Mining, energy deals fuel rise of Africa’s most influential business lawyers

Africa Business+ has released the 10th edition of its annual 100 Legal Powerlist, ranking the most influential business lawyers in French-speaking Africa, with mining, infrastructure, and energy transactions emerging as the biggest drivers of legal activity across the continent.

The report, produced by the Jeune Afrique Media Group, said this year’s ranking reflects a record level of dealmaking, after analysing more than 4,500 transactions handled by over 1,700 lawyers from nearly 100 law firms between 2025 and the first quarter of 2026.

The ranking, now in its tenth year, identifies lawyers advising on some of Africa’s largest mergers and acquisitions, project finance deals, sovereign transactions, arbitrations and cross-border investments.

According to Africa Business+, mining dominated the legal landscape during the review period, fuelled by large-scale transactions surrounding Guinea’s Simandou iron ore project, developments in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s mining sector and ownership changes across the Birimian gold belt in West Africa.

Among the standout transactions were the ongoing acquisition of Allied Gold by China’s Zijin Mining and African Finance Group’s acquisition of Barrick Gold’s Tongon gold mine in Côte d’Ivoire.

Beyond mining, the report said energy projects, infrastructure development and complex financing arrangements continued to generate significant legal mandates, while Morocco remained one of the region’s most active jurisdictions for capital markets and mergers and acquisitions.

The 2026 edition also recorded a milestone for the African legal industry, with 35 lawyers based on the continent making the ranking—the highest number since the list was introduced in 2016—highlighting the growing strength of locally based legal expertise.

Africa Business+ said the trend reflects the increasing role of African firms in leading high-value transactions that were previously dominated by international practices.

Among the lawyers recognised this year are Serge Nawej, Isabelle Rouche, Magueye Gueye, Olivier Bustin, Laurent Sablé, Kawtar Raji, Pascal Agboyibor, Patrick Larrivé, Hicham Naciri and Thierry Lauriol. The ranking also marks a historic milestone with Salimatou Diallo becoming the first woman to enter the publication’s Top 10.

Julien Wagner, director of Special Content, Partnerships and Media Diversification at Jeune Afrique Media Group, said the ranking has evolved into an important benchmark for the continent’s legal profession over the past decade.

“Over ten editions, the 100 Legal Powerlist has become a marker of credibility for practitioners and institutions,” Wagner said. “This 2026 ranking reflects a decade of continuous observation of the market and offers a precise snapshot of the lawyers who, through their matters, shape the major economic transactions in French-speaking Africa.”

Africa Business+ said the ranking is compiled using an independent methodology that evaluates lawyers based on the quality and volume of transactions handled over the previous 18 months, the financial value and complexity of mandates, the number of jurisdictions covered, and the economic impact of the deals.

The report added that reputation, commercial partnerships, or financial contributions play no role in determining the rankings.