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In an age of rising stakeholder activism, ESG litigation and reputational exposure, energy companies that fail to integr...
13/06/2025

In an age of rising stakeholder activism, ESG litigation and reputational exposure, energy companies that fail to integrate Business and Human Rights into their business models risk project delays, financing constraints, legal liability, and community opposition, say Webber Wentzel partners Pooja Dela and Dylan Cron.

Conversely, companies that lead on BHR create resilience, de-risk investments and foster enduring partnerships with governments and communities.

Ahead of next week’s Africa Energy Forum, Pooja and Dylan explore how for energy stakeholders, BHR is no longer a peripheral concern but a core driver of responsible growth, risk management, and legitimacy in a rapidly evolving global and African energy ecosystem: https://www.africa-legal.com/opinion/powering-progress-why-business-and-human-rights-must-be-at-the-heart-of-africas-energy-future/121724

Africa is poised to become one of the most dynamic frontiers for energy investment. Ahead of the Africa Energy Forum 2025, Webber Wentzel partners Pooja Dela and Dylan Cron explore how Business and Human Rights principles have become a core driver

“I am profoundly honoured to serve as President of the Association of International Energy Negotiators,” said leading Na...
11/06/2025

“I am profoundly honoured to serve as President of the Association of International Energy Negotiators,” said leading Namibian energy lawyer Shakwa Nyambe, after he was confirmed as the first-ever African President of AIEN on Monday. “This historic moment reflects the strength of our global membership, and the trust placed in me to lead. I am committed to advancing AIEN’s mission, promoting collaboration and driving impactful and practical solutions for the energy sector’s future.”

Nyambe, the founder of SNC Incorporated, will be responsible for steering AIEN’s strategic direction, strengthening partnerships across the energy industry, and enhancing the organisation’s global presence. He will also serve as Chairman of the Board of Directors, Chief Executive Office, and official spokesperson of the organisation.

Following Nyambe’s confirmation, AIEN is currently holding its ninth annual International Energy Summit at the Shangri-La Hotel in Istanbul, Türkiye, titled “Energy Crossroads: Meeting Society’s Energy Needs in a Changing World”.

Read more: https://www.africa-legal.com/news/shakwa-nyambe-becomes-first-ever-african-to-lead-association-of-international-energy-negotiators/121687

Ahead of this week’s AIEN International Energy Summit in Türkiye, Namibian lawyer Shakwa Nyambe was confirmed as the new President of the global organisation of energy industry professionals

Certainty is a bedrock principle of South African contract law, but the Petroleum Products Act introduces an unusual pol...
06/06/2025

Certainty is a bedrock principle of South African contract law, but the Petroleum Products Act introduces an unusual policy intervention that shifts the terrain, say Webber Wentzel partner Dylan Cron and Senior Associate Michael Benefeld.

While Courts have consistently upheld the principle that once parties have entered into a contract they are bound by its terms, section 12B of the Act invites scrutiny of contractual practices on the basis of fairness and reasonableness.

Ahead of this month’s Africa Energy Forum, Dylan and Michael examine section 12B and discuss the fundamental questions it raises, the lack of clarity for the industry around what is ‘unfair or unreasonable’ and how to balance protecting certainty without ignoring power imbalances: https://www.africa-legal.com/opinion/all-is-fair-in-love-and-petroleum/121594

Webber Wentzel is a leading legal adviser for the energy sector in Sub-Saharan Africa. Ahead of Africa Energy Forum 2025, partner Dylan Cron and Senior Associate Michael Benefeld explore fairness and contractual certainty under the Petroleum Products Act

Leading figures from across the global dispute resolution community have gathered for London International Disputes Week...
02/06/2025

Leading figures from across the global dispute resolution community have gathered for London International Disputes Week (LIDW25). Across 2-6 June delegates will connect, learn, and socialise across a huge variety of sessions and events, exploring key issues and topics, and helping drive awareness and best practice globally.

The centrepiece LIDW25 Main Conference begins tomorrow, Tuesday 3 June, with an opening address from Sarah Sackman KC MP, then a panel exploring “The geopolitical and economic landscape and its impact on disputes”, bringing together experts including former Attorney General of Nigeria Christopher Adebayo Ojo.

It is fitting Ojo is part of the opening panel, given Africa’s growing significance to the global community. He is one of many African speakers appearing across LIDW25. And for those whose practice is based in or connected to Africa, or are passionate or curious about the continent, alongside general sessions exploring relevant topics, there are many Africa-specific sessions across the entire week: https://www.africa-legal.com/events/africa-is-on-the-agenda-as-london-international-disputes-week-begins/121503

LIDW25, themed ‘Innovation in Dispute Resolution: Navigating Global Risks’, kicks off today. For those passionate about Africa, there are plentiful sessions and networking opportunities across the week.

We’re thrilled to announce a partnership with Resourcing Tomorrow as both official media partner and event co-host, with...
29/05/2025

We’re thrilled to announce a partnership with Resourcing Tomorrow as both official media partner and event co-host, with the launch of our special GC and Leadership Roundtable to take place in London on 3 December 2025.

