As an emerging market, Africa offers many opportunities for companies looking to extend their business in an area with twenty percent (20%) of the world’s total land mass, a population of 900 million people (14% of the world total), and a plethora of mineral resources. The continent appropriately has been called a “gentle giant” and a “sleeping beauty” in recent times. Herbert Igbanugo, Esq., the founder of Igbanugo Partners Int’l Law Firm, PLLC (Igbanugo Partners), has expanded the services that his law firm provides to companies that do business in Sub-Saharan Africa. Igbanugo Partners is the largest and most diverse minority-controlled law firm in the United States practicing international trade law with a narrow focus on Sub-Saharan Africa. It serves U.S. corporate clients that do business with companies and governments in Sub- Saharan Africa and institutional clients with U.S. investments and/or operations.

In February 2009, Mr. Igbanugo and his colleagues plan to open Igbanugo, Udenze, and Co in Abuja, the capital city of Nigeria. They chose Nigeria as their first operating base in Sub-Saharan Africa because it has a population of over 140 million eager consumers. Igbanugo Partners, however, understands that, in today’s global economic environment, no law firm can establish offices in every jurisdiction in which its clients do business in Sub-Saharan Africa. The firm has addressed this limitation by establishing strategic professional relationships with experienced Sub-Saharan Africa law firms and consulting firms that have members who have held high-ranking positions and who are well versed in the trade laws of the member nations of the African Union, the New Partnership for Africa’s Development, the Economic Community of West African States, the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, the Southern African Development Community, the Economic Community of Central African States and the East African Community. The firm believes that its attorneys’ ability to quickly assemble a competent legal team in the major commercial centers of Sub-Saharan Africa is unsurpassed.

Among others, Igbanugo Partners’ practice areas also include: (1) the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and most of the unilateral anti-bribery conventions or initiatives applicable to U.S.-based multinational corporations operating overseas; (2) management of local counsel in Sub-Saharan Africa; (3) lobbying Sub-Saharan Africa government and agencies; (4) infrastructure development; (5) financial brokerage services; (6) consulting services; (7) site security training; and (8) United States and Sub-Saharan Africa immigration services.

References

The following internet link provides access to Igbanugo Partners’ Sub- Saharan Africa brochure: http://www.igbanugolaw.com/news/docs/SubSaharanAfrica.pdf. Mr. Igbanugo can be contacted by telephone at 612-746-0360 or by email at higbanugo@igbanugolaw.com.