James Kamau, the Managing Partner of the DLA Piper Africa member firm in Kenya (IKM) has been appointed Chairman of DLA Piper Africa as of 1 May 2018. He succeeds Chris Ewing who steps down after four years and will continue in an advisory capacity.

James has been a member of the board and the executive of DLA Piper Africa for the past four years and has played a key role in the development of the DLA Piper Africa strategy. He is a leading corporate and projects lawyer in Kenya, advising local and multinational companies, private equity firms and DFIs with extensive business and investments in East Africa.

Andrew Darwin, DLA Piper Global Co-Chairman, said:

“James has been a leading figure in our Africa presence for many years and he was the natural choice to succeed Chris. DLA Piper Africa is entering an exciting period, one characterised by even closer integration, and James’ experience and skills will be an important part of that process. I would like to congratulate James, and also to thank Chris for his dedication and commitment in the role.”

James Kamau said:

“I look forward to working with colleagues to build on the successes achieved by Chris during his tenure. Our unique reach and commitment to Africa means that we are already the legal advisor of choice for many African and multinational companies; as we move towards greater integration with each other, and with the wider DLA Piper firm, we will be even better placed to meet the needs of our clients.”

DLA Piper has been investing and building its offering in Africa for over twenty years. James' appointment follows the creation of a DLA Piper Africa Swiss verein in December 2017 to increase the levels of connection, governance and collaboration across the 19 African countries in which DLA Piper Africa has a presence and align its business across the continent.

Through DLA Piper Africa, clients enjoy global experience from key international financial and business centres across the globe with unrivalled local presence and expertise. DLA Piper Africa is committed to making significant investment into the continuous training and development of its lawyers in Africa and the ongoing adoption of global standards, best practice and knowledge sharing to deliver a consistently high level of client service.