Leading African law firms, Bowmans and Udo Udoma & Belo-Osagie (UUBO), have announced that they are taking a major step forward in collaborating to support clients across the continent.

From 1 September 2020, Bowmans and UUBO have entered into a formal Alliance Agreement that will see them working much more closely together and will replace the ‘best-friends’ arrangement that has been in place for several years.

‘I’m delighted with this development, says Robert Legh, Bowmans’ Chairman and Senior Partner. ‘UUBO is recognised as one of Nigeria’s elite law firms. Nigeria is the continent’s largest economy and the 26th largest economy globally. It’s also Africa’s most populous nation. Our alliance with a firm of the calibre of UUBO is very good news for our respective clients across the continent.’

Having been in a best-friends relationship for several years, the two firms appreciate one other’s strengths and capabilities and have developed a mutual understanding and trust.

‘There are strong existing synergies between us - in services, culture, values, ethics and professionalism’, says Aniekan Ukpanah, managing partner at UUBO.

He says, ‘As a firm, UUBO actively seeks to respond quickly and effectively to the evolution and rapid changes of the economies and markets in which we and our clients operate and do business. The alliance gives us the opportunity to tap into the Africa-wide capabilities and presence that Bowmans offers.’

The latest development in Nigeria means the Bowmans brand is now present in nine key African countries: Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mauritius, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.

UUBO is one of the best-known and most respected law firms in the country. It is considered to be among the Nigerian elite and is ranked in the top tiers by Chambers, the Legal 500 and IFLR,  especially in corporate, M&A, banking and finance, and energy. The firm has 15 partners and 72 associates working from offices in Nigeria’s three main commercial centres, Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt as well as an associated firm in Ghana.

Legh concludes, ‘Nigeria has significant potential, but is also a complex jurisdiction from a legal and regulatory perspective. It will be good to be able to work with the team at UUBO to better serve our clients, not only in Nigeria, but elsewhere on the continent.’