“The legal community is essential to navigating the risks and opportunities shaping the future of global mining,” says Andrew Thake, Divisional Director at Resourcing Tomorrow, which will bring together more than 2,000 key mining and energy stakeholders from around the world, including Africa.

As part of this year’s event, Africa Legal will co-host a special session under the Chatham House Rule on “Navigating Legal and Geopolitical Challenges in Resource Security”. This invitation-only, closed door Roundtable will provide a strategic forum for legal, business, and government leaders to engage in peer-level dialogue and insight-sharing on key challenges facing the industry.

“This Roundtable will explore how legal strategy, regulatory foresight, and public-private cooperation are essential for sustainable, resilient growth,” says Scott Cowan, CEO of Africa Legal. Read more: https://www.africa-legal.com/events/africa-legal-to-host-gc-and-leadership-roundtable-on-legal-and-geopolitical-risk-at-resourcing-tomorrow-2025/121492

Resourcing Tomorrow, the global forum where mining leaders unite to shape the future of the industry, will be held in London on 2-4 December. The essential role of the legal community will be explored in a special closed-door session hosted by Africa Legal.

The growing importance of Africa will be underlined this week as legal and business professionals from across the globe ...
28/05/2025

The growing importance of Africa will be underlined this week as legal and business professionals from across the globe gather in Nairobi to build connections and gain valuable insights at the 9th ICC Africa Conference on International Arbitration.

“I’m looking forward to hearing about some of the latest developments in the market, the impact of technology, and to understand where things sit in relation to the Trump tariffs and how that’s affecting disputes work,” says Neil Gore, a born-and-bred Capetonian who is part of Grant Thornton’s Africa desk in London.

Gore, who has worked on some of southern Africa’s largest contentious insolvency matters, will be attending this week’s ICC Africa Conference on 28-30 May alongside colleagues including Parah Shah, Paul Cliff, and Angela Bilbow: https://www.africa-legal.com/profiles-and-features/africas-growing-role-in-the-future-of-global-dispute-resolution/121465

The 9th ICC Africa Conference on International Arbitration takes place in Nairobi this week. Neil Gore and Amaechi Nsofor discuss key challenges and trends as Africa’s role in global ADR evolves

Africa finds itself at a defining moment - grappling with the need to meet soaring energy demand, uphold critical econom...
26/05/2025

Africa finds itself at a defining moment - grappling with the need to meet soaring energy demand, uphold critical economic growth objectives, and adhere to global decarbonisation imperatives, say Webber Wentzel partners Garyn Rapson and Anél De Meyer. Within this complex trifecta, arbitration has emerged as a pivotal mechanism for resolving disputes arising from energy transitions, particularly as countries revise legal and policy frameworks to support climate goals.

Africa’s energy transition is not merely a technological challenge; it is a legal, commercial, and socio-political transformation. Ahead of next month’s Africa Energy Forum, Garyn and Anél discuss how South Africa’s energy narrative - characterised by regulatory reform, international financing, grassroots resistance, and institutional evolution - offers a lens into what the future of arbitration in Africa may look like.

Read more: https://www.africa-legal.com/opinion/lights-arbitration-action-south-african-perspectives-on-africas-energy-transition/121453

Webber Wentzel is a leading legal adviser for the energy sector in Sub-Saharan Africa. Ahead of next month’s Africa Energy Forum, partners Garyn Rapson and Anél De Meyer discuss arbitration’s vital role in Africa’s evolving energy landscape

“Ten years ago someone may say they’re a tech lawyer, but in today’s age there are so many standalone and specialist par...
16/05/2025

“Ten years ago someone may say they’re a tech lawyer, but in today’s age there are so many standalone and specialist parts that are becoming vital in themselves, like fintech or IP,” says Catherine Kariuki Mulika, a leading voice in digital economy law, named earlier in 2025 as one of the 100 Most Influential Women in Legal Leadership in Africa. “Our focus on TDFI makes it very clear what areas we specialise in.”

With fellow expert and former TripleOKLaw partner Janet Othero, Mulika has co-founded Cavendrys, a women-led, sector-focused legal partner for the fast-moving world of digital business in Kenya and Africa. Based in Nairobi, Cavendrys works with the people shaping tomorrow’s economy: tech founders, fintech disruptors, digital platforms, telecom operators, and impact-driven investors.

“We specialize in law for the technology, telecoms, data, fintech, intellectual property, and innovation (TDFI) sectors,” say Othero and Mulika, who are legal architects in the digital space who have contributed to policy discussions, reviewed draft laws, and helped shape Kenya’s frameworks from the inside out: https://www.africa-legal.com/law-firm-news/leading-kenyan-lawyers-launch-specialist-tdfi-firm-cavendrys-to-help-empower-innovation/121398

Renowned technology lawyers Janet Othero and Catherine Kariuki Mulika have initiated a new chapter by establishing Cavendrys, a women-led, sector-focused legal partner for the fast-moving world of digital business in Kenya and Africa.

