The Legal 500

Overview

Many senior Algerian lawyers have a background working in-house for Sonatrach, the largest Algerian state-owned company and the eleventh largest oil consortium in the world. Together with national electricity company Sonalgaz, Sonatrach dominates the Algerian energy market and is responsible for the launch of the majority of projects in the country. While there are genuine international investment opportunities in the Algerian energy market, new laws now make it less easy for foreign companies to invest. These laws reduce the share of projects available to foreigners from 51% to 49%, and new tax laws also favour Algerian companies.

There are 11 regional bar associations in Algeria, and lawyers must belong to one of them in order to practice as an advocate. However, French law firms Gide Loyrette Nouel and CMS Bureau Francis Lefebvre– which opened an Algeria office in 2007 – have established legal consultancies, rather than local law firms in Algeria.

Texas-based energy firm Thompson & Knight LLP has a petroleum sector-focused Algeria office led by an Algerian advocate. UK-based Denton Wilde Sapte LLP has taken a different route, in establishing an affiliation with local firm Hadj-Hamou/Djouadi. In the Paris office of Denton Wilde Sapte LLP, partners Cyril Vock and Daniel Azan handle a significant amount of Algerian work including recently advising an Australian mining company on the potential acquisition of mining interests in the country. The Paris offices of some of the major Magic Circle and Wall Street firms are also visible in Algerian transactions.

Allen & Overy LLP is known in the country for its work on financing, and Paris partners Tim Scales and Rod Cork head the ‘ very good quality’ Africa desk, which has recently grown to include two new lawyers who are Arabic-speaking, something which clients say they appreciate, and one of whom is Algeria-qualified. It recently advised SNC Lavalin and Mubadala Development Company on the $640m financing of an IPP in Algeria, the largest limited-recourse project finance in Algeria to be funded in dinars through Algerian banks.

The ‘ excellent’ North Africa desk at Ashurst LLP handles all of Mitsui’s work in Algeria including recently acting for Mitsui, as part of a consortium, in relation to the structuring and financing of the Arzew methanol plant project in Algeria. Paris partner Michel Lequien is praised by clients, who say they are ‘ extremely satisfied by Michel’s attitude to business in Algeria’.

Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP is active in the Algerian energy sector, and had also been advising Citigroup on the privatisation process for the Crédit Populaire d’Algérie, Algeria’s first bank privatisation. Paris partners Jean-Pierre Vignaud and Barthélemy Faye are recommended.

Clifford Chance has a ‘ strong presence’ in Algeria, particularly in relation to project finance and infrastructure matters, and acts for project sponsors or multinational banks. It has also been advising an Egyptian steel group on the construction of a greenfield plant in Algeria. Paris partners Mustapha Mourahib and Anthony Giustini run the North Africa practice.

At Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP, Paris project finance partner Amir Jahanguiri heads a team which worked for a consortium which was the preferred bidder for one of the three sections of the East-West Algerian motorway (running from the Tunisian border to the Moroccan border) and is currently advising the preferred bidder consortium in the context of one of the largest petrochemical projects in the country. Clients speak of ‘ excellent handling of cultural differences during long negotiations’ and ‘ truly valuable input provided, together with excellent inter personal relationships’.

Herbert Smith LLP is active in energy, and its practice has been strengthened by the promotion of Paris-based Medhi Haroun, who has a particularly strong practice in Algeria, to the partnership. Recent work includes advising BP and Statoil on their Algerian operations, and advising British American Tobacco on the establishment of a joint venture in Algeria.

Linklaters LLP is known in Algeria for its power-related work. Paris partners Simon Ratledge and Bertran Andriani are recommended for their ‘ understanding of Algerian law, understanding of Algeria generally, and strong insight into the upstream oil and gas industry.’

Norton Rose LLP is active in energy work in Algeria, and is advising Sonatrach in relation to the privatisation of one of its subsidiaries, ENIP.

Simmons & Simmons has a long-standing commitment to the Algerian market and is now known for being ‘ present and active’ in the country, where it handles work for Sonatrach and Sonalgaz, and often advises on desalination power plant projects. It also recently worked for the Malaysian and Singapore-based sponsors of the $360m Tlemcen IPP. Christophe Asselineau is recommended.

In the Paris office of White & Case LLP, energy and projects head Paule Biensan has been working in Algeria on the financing of a €1.1bn joint venture between Egypt-based Orascom Construction and Algeria’s Sonatrach.