The Meridian

On 29 May 2026, Hogan Lovells announced the hire of Sébastien Bonnard and team from Hughes Hubbard & Reed in Paris. This lateral addition directly bolsters the firm’s Africa-facing arbitration and disputes offering at a time when West African mandates increasingly feature complex cross-border enforcement, parallel proceedings, and regulatory challenges under OHADA uniform acts or local statutes. While no single new West Africa transaction triggered the move, it signals BigLaw positioning for anticipated upticks in energy, infrastructure, and fintech disputes amid ongoing FX volatility in Nigeria and project delays in Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire. GCs in Lagos, Accra, and Abidjan should note the consolidation of arbitration expertise in Paris, a frequent seat for African commercial contracts.

Lateral hires of this nature are structured to port portable books while minimizing conflicts. Bonnard’s prior oversight of Africa/Middle East arbitration at Hughes Hubbard likely included investor-state and commercial cases relevant to West Africa, such as those under ICSID, ICC, or LCIA rules with seats in Paris or London. English law remains dominant for project finance in Nigeria and Ghana despite OHADA’s influence in francophone zones; the hire strengthens capacity to handle parallel proceedings (e.g., Nigerian court actions alongside international arbitration).

Key mechanics in regional mandates include liability caps on indemnities, choice-of-law clauses favoring English law for finance documents, and enforcement via New York or English judgments under reciprocal arrangements. FX restrictions in Nigeria (CBN policies) and local content rules add layers of regulatory risk that arbitration experts must navigate. The timing ahead of the Cadwalader merger suggests capital allocation toward disputes as a counterweight to transactional slowdowns. Firms like Hogan Lovells leverage Paris for francophone OHADA expertise while maintaining London for common-law heavy mandates.

This move underscores a broader market signal: disputes and arbitration practices are becoming defensive anchors for Africa-focused groups amid slower M&A velocity. For GCs at Nigerian banks, Ghanaian energy sponsors, or Ivorian infrastructure players, it means tighter competition for counsel who can manage multi-jurisdictional enforcement, particularly where assets straddle OHADA and common-law borders.

Rival firms (e.g., those with established Paris desks like White & Case or Clifford Chance) may accelerate similar laterals or team expansions. In-house teams should immediately review panel counsel for arbitration depth in energy transition and fintech disputes. Compliance updates: audit choice-of-forum clauses in existing contracts and stress-test indemnity structures against recent CBN FX enforcement trends. Expect further consolidation as international firms calibrate for 2026-2027 project finance pipelines in Senegal (solar IPPs) and Nigeria (gas-to-power). This precedent reinforces that partner portability in Africa disputes hinges on verifiable regional books rather than generalist profiles.