US-based industrial services company Baker Hughes has been one of the leading oil field service providers in Africa for the past 50 years and now employs around 2,500 staff across the continent. The company’s main areas of operation are Libya, Nigeria and Algeria, though it also has a significant presence in Sub-Saharan Africa stretching from Angola to Côte d’Ivoire.

This range of jurisdictions lends significant nuance to the type of legal work the team has to manage. The African legal function is the responsibility of UK-based Poju Adedeji, who has been with the company since 2004. Adedeji and his team are praised for helping the company to respond to the constantly evolving commercial and regulatory landscape in Africa and for providing a vital support link to its activities on the continent.