Bowmans signs agreement with Gide to extend its reach

Bowmans signs agreement with Gide to extend its reach

Law firms to offer services across French and English-speaking countries

A leading pan-African law firm Bowmans has signed an agreement with Gide Loyrette Nouel, the first law firm to originate in France. The move is intended to boost both firms' reach across Africa.

Speaking on the association, Gide's managing partner Jean-François Levraud, said, "We have known the Bowmans team for more than a decade and share the same values and professional standards." He added, "We have a history of successful joint assignments and this step in our cooperation will allow us to support our clients in their most complex pan-African transactions."

The Paris-based company acknowledged that Bowmans was a widely regarded law firm in Africa. "Although there are no financial ties between our firms, it was obvious for us to consider this unique agreement," Gide said.

Bowmans' senior partner for Kenya, Richard Harney, remarked, "This is a very exciting development. The co-operation agreement strengthens our relationship."

The firms considered the arrangement as a chance for them to offer their lawyers "multiple opportunities" to collaborate and increase their reach across Africa.

While Gide has offices in Algiers, Casablanca and Tunis and brings with it the experience of working in the west and the north of the continent, mainly French-speaking countries, Bowmans has a presence in southern and eastern Africa, mainly the English-speaking countries. It has offices in South Africa, Kenya, Uganda, Mauritius, Tanzania and Zambia.

The firms have previously worked on joint mandates for French and African companies on cross-border matters including mergers and acquisitions (M&A), finance, infrastructure, hospitality and energy projects and in the emerging fields of fintech and e-commerce.