Our vision
A partner in Economic Transformation within French speaking Africa
We believe in pragmatic business law that lifts people up and propels economic performance. Our firm assists businesses and institutions with high standards for excellence, ethics, and long-term impact. Each of our engagements is guided by a clear vision: secure, structure, and scale your projects in a complex and ever-changing legal and regulatory environment.
Ofori Conseils Africa LLP is an independent Legal and regulatory firm dedicated to the strategic assistance of businesses and investors operating in the OHADA zone. We assist our clients through every step of their business development, providing unparalleled expertise and steadfast commitment.
Led by Assemian Faustin Kouakou, Ofori Conseils Africa LLP is recognized for its cutting-edge expertise in business and tax law, as well as its nuanced understanding of local, regional, and international trade dynamics.
Based in Abidjan and operating throughout the OHADA zone, Ofori Conseils Africa works with a diverse range of clients, including local and regional businesses, international firms, public and semi-public institutions, and investment and startup funds to structure and safeguard complex, high-stakes investments. In an ever-changing legal environment, we leverage the law as a powerful tool for strategic performance. At Ofori, we’re guided by technical excellence, agility, and and deep industry insight, delivering reliable, tailored, results-focused solutions.
Our services
Multidisciplinary legal and regulatory services
Aligned with your strategy goals – and with international standards
Ofori Conseils Africa LLP handles high-impact economic operations through an integrated legal and regulatory approach. We secure, optimize, and assist in the execution of your strategic projects, combining local expertise with international standards and our pan-African vision.
We specialize in all areas of business and tax law, with particular expertise in complex transactions and multi-jurisdictional matters, including:
01
Legal and Regulatory Matters
We handle all types of major transactions including cross-border mergers, restructuring, public-private partnerships and large-scale construction projects. Our practice is built on two core principles: regulatory compliance and operational efficiency, ensuring that every project we handle is both legally sound and ready for execution.
Read more- Cross-Border Mergers and Acquisitions:
We handle every step of the process from legal and tax structuring to due diligence, contract negotiation and regulatory compliance.
Our in-depth knowledge of the OHADA markets and their alignment with global standards guarantees a smooth, secure, and fully compliant transactions.
- OHADA Business Law:
We provide advice on all OHADA business law standards, including corporate law, governance, general commercial law, security interests, and contracts.
Our approach simplifies cross-border transactions by combining regulatory precision with operational execution, ensuring your projects are secure and your interests protected.
02
Taxes and customs
We handle complex, high-stakes investments involving restructuring, cross-border transaction , transfer pricing, and litigation. Our approach blends technical expertise, in-depth knowledge of OHADA regulations, and strategic insight to safeguard the business performance of international organizations in Africa.
Read more- Business taxes
We provide strategic tax management options for businesses in both OHADA, WAEMU and ECOWAS zones at the local level, both for daily operations and for less common operations like restructuring, mergers, fundraising, and more. Our cutting-edge expertise in tax law allows us to help our clients secure their choices, optimize their costs, and anticipate risks, all with the long-term goal of sustainable performance.
- Individual taxes
We advise executives and private individuals on the tax structure of their assets at both the local and international levels. We offer secure, optimized, global solutions for income tax, international mobility, and succession planning.
03
Social responsibility
From employee relations to social contributions and audits, we provide support to businesses in their daily, strategic management of social responsibility. Our strength lies at the intersection of legal certainty and managing relations with social organizations.
Read more- legal representation (plaintiff or defendant) in the event of litigation.Social contributions & CNPS relations
We have cultivated renowned expertise in managing and securing social responsibility, especially when it comes to contributions to the CNPS and CNAM.We provide consulting and litigation services for our clients in the following areas: - risk and opportunity mapping for social contributions,
04
Regulations & Intangible Assets
We advise growing companies, funds, and businesses on regulatory challenges in the WAEMU, CEMAC regions, and OAPI zones, including competition, data privacy, branding and patents. We provide hands-on support to secure their growth across the region.
Read more- Competition & Antitrust – WAEMU & CEMAC
We help businesses and investors secure their transactions in a highly competitive and constantly evolving environment.We provide upstream and downstream services for:- notifying concentrations to the relevant regional authorities,
- preventing and addressing anti-competitive practices,
05
Banking & Finance
We provide support for banks, fintech, and investors in structuring transactions, ensuring regulatory compliance, and obtaining authorizations across the WAEMU and CEMAC zones.
Our expertise covers the legal and strategic challenges of financial markets, innovative services, and sector-specific regulations.
- Banking & fintech – WAEMU & CEMAC
We provide support for financial institutions and investors facing regulatory challenges. Our services include :- obtaining authorizations from the Central Banks of WAEMU & CEMAC zones (BCEAO and the BEAC),
- regulatory compliance ( AML/CFT,, governance, internal auditing),
01 Legal and Regulatory Matters
- Cross-Border Mergers and Acquisitions:
We handle every step of the process from legal and tax structuring to due diligence, contract negotiation and regulatory compliance.
Our in-depth knowledge of the OHADA markets and their alignment with global standards guarantees a smooth, secure, and fully compliant transactions.
- OHADA Business Law:
We provide advice on all OHADA business law standards, including corporate law, governance, general commercial law, security interests, and contracts.
