Banking & Finance
Global Guide 2024 : Africa-wide
Spotlight
Email address
[email protected]Contact number
(020) 7814 8000Chambers Review
Watson Farley & Williams (WFW) has a multi-disciplinary African finance group, calling principally on the expertise of partners based in London, Paris, Frankfurt and Dubai. It is active on a variety of asset finance, trade finance and reserve-based lending mandates, and is often to be seen acting for financial institutions, including multilaterals. Other clients include sovereign states as well as commodity trading companies. The firm's trade finance expertise is complemented by experience handling commodities trading disputes.
Work Highlights
- Watson Farley & Williams represented Mauritius Commercial Bank in its provision of a working capital facility, and a separate reserve-based lending facility, to Afentra, for the purposes of financing its acquisition of several interests in hydrocarbon production blocks in Angola.
Strengths
Provided by Chambers
"Watson Farley & Williams responds quickly to new opportunities and shows flexibility in terms of approach."
"Watson Farley & Williams is a partner-led practice and I will always get a response within a couple of hours."
"They are very efficient, very articulate in the meetings and by email, and highly responsive."
"Watson Farley & Williams responds quickly to new opportunities and shows flexibility in terms of approach."
"Watson Farley & Williams is a partner-led practice and I will always get a response within a couple of hours."
"They are very efficient, very articulate in the meetings and by email, and highly responsive."
Notable Practitioners
Joe Levin is a London-based partner whose work encompasses project as well as trade finance, with the twin streams of his practice converging on the oil and gas sector. Recent mandates have included matters relating to hydrocarbon assets in Gabon and Angola, in addition to matters elsewhere in Africa.
"Joe is a great lawyer who is incredibly commercially minded. He's able to put things in context and won't push a point for the sake of it - he will investigate if there's a value to it for us. I like the way he thinks and how he approaches his work."
"Joe Levin has outstanding all-round experience in banking and finance matters across Africa."