Bates Wells

Charity & Social Enterprise

Joe leads the Bates Wells' Development Finance practice, specialising in impact investment and financing transactions with a focus on the Global South and emerging markets. With more than 25 years' experience leading on a wide range of complex cross border transactions across a number of sectors, Joe provides proactive, pragmatic, commercial and solutions-oriented advice for investing and operating in some of the most challenging jurisdictions.

Admitted as a solicitor, 1987 Gouldens (now Jones Day), 1985 Biddle & Co (now Pinsent Masons), 1993 General Counsel and Corporation Secretary at CDC Group PLC (now British International Investment), 1995 Co-founder and director at Africa Legal (now part of Norton Rose Fullbright), 2003 Partner at Steptoe & Johnson, 2007 Partner at Michelmores, 2009 *General Counsel at Phatsia, 2013-2022 *General Counsel at Agdevco, 2013-2015 Joined Bates Wells, 2023

*Fulfilled in conjunction with his partnership at Michelmores

School of Oriental & African Studies, London University - BA (Hons) Law (with Social Anthropology)