Olaniwun Ajayi is a long-established corporate firm with a lot of experience in banking and finance. "Must be at the top," says a peer, "they are on some of the biggest project finance deals for companies like ExxonMobil and LNG....
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Olaniwun Ajayi is a long-established corporate firm with a lot of experience in banking and finance. "Must be at the top," says a peer, "they are on some of the biggest project finance deals for companies like ExxonMobil and LNG."
One client, who used the firm for restructuring a syndicated loan against international lenders, found it "very good, they have a lot of experience and some very outstanding partners and articulate associates, I am most comfortable with them of all firms". For another client the firm fell short of expectations on an M&A transaction with due diligence, however it is a rare criticism as thoroughness is often listed as one of its strong points.
Yemisi Awonuga, Anuoluwapo Balogun and Seye Opasanya all led finance deals which included assisting Lafarge Cement WAPCO on a $414 million restructuring of a syndicated loan and further financing from Standard Chartered, Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB) and Stanbic IBTC.
The team helped Nigerian LNG restructure a $1billion syndicated facility and secure further financing of $72 million from a syndicate including BNP Paribas, Citibank, WestLB and Crédit Lyonnais, First Bank of Nigeria, GTB and Union Bank among others.
In capital markets, Awonuga helped UBA on a $2.1 billion MTN programme, while in banking the firm helped International Finance Corporation (IFC) on a $200 million loan and equity investment into GTB and acted for AMCOM on its $14 billion debt issuance programme through issuance of bonds to 21 Nigerian banks.
In M&A, Ajayi advised Dangote Cement on its merger with Benue Cement Company to create a company that constitutes 25% of the stock exchange's market capitalisation, and Tominiyi Owolabi, recommended by a peer for "consistently advising on biggest transactions", advised Africa Oilfield Services on its merger with Orwell International.
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