The key challenge – and opportunity – facing Africa in the years ahead will be driven by energy transition, and, as trusted advisors, lawyers have the responsibility to help guide the conversation, says Deji Adegoke, the new head of White & Case’s Africa practice.
“We were shouting from rooftops years back that energy transition in Africa has to have a different meaning to energy transition in North America or Europe, because those economies are at different points in their life cycle, and energy transitions needs to be nuanced in different contexts,” said Adegoke, talking to Africa Legal ahead of White & Case co-hosting a conference on energy transition with the IFC and African Export–Import Bank in Cairo on 31 January. Energy transition permeates every aspect of economies and society, he added.
“We’re going to have discussions about infrastructure, regulatory challenges, the role of gas in energy transition, and how African countries can best take advantage of the renewable resources available. Also, how do we encourage the global community to invest in Africa in a manner that enables the continent to harness the benefits of energy transition rather than being burdened with white elephant projects or choices between developing its economies and damaging its environment? We see this as a critical area for us and for our clients, not just in Africa.”
Looking back, Adegoke says he was initially drawn to law as a career because of the knowledge lawyers seemed to wield, and because of his interest in government, politics and the legislative process. He gravitated towards commercial law because he liked the practical elements of it and the interface between commercial law, economics and current affairs.
Adegoke, who was President of the African Caribbean Society at the University of Warwick while completing his law degree, joined White & Case as an associate in 2013, after junior stints at other global law firms. Reflecting on his rise through the ranks to partner in the Energy, Infrastructure, Project and Asset Finance Group in London, Adegoke says he’s enjoyed the variety of challenges that have shaped him as a lawyer and leader over the years.
“As you become more senior, your role evolves and brings in more of the human element, thinking through not just the answer to a technical legal question a junior may be assigned as part of a large transaction, but how do I best communicate this to my client or the other side?" he explained. "That’s a real skill, more an art than science, and grows with you as you evolve as a person and as a lawyer. Then, as a partner you go further, asking: How do I build, develop and grow a business? It’s a fun process I really enjoy, because you’re growing as your clients grow.”
He believes the experience of being a professional lawyer can be a rich tapestry.
Looking forward, Adegoke wants to lead his team well and harness White & Case’s expertise and reach as a global law firm to bring those operating and investing in Africa together.
“We have an opportunity and a responsibility to help guide the conversation around things like energy transition,” he noted. “In the next few years we'll be focused on putting clients together where we think there are helpful synergies. We will also continue to be as innovative as possible, adding value to our clients in Africa by looking at deals we've done elsewhere in the world and adapting them for the African context. That’s a real core strength of White & Case – we’ve always been very entrepreneurial, innovative, driven and very collaborative.”
To find out more about the Energy Transition and Infrastructure in Africa conference and workshop in Cairo, click here.
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