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Expanding footprints in Africa
John W Ffooks & Co (JWF), an independent, Francophone Africa-focused law firm, has expanded into Guinea and Togo via a double merger with local firms.
The addition of Joe-Adams & Madison (based in Conakry, Guinea) and Cabinet Maître Yayi Ekoé (based in Lomé, Togo) brings JWF’s headcount to 11 partners and 40 associates working across 17 African countries. JWF itself has offices in Guinea, Madagascar, Mauritius and Senegal.
The only international law firm in Francophone Africa offering combined Napoleonic and English law expertise, JWF now covers the bulk of French-speaking Africa, including Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Ivory Coast, Mali, Niger and Rwanda. The firm works with transactional matters in mining, oil and gas, banking and finance, telecommunications, mergers and acquisitions, stock market listings, real estate and employment.
This merger is the culmination of many years of collaboration between JWF and the firms in Conakry and Lomé. “As business in Africa becomes increasingly cross-border in nature, our combination helps develop our pan-African offering for the good of our respective clients and referral partners. These mergers do exactly that,” commented JWF senior partner and founder John Ffooks.
Jean Pascal Ouendéno, a former PwC tax and legal adviser, set up Joe-Adams & Madison in mid-2020 alongside managing partner Mohamed Baldé. Between them, the Guinean partners have tax, financial, natural resources and energy, infrastructure, commercial and investment experience. “The merger allows us to grow our businesses together, better serve mutual clients and new ones, and provide our lawyers with new and interesting opportunities,” said Ouendéno.
Baldé added that their firm has a good working relationship with JWF and the two firms have a good understanding of one another’s businesses, culture and people.
Justin Yayi Ekoé has experience of matters relating to natural resources, commercial and employment issues, among others. He believes, “The combination will enable us to enhance our response to mutual engagements and the quality of our legal services across Africa, thus meeting the demands of an increasingly international marketplace.”
JWF managing partner Richard Glass concurred, adding that the merger will enhance the firm’s ability to respond rapidly to the changing needs of the African legal market.
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