International experience, local insight: pan-African law firm CLG strategically partners with Libya’s Zahaf & Partners

Signing a collaboration agreement with Zahaf & Partners this weekend reflects the confidence pan-African firm CLG has in the Libyan market and its commitment to work alongside strong local partners to deliver value-driven, compliant, and commercial sound advice, said Oneyka Cindy Ojogbo, Managing Partner of CLG. 

“Zahaf & Partners’ reputation and expertise make them an ideal partner as CLG expands its footprint in North Africa.” added Ojogbo, a Nigerian lawyer who first joined the trailblazing African firm in 2019, to lead its Frankfurt office. 

Established in Johannesburg in 2007 as Centurion Legal Group, by NJ Ayuk, one of the world’s leading energy lawyers and the founder and Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber, CLG now operates across 50 countries worldwide. Zahaf & Partners is a top-tier Libyan firm established in 1990, shortly after the liberalisation of local regulations, by iconic Libyan lawyer Dr Saleh Mohammed Zahaf.

The two African firms signed a collaboration agreement in Libya this past weekend, outlining a strategic partnership for long-term professional cooperation. The firms will collaborate on legal, tax, regulatory, and business advisory mandates in Libya, strongly focused on energy, infrastructure, finance, and investment-related projects.

Signalling CLG’s entrance into the Libyan market, the collaboration agreement aligns with CLG’s broader North African expansion strategy, says the firm, while underscoring growing international confidence in Libya’s energy and investment landscape. It brings together CLG’s extensive pan-African experience across energy, infrastructure, natural resources, tax, regulatory advisory and cross-border transactions with Zahaf & Partners’ deep-rooted expertise in Libyan law, regulatory frameworks, tax advisory and domestic business advisory services.

The strategic partnership is structured to support both inbound international investors and domestic stakeholders seeking to navigate Libya’s evolving legal and regulatory environment while advancing commercially viable projects.

“This agreement brings together international experience and local insight at a time when Libya is actively seeking to unlock investment across key sectors,” said Mahmud Zahaf, Managing Partner at Zahaf & Partners, which for 35 years has been a cornerstone of legal innovation in Libya, offering solutions to complex legal challenges. “Partnering with CLG strengthens our ability to support complex projects while ensuring that solutions are grounded in Libyan law and practice,” 

The strategic collaboration between CLG and Zahaf & Partners also comes at a pivotal time for Libya, say the firms, as rising production, renewed investment, and strengthened global ties mark a new era for the country’s energy development. 

On the back of its latest licensing round - launched in 2025 and set to close in February 2026 - the country is welcoming significant capital into its upstream market, with a proposed second licensing round building on investor momentum. The country is on track to reach 1.6 million barrels per day by year-end.

Beyond transactional collaboration, the agreement sets out a broad framework for long-term professional cooperation. This includes joint participation in the pursuit and execution of projects across the public and private sectors, professional training and capacity building initiatives, and the transfer of legal, regulatory and commercial know-how between teams. The firms will also work together on legislative, regulatory and policy-related assignments, comparative law and regulatory studies, and the issuance of joint legal briefings, publications and client alerts.