Businesses operating in countries around the world inevitably face regulatory, policy or other government-related problems. An effective response often requires sophisticated understanding of the political dimensions surrounding a government action. And experience in working internationally at senior levels of government is invaluable in crafting practical solutions.
As Covington continues to expand its global footprint, our international attorneys have begun taking on matters affecting clients acting in Africa. In the last several years, our attorneys have handled work on behalf of clients whose engagements include investments, anti-piracy, investigations and sanctions compliance. We have represented clients in the chemicals, oil and gas, energy, software, telecommunications, and financial institutions industries as well as sovereign states.
We count many international and foreign officials amongst our ranks. Witney Schneidman, a former senior State Department official with more than 30 years of experience in Africa, oversees Covington’s Africa initiative. In his role as senior international advisor for Africa, Dr. Schneidman uses his extensive experience with African issues to help companies capture opportunities and navigate the risks of Africa to achieve their business objectives.
Ambassador Jean de Ruyt recently joined our office in Brussels having previously served as the Permanent Representative of Belgium to the European Union. During his career, Ambassador De Ruyt had close dealings with rebuilding peace in central Africa, including living in the Congo and helping re-establish peace there. He has also gained experience in Rwanda and Burundi and worked recently with the Cote d’Ivoire in connection with the cacao industry.
In London, our anti-corruption team includes Dr. Robert Amaee, former Head of Anti-Corruption and Head of Proceeds of Crime at the UK Serious Fraud Office. Whilst at the SFO, Dr. Amaee worked with a number of prosecutors from African countries and his team conducted limited preliminary investigations into alleged wrongdoing in Africa.
Over the last several months, Covington attorneys and Senior International Advisors have been active throughout Africa. Recently, members of the team participated in Investing in African Mining Indaba, an annual conference in Cape Town dedicated to the capitalization and development of mining interests in Africa. They also attended the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of LexAfrica, a network of 500 attorneys in 30 countries across the continent, which provides an opportunity to connect with a diverse group of knowledgeable experts across practices and various industries.
Our attorneys and advisors have also worked on revenue transparency issues in several oil producing African nations and have consulted on the issue of Conflict Minerals at the European Union in Brussels. They are continuing to consider opportunities for the coordination of various Conflicts Minerals regimes. If you would be interested in learning more about what they are doing in this space, please contact .
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