Law firm targets Africa’s mining, energy investment boom

A new international law firm focused on strategic investments in Africa and other fast-growing markets has launched operations, positioning itself to advise investors, governments, and multinational corporations navigating an increasingly complex investment landscape across the continent.

The firm, Mada, officially commenced operations on June 2 with offices in Paris and Dubai, bringing together a team of lawyers with decades of experience advising on some of Africa’s largest mining, energy, and infrastructure projects.

The launch comes at a time when African countries are seeking to attract billions of dollars in investment into critical minerals, energy transition projects and infrastructure development, while balancing growing regulatory requirements, environmental standards, and demands for greater local participation.

Mada’s founding partners say the firm’s focus will be on helping investors and governments navigate these evolving realities across Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, and Latin America.

The firm is led by Global Managing Partner Lucien Bou Chaaya and Senior Partner Stéphane Brabant, both of whom have extensive experience advising on extractive industry projects across the African continent. The team includes specialists in taxation, international arbitration, project finance, and regulatory matters.

According to the firm, the traditional approach to project development is changing rapidly as geopolitical tensions, financing constraints, environmental, social, and governance (ESG) expectations, and evolving regulatory frameworks increasingly shape investment decisions.

“Projects are no longer shaped by legal frameworks alone,” the firm said in a statement, noting that operational, reputational and stakeholder considerations now play a critical role in determining project success.

For Africa, the development is significant as governments across the continent seek to leverage growing global demand for minerals such as lithium, copper, cobalt and uranium, which are critical to the global energy transition.

Brabant, who has spent more than three decades advising on mining and energy projects in Africa, said the firm was designed to respond to a rapidly changing business environment on the continent.

“Mada is a project-oriented law firm built to keep adapting to a fast-changing business environment, notably in Africa,” he said. “Geopolitics, new technologies including AI, ESG and responsible business conduct shape the way we work.”

The firm’s client roster reflects its deep involvement in Africa’s natural resources sector. Members of the founding team have previously advised major mining and energy companies including Barrick Mining, B2Gold, Endeavour Mining, Eramet, Eurasian Resources Group and GoviEx Uranium on projects across the continent.

A notable feature of the new firm’s structure is its emphasis on integrating legal, tax, regulatory, financing and dispute resolution services throughout the lifecycle of large-scale projects.

Industry analysts note that this approach is becoming increasingly important in Africa, where investment projects often involve negotiations with governments, development finance institutions, local communities, and international lenders.

Bou Chaaya said the firm’s strategy is built around long-term engagement with stakeholders rather than purely transactional legal support.

“The team we have built understands how a project develops, year after year, and the pressures that surround it,” he said. “We bring together deep sector expertise and on-the-ground experience to support clients across structuring, transactions, and disputes.”

The launch underscores growing international interest in Africa’s investment opportunities despite persistent challenges ranging from political uncertainty to evolving regulatory regimes.

As countries across Africa push for greater value addition in mining, stronger local content requirements, and more sustainable development models, specialised advisory firms are increasingly positioning themselves to help bridge the gap between investors and governments.

With expertise spanning Francophone and Anglophone Africa, including regional frameworks such as OHADA, CEMAC, and UEMOA, Mada said it intends to play a role in shaping the next generation of investment projects across the continent’s natural resources and infrastructure sectors.