Offices: Brussels, Belgium

Mining - Africa

The Brussels office has developed a particular reputation in French-speaking central and western Africa. Partners Hubert André-Dumont and Emmanuel de Cannart d'Hamale have been assisting clients, mainly metal mining companies, for more than 20 years.

These clients are based throughout this region, including the Democratic Republic of Congo (mainly), Mauritania, Burundi, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso and Mali. Their services primarily involve legal matters related to mining, corporate, real estate, project financing and related security, construction, environment, corporate social responsibility and labor, generally in conjunction with local counsel and foreign specialized counsel.

André-Dumont, based in Brussels, is an active council member of the Mining Committee of the International Bar Association, and has published a number of articles on the mining law of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

McGuireWoods’ Brussels representative matters:

• a Democratic Republic of Congo mining company, in cooperation with its main shareholder, a U.S. listed major mining company, in the implementation of a USD 2,000,000,000 mine construction and development, involving complex legal issues relating to corporate matters, contracts, real estate, mining, environment, labor, resettlement of villages, enforcement of anti-corruption policies, etc.
• a Canadian listed mining company for the acquisition of a gold mine in Mauritania for a total of USD 278,000,000 and for assistance in on-going financing and corporate related matters