About

Number of years practice: 28

Principal practice areas: Project finance and infrastructure project development

Languages spoken: English

What is the geographical focus of your practice in Africa?

Pan-African practice.

Please describe the most important matters you have worked on in the African market in the last two years, including your role and the significance of the matter (if any) to the development of business and law.

I have led the Trinity team in the first two private sector power plants to close in Ghana; Cenpower, which had close to US$1bn project costs, and Amandi, which had a US$500m project cost. I continue to work on those projects post-closing. I am also currently leading the Trinity teams in the first two IPPs being developed in Ethiopia – Corbetti and Tulu Moye – each with a project cost of over US$2bn.

Probably the most important breakthrough for the region is the work undertaken on certain initiatives to facilitate private sector involvement in power projects including our work on the GETFiT initiatives in Uganda and now Zambia (which has won various awards) and, most recently, the creation of the Renewable Liquidity Support Facility, an innovative structure which allows for the provision of liquidity support for renewable power projects in sub-Saharan Africa.

What differentiates your practice from that of other private practice lawyers?

Focus. I have worked on infrastructure projects in Africa now for close to 30 years and many within Trinity for a similar period of time. We have learnt from this experience and are able to create solutions to deal with the many challenges which come arise.

Why has Africa been a particularly strong focus for you?

I worked in-house at Commonwealth Development Corporation for a number of years, ending up in the African team. Then leaving to private practice I decided to carry on with a focus on Africa – that, combined with my love of travelling in the continent and that my wife grew up in Zambia!

What changes have you seen in the appetite for Africa-based ventures and investments over the last five years?

Continued development and expansion – certainly in certain areas such as solar power. There are now multiple developers and investors into solar power projects which was simply not envisaged five years ago.

Are there any aspects of the African legal market that you would like to see change?

Not so much the African legal market but more the political landscape; long term decision making is necessary to allow long term infrastructure to be sensibly developed. Such is always a challenge in the political landscape in many countries in the region.

What megatrends do you think will shape the African market over the coming five years? How (if at all) will these trends affect your practice?

Consolidation of assets – a few very large players will develop in IPPs with smaller ones perhaps undertaking smaller solar projects. Growth areas will be off-grid and mini-grid power concessions as well as a private sector focus on transmission and distribution assets in the power sector.