2013-02-25 13:35:48 - Join fellow industry professionals at SMi's Masterclass - Legal Issues for Investing in Africa place on 14th March 2013, Central London

The Economist (2012) pointed out six of the world's ten fastest expanding economies were situated in Africa, and between 2011 and 2015 the International Monetary Fund predicts African countries will still hold 7 of the top 10. The growth was fuelled by genuine valued entrepreneurship, whereas the commodity boom interestingly only accounted for one third of the growth (This Africa, 2013). At the same time the growing economies and population is fuelling a demand for infrastructure and developmental projects, greater attention to agriculture and increased engagement with across a variety of industry sectors.

The US government in November stated that the Sub-Saharan is a region of extraordinary opportunity for growth and economic development. However the changing and varied needs of the

different African jurisdictions ( www.smi-online.co.uk/goto/africa-investment.asp?em...) require careful legal considerations to suit the unique needs of the relevant institutions and markets. This can cause a lot of misunderstandings and misconceptions on both sides.

Under the guidance of Elizabeth Uwaifo and her team, Sidley Austin, SMi Group’s masterclass will identify and explain some key issues that the international investor should be aware of when investing in Africa. The sessions address three critical factors that will be relevant across many sectors of investment:

• Overview of the investment climate and how to secure investor rights in African countries
• Rules governing trade for exporting from Africa or trading within the African region
• Considerations for investing responsibly towards the poorest people in Africa

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About the Masterclass host:
Elizabeth Uwaifo, a partner in Sidley’s Global Finance Group in London, with extensive experience in advising on structuring investments to match the needs of international investors and investees. She is a partner in the Global Finance group in London. Her practice involves advising banks, corporates, investment funds, insurance companies and other financial institutions on financing, risk management and investment matters. She is experienced in structuring innovative financing techniques including infrastructure financing, asset protection arrangements and establishing and implementing prudential management strategies. She is a member of the firm's Agribusiness practice and actively involved in facilitating investments in Agriculture and other sectors in various African countries. She is recognised as a leading lawyer in her field by various market observers including Chambers PLC, Legal 500 and IFLR 1000.

The Masterclass team will also include Arnoud Willems and Jung-ui Sul:

Arnoud Willems is a partner in Sidley’s International Trade and Arbitration Group in Brussels, and a leading international trade practitioner.

Jung-ui Sul is an Associate in Sidley’s International Trade and Arbitration Group in Brussels and the director of Sidley’s Africa-Asia Agribusiness Pro Bono Program.

About Sidley Austin LLP:
Sidley Austin LLP is one of the world’s premier law firms. With approximately 1700 lawyers, we provide a broad range of services to meet the needs of businesses, financial institutions and governments across a multitude of industries and in a variety of locations around the world. The firm’s experience covers work done in respect of a variety of African countries including Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, Togo, Congo and the Republic of Guinea.

To view the conference programme and full speaker line-up, visit www.smi-online.co.uk/africa-investment10.asp

Alternatively contact Andrew Gibbons on +44 (0) 20 7827 6156 or agibbons@smi-online.co.uk