DLA Piper Group signs third African ally

DLA PIPER Rudnick Gray Cary (DLA Piper) has signed an agreement with Zambian firm Chibesakunda & Co, making it a member of DLA Piper Group. This is DLA Piper’s third alliance agreement with an African-based law firm following its tie up with DLA Matouk Bassiouny in Egypt and South African law firm, Cliffe Dekker.

Mwelwa Chibesakunda, a former partner, and head of banking and finance with Denton Wilde Sapte’s associate firm Corpus Globe, will lead the newly established firm.

Chibesakunda, has over 14 years’ banking, M&A and commercial experience in Zambia. Prior to joining Corpus Globe, where he worked for ten years, Chibesakunda also worked for the Ministry of Justice in Zambia and was head of the international law and agreements department upon his departure.

With the additional support of two associates and two other fee earners, Chibesakunda & Co will focus on the needs of local corporate and commercial clients, and also specialist services for international clients in fields such as mining and related project financings, trade, export, and telecoms finance.

Chibesakunda & Co’s clients will also have access to DLA Piper Group’s international network, which stretches across Europe, the Middle East, South Africa, Asia and the US.

Grant Henderson, one of DLA Piper’s Africa experts, has been seconded to Chibesakunda & Co to support the development of the firm.

Henderson has worked in Zambia for over ten years and has a wide range of African transactional-related experience in the areas of M&A, restructuring, insolvency and privatisation, all of which serve to complement Mwelwa’s banking and finance focus.

In 2005 DLA Piper demonstrated its interest in Africa by appointing African specialists Charles Morrison and Grant Henderson, before entering into an exclusive agreement with DLA Matouk Bassiouny in Egypt and Cliffe Dekker in South Africa. The arrival of Chibesakunda & Co forms part of DLA Piper’s strategy to develop stronger links with international clients across Africa.