He has been with the firm since 1973 and his broad practice includes domestic and international corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, IPOs, demergers, private acquisitions and disposals, private equity, public takeovers, issues of compliance and corporate governance, investigations and insolvency, restructurings, investigations and sports law. 

Since 2019, Nigel has been in an ambassadorial role as Chair of the firm's Africa practice. He is also a Vice President of Save the Children UK, a non-executive board member at the UK government’s Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and a Deputy Chairman of the British Museum.

• What do you see as the greatest future opportunities for collaboration between UK and African lawyers advising on international trade matters between these markets for their clients?

Most trade deals do not involve lawyers, certainly not lawyers in private practice. The main areas for private practice lawyers are, therefore, in trade contracts associated with inward direct investment projects; some areas of trade finance, especially if they involve export credit; and dispute resolution.

• How can lawyers better engage and interact with their counterparts in the   UK/African markets for maximum client benefit? 

First, we need mutual respect. The laws of all countries are equally important. Secondly, we need mutual trust: we should not be double-checking each other’s work or doubting the other’s advice. Thirdly, we need to aspire to mutual understanding.

• What is your personal favourite aspect of travel to or engagement with non-home jurisdictions (so UK/specific African  jurisdiction)? 

I am a collector of African tribally-used art so I always try to visit the national museum of a country I visit and then also find the local market selling African tribally- used art. I think you can learn so much about a country from its culture and history and African countries have enormously rich and diverse histories and cultures.

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