“As Ethiopia continues with its economic liberalization, which also sees it extend its hand in terms of foreign investme...
16/05/2025

“As Ethiopia continues with its economic liberalization, which also sees it extend its hand in terms of foreign investment, we will play our part in a platform that fosters regional discussion, knowledge exchange, and legal work across borders,” says Ethiopian lawyer Hamanot Belay Zeleke, the Principal at Haymanot & Advocates Law Office. “We are also very interested in growing our network and establishing lasting relationships with other law firms and in-house counsel across Africa.”

Africa Legal recently launched a dynamic membership to uplift African firms of all sizes, locations, and specialities. In the second of a new Spotlight series introducing community members, we spoke with Haymanot about her Addis Ababa-based law firm and building a more integrated African legal landscape: https://www.africa-legal.com/law-firm-news/member-spotlight-haymanot-advocates-law-office-ethiopia/121347

Africa Legal recently launched a dynamic membership to uplift African firms of all sizes, locations, and specialities. In the second of a new Q&A series introducing members of our community, we spoke with Haymanot Belay Zeleke, Principal at Haymanot & Advocates

While the law often lags behind innovation and the legal profession historically hasn’t been an ‘early adopter’ of cutti...
14/05/2025

While the law often lags behind innovation and the legal profession historically hasn’t been an ‘early adopter’ of cutting-edge technology, lawyers are in fact most ideally placed to leverage the benefits of AI-powered tools, says Leah Molatseli.

“In essence Open AI tools like ChatGPT are about being able to communicate with AI in a way that you’re able to get the type of answers you want,” says Molatseli, who was a South African attorney before becoming a legal tech and innovation expert.

“For us it should be easier than other professions, because as lawyers fundamentally we have the context, the ethical background, and we’re trained to pry answers out of people. We do that every day, and in essence that is what prompt engineering is.”

Read more as Leah discusses how African lawyers can leverage benefits and avoid pitfalls as AI transforms business practice locally and globally: https://www.africa-legal.com/profiles-and-features/for-good-leveraging-ai-in-a-fast-changing-world/121329

Recent reports show workplace adoption of Gen AI tools has almost doubled in the past year. Legal tech and Innovation expert Leah Molatseli discusses how African lawyers can leverage benefits and avoid pitfalls as AI transforms business practice locally and globally

During transfer periods, private football academies often act as unofficial intermediaries organizing trials, brokering ...
13/05/2025

During transfer periods, private football academies often act as unofficial intermediaries organizing trials, brokering transfers, and sometimes collecting fees from foreign clubs or families. While some institutions operate with integrity, others fall dangerously short of minimum child welfare standards.

Players are housed in overcrowded dormitories, train without medical coverage, and sign exploitative or unenforceable contracts. In extreme cases, these arrangements border on child trafficking under the guise of opportunity…

Football remains Africa’s great hope but hope without structure invites exploitation.

In the latest Young African Leaders in Sport column, Kenyan advocate and sports lawyer Gordon Gogo discusses how the golden gateway for young African footballers is far from the fairytale it’s often perceived to be: https://www.africa-legal.com/opinion/between-promise-and-prey-private-football-academies-in-africa/121320

Sports

Africa’s limited number of private academies have long been perceived by aspiring footballers as a golden gateway to the global stage. Yet this pursuit is far from the fairy tale it’s often believed to be.

One of the biggest lessons Nigerian lawyer and leader in the international arbitration community Hamid Abdulkareem says ...
12/05/2025

One of the biggest lessons Nigerian lawyer and leader in the international arbitration community Hamid Abdulkareem says he’d share with young African lawyers is to build their networks, as you never know where your various contacts can lead.

Along with co-chairing the International Bar Association (IBA)’s Arbitration Committee’s Africa Group, Hamid, a London-based counsel for Three Crowns LLP, currently serves on the Diversity & Inclusion Task Force of the Institute for Transnational Arbitration's Executive Committee, and is a member of the Advisory Board of the Lagos Court of Arbitration’s Young Arbitrators Network.

“Some of the best things in life are happenstance,” says Hamid.

“I was attending the Singapore International Arbitration Academy in 2015, and while there, I sought a meeting with a leading Singaporean arbitration practitioner. A year later, she asked if I was interested in the work of the IBA. I wasn’t even an IBA member at that time; that’s how my journey began.”

Read more: https://www.africa-legal.com/profiles-and-features/building-networks-and-learning-to-add-value-wherever-you-are/121309

London-based Nigerian counsel Hamid Abdulkareem is a co-chair of the IBA Arbitration Committee’s Africa Group. He spoke with Africa Legal about what attracted him to a career in law, opportunities for young lawyers, and the evolution of West African dispute resolution.

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AFRICA LEGAL Connecting African Legal Professionals

Africa Legal was launched in 2018 to make it easier for African legal professionals to access the latest jobs, news and access digital courses in one place.

As part of the Africa Professional Services Group we aim to bring visibility to all Pan-African professional markets to grow careers and create opportunities.

For members we provide a simple and easy way to apply for a wider range of jobs in your field, training courses that utilise the latest digital learning technology and access to the latest news and insights.

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