is one of the biggest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, but sustainability pr...

In this first episode of this Ubuntu Mental series with Dr Mathero Michelle Nkhalamba speaks with Thomas Pearson about the need for mental health literacy and understanding vicarious trauma. Traditionally, the legal profession has normalised stress as part of its “tough it out” culture, because talking about mental health matters is considered a sign of weakness. However, overwhelming research has...

In this Coffee Break episode, Jabulani Nhongo chats to Tom Pearson about Zimbabwe’s energy supply structure and the exciting opportunities available to foreign investors. Zimbabwe is an attractive destination if you’re looking to invest in the energy sector. With 70% of its power being sourced from geothermal and hydroelectric schemes, and a push towards other cleaner alternatives, businesses will...

In this third instalment of Life and Lessons in Law with James Kamau, Tom Pearson chats to him about the increasingly blurred lines between law and technology. James Kamau, chair of DLA Piper Africa and Managing partner of DLA Piper Africa Kenya, IKM Advocates, has a deep-rooted passion for legal development and upskilling Africa’s legal sector services. He agrees that technology has redefined the...

In this Coffee Break podcast, Africa Legal’s Tom Pearson chats to John Kemkers, about Eversheds Sutherland’s continental footprint. With more than 100 legal experts working on Africa-related mandates, and offices in key jurisdictions such as South Africa, Tunisia, Angola, Mozambique and Mauritius, backed by partners and offices in London, Paris, Dubai and New York, Eversheds Sutherland has a globa...

In this podcast, Otsile Matlou chats to Africa Legal’s Tom Pearson about the brand refresh at ENS, an African law firm that operates across the eastern, western and southern regions of Africa. To keep ahead of the changes and developments that are sweeping across the world, ENS (previously ENSafrica) is going through a brand refresh. Otsile Matlou, Chief Operating Officer at ENS, explains that the...

In this podcast, seasoned asset recovery professionals Alan Williams and Amaechi Nsofor discuss how the illicit flow of funds and assets can be recovered and restored to Africa. The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa estimated that last year a whopping $84 billion was lost through the illicit flow of funds from Africa. To put this figure into context, that's reportedly more than all of...

Milimo Mumbi and Chimwemwe Banda-Bwalya of leading Zambian law firm August Hill and Associates recently shared their views on diversity, equity and inclusion with Africa Legal’s podcast host Thomas Pearson. August Hill Associate Milimo Mumbi’s outlook on fostering diversity and an inclusive legal environment has been shaped by encounters with people from different ethnic backgrounds, even while at...

Legal technology provides a multitude of benefits to lawyers. In this podcast, George Njoroge, a legal tech expert, and Africa Legal’s Tom Pearson explore the evolutions in legal tech and analyse the benefits. Poor record management is often associated with inefficiency and corruption. To change that, George Njoroge, software expert and engineer, has come up with a technology tool that helps busy...

In Part 2 of Hogan Lovells’ new podcast, The Africa GC Series, three leading GCs from some of the world’s largest corporates share their experience and insights regarding external legal advisors, ESG and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Agreement. Deepa Vallabh, a partner at international law firm Hogan Lovells, introduces the second episode, in which Hogan Lovells’ former Chair of...