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Leading Francophone Africa firm ADNA strengthens with a new office in the Democratic Republic of Congo
Pan-African law firm ADNA, a member firm of ALN, has today announced its expansion with an office in Kinshasa, a strategic move marking a new phase in the firm’s growth that reinforces its ability to support clients on the most complex transactions across Africa, particularly the OHADA region.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is not a peripheral opportunity; it is central to Africa’s future, says renowned lawyer and businessman Gbenga Oyebode, Chair of the Africa Legal Network (ALN), as member firm ADNA expands its presence in Francophone Africa by announcing today the opening of a new office in Kinshasa.
“Its legal landscape is among the continent's most sophisticated: a reformed Mining Code, active local content regulation, OHADA commercial law, and an emerging capital markets framework all create a jurisdiction that demands expert counsel.”
ADNA's expansion into Kinshasa, says Gbenga, is ALN delivering on its core commitment: “to be where our clients are, across every axis of African business, with the expertise the market demands". At the recent 2026 IFLR Africa Awards, the ALN network scooped a remarkable 17 trophies, including Legal Network of the Year and Francophone Africa Law Firm of the Year for its member firm ADNA, which now adds its new DRC presence to its footprint in Algeria, Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea, and Morocco.
The Kinshasa office will be led by Serge Nawej Tshitemb’u, who joins ADNA as a partner. Trained in Belgium, where he studied law at the Université libre de Bruxelles and began his legal career, Serge later practised at DLA Piper in London before founding Proxima International in 2014, a leading law firm in the DRC.
“We are solution-driven, turning complexity into opportunity to support the most ambitious and strategic projects,” says Serge, who has over 20 years of experience and advises an international client base, including investors, financial institutions, and industrial groups, on complex transactions, particularly in the mining, energy, infrastructure, banking, and telecommunications sectors. He has been involved in large-scale transactions representing several billion US dollars and has developed recognised expertise in highly complex legal, financial, and regulatory environments.
This new integration builds on a longstanding collaboration between ADNA and Proxima International, grounded in shared values and a common vision.
It enables ADNA to establish a strong presence in Central Africa, supported by a team with local roots and proven expertise. “The opening of the Kinshasa office goes beyond geographic expansion: fully reflecting the firm’s identity and ambition,” says Salimatou Diallo, ADNA’s Managing Partner. “ADNA is an African firm, deeply rooted in the realities of the continent, committed to supporting its clients in achieving their economic ambitions in the most strategic markets.”
The Kinshasa office will focus on the firm’s core areas of expertise: M&A, financing (corporate, sovereign, and project finance), major infrastructure and energy projects, mining law, tax, and complex dispute resolution, with a focus on high-value transactions for regional and international institutional clients.
This expansion is also part of a broader regional development strategy. The DRC stands at the crossroads between Francophone and Anglophone Africa, offering significant opportunities for cross-border growth. It strengthens collaboration across ADNA’s offices and supports investment flows across the continent, says the firm.