- The opening of the Douala office is part of an ongoing major expansion for the law firm
- Centurion’s ‘go-to’ pan-African oil, gas and corporate law expertise position the group for fast growth
- The size of the Cameroonian market and the durability of its economy provide impetus for the move
Centurion Law Group is continuing its pan-African expansion with the opening of an office in Cameroon this month. The group will set up operations in Douala, Cameroon’s largest city and the wealthiest business hub in Central Africa. Centurion will extend to clients a range of services in all its practice areas, including arbitration and commercial litigation, corporate and finance law, labor and employment, and oil and gas. The office represents the first move by an international law firm into Cameroon. The Douala office will be staffed with eight lawyers from Cameroon with academic and professional credentials from North America, the UK, France, Nigeria and Cameroon.
Centurion has aggressive growth plans in Cameroon, fuelled by a resurgent oil and gas industry and a resilient economy. Extensive experience in oil and gas has underpinned the group’s emergence as one of Africa’s top ‘go-to’ law firms. Its energy practice, with expertise in contracts, financing, privatization and compliance with government regulations and legislation, has been a key reference point in large oil and gas markets like Equatorial Guinea, Congo Brazzaville, Chad, Ghana, Gabon, Nigeria and Angola.
“Centurion Law Group’s entry into Cameroon is representative of our firm’s Africa-wide growth strategy,” said NJ Ayuk, the CEO of Centurion Law Group. “Our aggressive entry is to serve the CEMAC community and signifies our continued growth in the region, thanks our loyal energy industry and corporate clients. We have come to serve our oil and gas clients who are presently operating here or seek to enter the market. As in our other markets, we endeavor to create an enabling business environment and promote the rule of law.”
Following years of systemic production declines, Cameroon enjoyed an increase in oil output in 2014. The market is benefiting from a new gas law and a 2014 licensing round that attracted major interest from foreign players. A ramp up in gas production has freed up plentiful reserves for investments in industrialization and electricity generation. Oil and gas are once again the cornerstones for growth in Central Africa’s largest economy.