Banking and finance play a pivotal role in the broader economy and society of Africa. As African economies develop, there will be a growing need for innovative financial solutions and products to help spur this development, making comprehensive, detailed advice from a structured and coordinated team vital.

Cross-border services, client focus and digitalisation are more important than ever to regional players.

ALN’s established banking, finance and insolvency practice works on some of Africa’s most complex banking and financing transactions.

We represent Africa’s leading multinational lenders, financial institutions and corporations at every stage of the financing transaction; from origination, negotiation and documentation to closing. Clients depend on ALN for advice on day-to-day banking and finance issues, as well as for our leadership and guidance on complex, cross-border banking and finance transactions. We are actively involved in creating and developing sophisticated corporate lending structures and financial instruments.

Our teams advise the full array of stakeholders involved with financially distressed businesses, including debtors and issuers of both public and private securities, all types of creditors, equity holders, new investors, boards of directors, and senior management teams.

Principal Areas of Practice:

  • Agribusiness finance
  • Asset finance
  • Aviation finance
  • Fintech
  • Insolvency and debt restructuring
  • Project finance
  • Sovereign loans
  • Syndicated finance

Representative transactions include advising:

  1. Goldman Sachs

    In connection with its interest in Ethiopia’s financial leasing sector.

  2. Credit Suisse, the second largest bank in Switzerland and a multinational investment bank

    In connection with a USD 1.2 billion financing to the Government of Tanzania through the Ministry of Finance and Planning.

  3. PROPARCO and FMO

    In connection with their syndicated financing of USD 40 million to Sugar Corporation of Uganda for the construction of a 25MW co-generation power plant.

  4. Barak Fund SPC

    In connection with its provision of mezzanine finance of USD 100 million to Quantum Power International Holdings, a diversified company with interests in several growth industries, including structuring various security interests on the Quantum entities incorporated in Mauritius.

  5. Africa Finance Corporation, African Development Bank and African Export Import Bank

    In connection with debt financing for the construction of a new international airport at Bugesera in Rwanda.

  6. International Finance Corporation

    In connection with the Scaling Solar Project that aims to generate 500MW Solar Energy power in Ethiopia on an IPP basis.

  7. Swiss Re Direct Investments, a wholly owned subsidiary of Swiss Re, the world’s second largest reinsurer

    In connection with the acquisition of a 13.8% stake in Britam Holdings, a Kenyan listed insurance and asset management group with operations in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Malawi, South Sudan and Mozambique, from Plum.

  8. A railway company

    In connection with its borrowing of USD 180 million from IFC, African Development Bank, KFW, Belgian Investment Company for Developing Countries NV/SA, Equity Bank and FMO in order to finance the rehabilitation, improvement and completion of railway facilities.

  9. China Development Bank and China Exim Bank

    In connection with two separate vendor financing arrangement that they had with Ethio-Telecom.

  10. A syndicate of lenders led by Credit Suisse and African Export-Import Bank

    In connection with a EUR 1 billion term loan facility to the Bank of Industry (“BOI”), Nigeria. This was the largest loan that BOI has ever taken.

  1. European Investment Bank (EIB), Proparco, Deutsche Investitions- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft (DEG), and FINFUND, development finance institutions

    In connection with USD 115 million financing of the IPT Powertech Group in Lebanon, the Republic of Guinea and Nigeria.

  2. African Export-Import Bank, Industrial Development Corporation and the Development Bank of Southern Africa

    In connection with the provision of USD 195 million multi-jurisdictional syndicated debt facility to the Smile Group of companies dealing with 4G LTE broadband networks, in Tanzania.

  3. Equity Group Holdings (EGH), one of the largest commercial banks in Africa by number of customers and publicly traded on the Nairobi, Ugandan and Rwandan securities exchanges

    In connection with the acquisition of 62% of the shares of Banque Populaire du Rwanda and 100% of African Banking Corporation in Zambia, Tanzania and Mozambique, from Atlas Mara, a financial services company listed on the London Stock Exchange, through a share swap, and a subsequent merger of banking entities in Rwanda and Tanzania.

  4. Gaselia Group, one of the largest beverage and packaging groups in West Africa

    In connection with its expansion and upgrade program in Ivory Coast, Senegal, Mali and Guinea, including advising on the structure of the transaction; drafting and duplicating OHADA law security documents.

  5. Standard Chartered Bank

    In connection with a pre-export forward sale transaction to finance the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and Chevron oilfield developments for the national gas-to-power programme.

  6. European Investment Bank (EIB)

    In connection with three separate financing arrangements with the Government of Zambia for various projects undertaken by ZESCO, a state-owned power company in Zambia.

  7. Development Bank of Southern Africa

    In connection with a USD 100 million development finance to Zesco, a public power utility in Zambia.

  8. Nederlandse Financierings-Maatschappij Voor Ontwikkelingslanden N.V (FMO)

    In connection with its financing of two Solar Power Stations in Eastern Uganda, under the GETFiT programme.

  9. Standard Chartered Bank

    As agent, bookrunner and initial mandated lead arranger in connection with USD 400 million term loan facility to the Eastern and Southern African Trade and Development Bank.

Expertise

View All
1
Consumer Products
Our legal experts assist clients in navigating the intricate and complex consumer protection environment in Africa.
plus-icon
2
Financial Institutions
We provide a variety of legal services to financial institutions and investors, including banks, insurance companies, microfinance enterprises, development funds, government entities and financial regulators.
plus-icon
3
Energy
Access to affordable energy for industry as well as consumers is one of the key rivers of economic and social development in Africa. While historically many countries have relied on fossil fuels as the primary source of energy, increased concerns around climate change and sustainability...
plus-icon
4
Government and Public Sector
Our familiarity with government processes and procedures in Africa is unparalleled. It is for this reason that we are often consulted by both governments and private institutions to lead negotiations.
plus-icon

1 / 4

Want to know more

Please fill out the form to express your interest



    Interested in: