International law firms have discovered Africa. Now what do they do?
Dealflow into Africa has been on a steady upswing in recent years, with most activity in the natural resources sector. (According to Mergermarket, in the first half of 2013 there were 102 African M&A deals announced, worth a combined $15 billion, a 10 percent increase in volume and 18 percent rise in value compared with the first six months of 2012.) While U.K. and U.S. firms’ offices in London and Paris remain important hubs for picking up mandates, some firms—mostly British—are looking at ways to put resources on the ground, either in the form of new offices or as formal ties with local practices.
