Christophe Asselineau
Partner
Norton Rose Fulbright LLP
Related services and key industries
Biography
Christophe Asselineau is an M&A and projects lawyer based in Paris.
Christophe Asselineau has over 30 years of experience advising on projects and M&A transactions worldwide, with a particular focus on Africa.
He is recognized as one of the most experienced lawyers for African M&A and projects work, particularly in the energy and infrastructure industries. He has advised investors on transactions in more than 25 civil and common law countries in North and Sub-Saharan Africa, including on many of the largest and most complex or politically sensitive investments made on the African continent. He is familiar with and regularly advises on matters governed by OHADA law, the common body of commercial and company laws applicable in 17 African countries.
He has first-hand experience negotiating host government concessions and other agreements with governments and state owned entities and assisting international investors on non-performance and expropriation disputes as well as the related negotiation with host governments and state owned entities.
He has represented clients and acted as an expert witness before Special Commissions of the United Nations, the OECD and the British Parliament.
He teaches International Joint Ventures and Project Finance Law at Paris II University
Professional experience
Collapse all- LLB, King’s College London (1985)
- A post-graduate degree in corporate and business law, La Sorbonne (1988)
- A post-graduate degree in law, University of Melbourne (1992)
- Avocat au Barreau de Paris
- Barrister and Solicitor, qualified in Australia
- Solicitor, qualified in England & Wales
- Advising clients on power, mining, rail and ports infrastructure projects in Guinea, Cameroon, Senegal, Democratic Republic of Congo and Ethiopia
- Advising clients on petrochemical projects in Algeria and Gabon, electrical plant projects in Cameroon, Togo and Côte d’Ivoire, as well as renewables projects in France.
Recommended as a leading projects lawyer in Chambers, Legal 500, European Legal Experts and Who's Who Legal. Clients interviewed by these publications have reported him to be an "impressive" and "very business-minded" lawyer and commented that he is "particularly good in negotiations," describing him as "able to resolve complex situations in difficult jurisdictions" and someone who "keeps ideas very clear and is easy to work with."
- Band 1 for Africa-wide: mining and oil and gas projects. "Christophe Asselineau is excellent, he is a large part of their mining practice" – Chambers 2020 (Client quote)
- Tier 1 "Christophe Asselineau has a deep, reputable and quite unique experience in the energy sector in Africa, combined with a pragmatic and diplomatic approach of legal and political issues. His deep sense of modesty makes him a unique asset in negotiations with public companies and senior public officials. Being qualified in both civil and common law, he is able to advise and translate issues to international in-house legal teams qualified in different jurisdictions" – Legal 500 EMEA 2020 Industry focus – Energy (Client quote)
- « Leading individual » Project Finance – Mining, Oil & Gas. Legal 500 EMEA 2020
- Band 1 for Africa-wide: "Authority on projects in the energy and power sectors across Africa" – Chambers Global 2019
- Band 1 for Africa wide "Has strong experience handling oil and gas projects, including those involving the growing LNG market across Africa." – Chambers Global 2019
- "Mining lawyer of the year" – Best Lawyers France 2021
- "Oil & Gas lawyer of the year" – Best Lawyers France 2022
- Christophe Asselineau has published articles in the Mining Journal, the International Energy and Taxation Law Review, Les Echos Energies, La Tribune, the American Lawyer and Les Afriques.
- French
- English
News
Insights
Mining law insights
Publication | January 15, 2022
Construction Law Insights
Publication | 2022
Inside emerging markets
Publication | August 24, 2021