Our work

• Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr (Kenya) represented IDLO, an intergovernmental organization dedicated to the promotion of the rule of law, in its mandates across Africa.  Our Kenya-based employment team advised IDLO on employment and employment tax aspects on employees and consultants in the Republic of Rwanda in 2022 and in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2023.  The work has involved drafting questionnaires on questions of employment law for example, the difference between hiring employees vis a vis consultants, immigration, statutory payments and deductions, local versus foreign employees as well as practical aspects of the structure of employment agreements ie payment of salaries in foreign currencies and settlement of statutory obligations within the various jurisdictions. The fact that CDH is engaged by IDLO to cover its Africa work further demonstrates our ability to understand employment legislation across Africa at the highest level.
• Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr is representing GGBC, a subsidiary of Glencore, the leading Switzerland-based global commodity and mining company.  Our South Africa-based dispute resolution team is assisting GGBC with defending a claim relating to the alleged infringement of the claimant's intellectual property, along with unlawful competition allegations and restraint of trade claims against certain employees of GGBC.  Glencore established its own taxonomy and ontology for purposes of managing its procurement processes across the world.  The claimant alleges that Glencore had poached some of its employees to reverse engineer the claimant's proprietary software so that Glencore can avoid on-going payment obligations to the claimant and for it to unlawfully compete with the claimant.  This matter requires in-depth understanding of technical concepts and data management, as well as the functioning and capabilities of the different software programmes and platforms employed by the parties.  The matter also covers different areas of the law, namely intellectual property, unlawful competition, and employment law.  Though the alleged damages have not been quantified, they are expected to run into ZAR 10s millions, further confirming our position as trusted go-to counsel for clients in connection with high-stakes disputes involving significant cross-practice expertise.
• Kieti Law (CDH) is representing Shop & Deliver, the leading Kenya-based online sports betting and gambling company in Africa which holds a raft of trade marks and other forms of intellectual property.  Our Kenya-based intellectual property team is advising Shop & Deliver on the clearance and registration of nine trade marks in Mozambique and the Democratic Republic of Congo.  We are also continuing to prosecute the regional registration of various trade marks in four (initially eight, before completion in 2022) African states and the 17 Organisation Africaine de Propriete Intellectuelle (OAPI) states on behalf this client.  
• Kieti Law (CDH) is representing one of the leading grain handling and logistics companies in East and Central Africa.  Our Kenya-based intellectual property team is advising this client, which operates a specialised dry bulk discharge and handling terminal for grain imports, in relation to its intended rebranding exercise in May 2023.  The client's rebranding is a precursor to its intended multi-jurisdictional expansion beyond Kenya and Uganda into Djibouti, Mozambique, Democratic Republic of Congo and Tanzania.  As part of our mandate, we offered rebranding advice and assisted in trade mark clearances, filings, prosecution, defence and portfolio maintenance briefs.  

Africa Corporate Guide

This guide covers common questions relating to the process of incorporating and setting up in various African jurisdictions.

Many of our clients are looking to expand their African footprint.

Therefore it is incumbent on us to understand the nuances, intricacies and ultimately the legal requirements of setting up in each of the countries in Africa. The purpose of this guide is to simplify the position in relation to incorporation and setting up in various African jurisdictions and to provide our clients with an overview of their obligations in relation to this.

Click here to read the Guide.