Together, everywhere: Dentons further builds its pan-African presence by officially launching in Senegal

Establishing a presence in Senegal with today’s announcement of the launch of Dentons Legalix aligns with the largest global law firm’s vision to become the leading pan-African firm, says Mohamed Zaanouni, CEO of Dentons’ Africa region. 

Dentons Legalix (formerly Legalix) is a leading full-service law firm based in Dakar, whose founders have served clients across Senegal and the 17 member countries of the Organisation for the Harmonization of Business Law in Africa (OHADA).

As reported by Africa Legal, in recent months Dentons has expanded its African footprint by partnering with leading local law firms and launching Dentons offices in Ethiopia in October and the Democratic Republic of the Congo in November. 

With this afternoon’s announcement of the launch of Dentons Legalix in Senegal, the world’s largest global law firm now has a presence in 25 locations in 17 African nations, with more than 280 lawyers with ‘boots on the ground’ across the continent. 

“As Senegal becomes an increasingly important market to our clients, we are proud to expand our footprint and offer deep local expertise through leading talent to support clients across Africa and the globe,” says Zaanouni. 

The Dakar office will be led by Managing Partner Magna Brice Sylva, an experienced lawyer with more than twelve years of practice in advisory, litigation, and arbitration.

The other partners at Dentons Legalix are Mamadou Diallo, who has more than fifteen years of practice in civil law, commercial law and transport law; Khady Diop Kama, who has thirty years of practice in corporate, real estate, labor, and insurance law; and Nidal Kamal, a skilled business lawyer with more than thirteen years of practice, and specialisations in Labour Law, Insurance and Real Estate.

As a full-service firm, the team at Dentons Legalix (formerly Legalix), has built extensive experience supporting both local and international companies through complex legal matters across areas such as dispute resolution, M&A transactions, banking and finance, regulatory, tax and competition law.

“Our firms were brought together by a mutual vision for excellence and a deep commitment to delivering world-class legal services,” said Kate Barton, Global CEO of Dentons. “This expansion enables us to better serve our clients’ evolving needs across Africa and the more than 85 countries where Dentons has a presence.”

Senegal is a key gateway to Africa that is accelerating economic growth through strategic reforms and pro-investment policies, says Dentons. 

Core sectors like agriculture, mining, shipping, and petroleum refining are driving regional trade, while emerging industries such as renewable energy and tourism are creating new opportunities for cross-border deals.