Aelex occupies a slightly different position in the market to its competitors, being most highly regarded in specific areas such as oil & gas, aviation, real estate, regulatory, dispute resolution and tax, above all, while having a slightly lower profile in mainstream acquisition financing and syndicated financing and capital markets transactions."If it bridges into regulatory, or tax, or anything with a government connection: privatisations of parts or assets, tax, regulatory and government contract," says one client who regularly instructs the top firms, "I go to them....
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Aelex occupies a slightly different position in the market to its competitors, being most highly regarded in specific areas such as oil & gas, aviation, real estate, regulatory, dispute resolution and tax, above all, while having a slightly lower profile in mainstream acquisition financing and syndicated financing and capital markets transactions.
"If it bridges into regulatory, or tax, or anything with a government connection: privatisations of parts or assets, tax, regulatory and government contract," says one client who regularly instructs the top firms, "I go to them." Another client says "they have a Ghanaian practice too [which] is a very useful bag of tricks as the focus on Ghana grows".
A large continental retail company recommends the firm for "real estate, property and litigation", picking out Theo Emuwa for his "knowledge of Nigeria" and the firm for "the fact that they are dedicated to our business, have very good lawyers; there have never been any issues".
Project finance is the firm's key area and partner Gbite Adenji advised ExxonMobil on all aspects (including financing) of a $1 billion 500MW independent power plant and was busy representing an international company with the establishment of a thermal power plant in Rivers State. Another highlight saw the firm advise Etisalat on a $650 million non-recourse financing for the development of telecoms infrastructure.
In banking, the firm gets regular referrals from the Dutch bank FMO, and in one deal Fubara Anga, Gideon Agbedo and Ayoyinka Ayeni were advising on a $20 million unsecured subordinated convertible facility to a Nigerian bank. Another regular client is Bank BHP, which it was helping restructure a $100 million financing for the purchase of aircraft by a Nigerian airline operator.
In capital markets, Anga and Agbedo acted for Oceanic Bank on a $200 million convertible Eurobond issue while in M&A Emuwa advised private equity firm Helios Investment Partners as local counsel to Clifford Chance on its $100 million acquisition of a local power company.
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