June 18, 2019 – ASAFO & CO. is pleased to announce the opening of its new office in Johannesburg, South Africa and welcomes Philip WEBSTER to head and manage this office as Partner and Executive Director.

Philip is an English law qualified Solicitor with over 30 years of experience, of which 20 primarily in South Africa and other African countries. Philip is one of the rare Solicitors of this calibre resident in South Africa able to work and negotiate equally in the French and English languages.

Over the years Philip, a project finance specialist with particular expertise in the law of cross-border infrastructure projects in Africa, has advised financial institutions (including the African Development Bank, the Development Bank of Southern Africa Limited, IFC, the World Bank, BNP Paribas, Barclays, Deutsche Bank, JP Morgan), governments and state agencies (including Equatorial Guinea, Madagascar, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Uganda and South Africa), as well as project sponsors/developers and financiers on energy and infrastructure projects.

With his deep knowledge of the Southern African market and client needs, Philip will be responsible for growing the  ASAFO & CO. presence in Southern Africa by way of a steady process of growth with an intake primarily of experienced international corporate lawyers focused on the African market.

“The opening of our office in Johannesburg is an important step in the firm’s strategy to service clients across the  African continent through key hubs, by adding Southern Africa to our existing platform in Francophone West Africa. Philip brings decades of experience with him and his arrival plays to our strengths in infrastructure and energy project development and finance. In addition, Philip’s French language skills reinforce our offer on English law governed projects in Francophone Africa” said Pascal AGBOYIBOR, Managing Partner.

“It is evident that the creation of a world-class law firm dedicated to Africa is the right vision and addresses the needs of clients in today’s polycentric world, whether international investors, African states or African champions. Technical expertise and sophistication combined with local presence is the convincing ASAFO recipe that I join with enthusiasm” said Philip WEBSTER.