Mining and Minerals

Our team offers deep legal expertise in the Mining and Minerals sector across Africa and the UAE, specialising in structuring secure investments that withstand political and economic shifts.

Building and operating a successful mine in Africa or the UAE presents a multi-jurisdictional challenge, encompassing engineering, finance, and regulatory hurdles. 

We secure exploration and mining concessions, structure and execute complex international project finance, manage operational compliance, and handle high-stakes investment treaty and commercial disputes across our network, providing one coordinated solution for your entire project.

Our Mining Expertise

Africa holds a significant share of the world’s mineral reserves, including gold, copper, cobalt, and critical minerals essential to the global energy transition. Despite this potential, investors and operators must navigate hurdles, including rising resource nationalism, regulatory policy uncertainty, pressure for Local Content compliance, and complex community and ESG demands.

We deliver integrated legal and business expertise across Africa and the UAE, providing seamless, commercially focused advice to a diverse client base, including:

• Major and Mid-Tier Miners
• Junior Explorers and Developers
• Project Sponsors and Private Equity Funds
• Commercial and Development Finance Institutions (DFIs)
• Governments and State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs)
• Commodity Traders and Off-takers

Our on-the-ground presence in key jurisdictions enables our clients to execute complex transactions, secure essential rights, and resolve issues efficiently and decisively.

How We Help in Mining and Minerals (Representative Scope)

Our integrated legal and business services are structured to address every stage of the Mining and Minerals value chain. We provide support for your operations and investments in the following:

• Concessions & Licensing: We advise on the acquisition, transfer, and renewal of exploration and mining titles. This includes negotiating and drafting Mining Conventions and Concession Agreements with host governments, managing rights disputes, and ensuring compliance with all local codes.
• Project Finance & Investment: We structure limited recourse project finance, corporate debt, and equity capital raises (including IPOs). We establish and perfect security packages over mining assets, and advise on mechanisms to mitigate risks related to exchange controls and currency repatriation.
• Mergers, Acquisitions (M&A) & Joint Ventures (JVs): We handle complex M&A transactions, including the acquisition and disposal of operating mines and exploration assets. We structure and negotiate joint ventures, including mandatory state participation, and conduct thorough due diligence.
• Regulatory & Local Content: We ensure compliance with evolving national Mining Codes, Local Content Rules, and indigenisation requirements, managing all operational permitting and licensing requirements.
• Infrastructure & Offtake: We draft and negotiate offtake agreements, marketing agreements, and contracts for essential infrastructure Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC), as well as Operations and Maintenance (O&M), including mine-mouth power plants, rail, and port access.
• ESG & Community: We advise on environmental permitting, Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs), mine closure obligations, community development agreements (CDAs), and human rights due diligence, helping clients operationalise and report on their ESG commitments.
• Dispute Resolution: We represent clients in high-stakes, multi-jurisdictional disputes, including Investment Treaty Arbitration (International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), International Chamber of Commerce’s (ICC) stemming from regulatory changes, breach of stability clauses, concession revocation, and commercial arbitration related to joint venture or off-take defaults.

Why Clients Choose ALN

• Pan-African Reach: Coordinated execution across key African and UAE markets with on-the-ground capability, ensuring local law expertise meets international best practices.
• Regulatory Fluency: Deep experience navigating the complexities of resource nationalism and evolving Mining Codes, offering solutions that pre-empt risk.
• Integrated Teams: Our specialists in Project Finance, Regulatory Law, Public Law, and Dispute Resolution work seamlessly as one to support the entire mine lifecycle, from greenfield to closure.
• Cross-border Delivery: We integrate local mineral law nuances with international project finance and investment standards, ensuring your agreements are robust and bankable globally.