Our approach simplifies cross-border transactions by combining regulatory precision with operational execution, ensuring your projects are secure and your interests protected. - Restructuring
We assist businesses through legal, financial, regulatory and strategic restructuring, especially for transfers, divestitures, mergers, and consolidations.
Our solutions focus on rationalizing structures, managing risk, and optimizing internal processes.
- Public-private Partnerships (PPP)
We assist our clients at every step of the way with public-private partnerships, from tender invitation to project implementation.
Our goals are securing contract structure, ensuring effective project governance, and guaranteeing the legal, financial, and operational balance of the partnership.
- Real estate
We handle all types of real estate transactions, from acquisition to sale, development, and asset management.
Our expertise covers land deals, leasing, infrastructure projects, as well as proactive management of legal risks.
02 Taxes and customs
- Business taxes
We provide strategic tax management options for businesses in both OHADA, WAEMU and ECOWAS zones at the local level, both for daily operations and for less common operations like restructuring, mergers, fundraising, and more. Our cutting-edge expertise in tax law allows us to help our clients secure their choices, optimize their costs, and anticipate risks, all with the long-term goal of sustainable performance.
- Individual taxes
We advise executives and private individuals on the tax structure of their assets at both the local and international levels. We offer secure, optimized, global solutions for income tax, international mobility, and succession planning.
- Transfer pricing
We help you document, justify, and secure your internal transfer pricing policies. Our services include functional analysis and both master and local documentation, in compliance with international standards.
- International taxes
We structure your cross-border transactions to optimize tax treatment in all jurisdictions involved.
Our approach seeks to minimize the risk of double taxation or tax adjustment. - Tax audits & litigation
We help our clients manage tax audits, tax adjustments, and litigation, building solid defense strategies and negotiating with the fiscal authorities.
- Wealth tax
We structure personal and family assets for succession optimization, combining local and international tax law with your succession goals.
- Real estate tax
We help guide our clients’ real estate transactions through all the tax considerations they entail, including VAT, registration fees, amortization, and capital gains. - Customs
With our dual expertise in consulting and litigation, we offer our clients a holistic approach to customs risk management.
We provide support in securing physical flows through the application of economic customs regimes, simplified customs clearance procedures, applications for tax rulings, and appropriate internal measures.
We also handle legal defense and litigation proceedings stemming from customs inspections, always with the protection of our clients’ strategic and financial interests as a top priority.
03 Social responsibility
- legal representation (plaintiff or defendant) in the event of litigation.Social contributions & CNPS relations
We have cultivated renowned expertise in managing and securing social responsibility, especially when it comes to contributions to the CNPS and CNAM.We provide consulting and litigation services for our clients in the following areas: - risk and opportunity mapping for social contributions,
- secure social contributions (corrections, requests for rulings or rescripts),
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- assistance with CNPS audits,
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- Social law
We provide support to businesses in their individual and collective employee relations. Our expertise includes compliance, disciplinary proceedings and social risk management.
04 Regulations & Intangible Assets
- Competition & Antitrust – WAEMU & CEMAC
We help businesses and investors secure their transactions in a highly competitive and constantly evolving environment.We provide upstream and downstream services for:- notifying concentrations to the relevant regional authorities,
- preventing and addressing anti-competitive practices,
- legal representation before the WAEMU , CEMAC, and national anti-competition authorities.
We regularly work with international firms and national champions in highly regulated sectors including energy, telecommunications, agribusiness, and banking.
- Personal Data Protection
At a time when African data protection authorities are increasing their oversight, we help our clients proactively manage the risks of non-compliance. Our services include:- compliance audits and data mapping,
- drafting internal policies,
- training staff and managing relationships with regulatory authorities.
We have assisted banks, insurance companies, and leading digital companies in achieving compliance with local laws (including Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal, and Cameroon) and international standards such as the GDPR and ISO 27701.
- Intellectual Property Law – OAPI
We provide valuation and protection for your intangible assets throughout the OAPI zone, covering 17 countries in Francophone Africa.
Our services include:- filing trademarks, patents, and designs and models; and brand monitoring,
- handling opposition proceedings and litigation,
- structuring portfolio and licensing strategies.
Combining a strategic and legal approach , we represent startups, agribusiness firms, cultural enterprises and public institutions.
05 Banking & Finance
- Banking & fintech – WAEMU & CEMAC
We provide support for financial institutions and investors facing regulatory challenges. Our services include :- obtaining authorizations from the Central Banks of WAEMU & CEMAC zones (BCEAO and the BEAC),
- regulatory compliance ( AML/CFT,, governance, internal auditing),
- legal structuring for innovative financial products and services.
We regularly work with growing fintech companies, established banking groups, and venture capital investors.
- WAEMU & CEMAC capital markets
We provide assistance with issuing securities, market compliance, and market transactions for clients including investment banks, brokers, and listed companies.We assist our client with:- issuing securities (bonds and other debt securities, IPOs),
- managing market transactions (mergers, takeover bids, restructuring),
- compliance with BRVM, COSUMAF, and the Authority in charge of the Financial Market reglementation.
Our clients also include market intermediaries and regional and international investment funds.
- Insurance & reinsurance – CIMA zone
We assist insurers, reinsurers, and brokers in navigating applicable regulations.
Our services include advising on:- obtaining and renewing licenses,
- cross-border transactions in the CIMA zone,
- solvency, governance, and reporting requirements.
We work across several CIMA member states for both international firms and local companies.
