SCPA SYSS Avocats

Business Law, Investment, Project development, Infrastructures, Public Procurement, Public, Private Partnership

Managing Partner

El Hadji Omar YOUM brings over 20 years of uninterrupted legal practice, reinforced by a decade of high-level government service. Before rejoining full-time private practice, he held critical positions in the Government of Senegal, including Director General of a national recovery agency, Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, and Chief of Staff to the President of the Republic. This unique combination of institutional leadership and technical legal expertise makes him one of Senegal’s most strategic legal advisors for complex and high-stakes matters.

A certified expert in legal risk management, Counsellor YOUM is the Managing Partner of SYSS Avocats and Head of the Audit and Legal Advisory Department. He leads on matters involving corporate compliance, high-value contract structuring, and public-private partnerships (PPPs), particularly where regulatory frameworks intersect with commercial operations.

He oversees the firm’s most sensitive client portfolios, including several leading domestic and international banks, as well as state-owned enterprises and strategic investors. His clients include CBAO Groupe Attijariwafa Bank, Philip Morris, Petrosen Group, SGBS, BICIS, and various public agencies.

Key Qualifications and Expertise

Contract Audits and Legal Opinions: Deep expertise in risk mitigation and legal compliance through detailed analysis and revision of contractual frameworks. Banking, Corporate & Commercial Law: Extensive experience advising financial guarantees, corporate structuring, shareholder relations, and commercial transactions across OHADA jurisdictions. Legislative and Regulatory Drafting: Proven competence in drafting and interpreting legislative texts, decrees, and regulatory instruments frequently consulted by public authorities and multilateral institutions.

In addition to his client work, Counsellor YOUM is a prolific author and thought leader in OHADA law and serves as a lead trainer in continuing legal education programs. His rare blend of policy-level insight and transactional depth positions him as a trusted advisor for clients navigating both legal complexity and regulatory change.

English, French

Member of the National Executive Secretariat of the Alliance pour la République (APR)

2008 – Training in Legal Risk Management, EFE, Paris 2006 – Master’s Degree in International Trade, Université Lille 1 (TRAINMAR Centre, Dakar) 2001–2002 – Enrolled in a DEA (Postgraduate Diploma) in Private Law, specialising in Commercial Law, Université Cheikh Anta Diop 1992 – Master’s Degree in Business Law, Université Cheikh Anta Diop 1991 – Bachelor’s Degree in Business Law, Université Cheikh Anta Diop

Research, sports (jogging and football), travel, reading, and documentary films.