Christopher Baird

Counsel Norton Rose Fulbright LLP

+44 (7864) 063207

London
United Kingdom
+44 (20) 74442436
London
United Kingdom
+44 (20) 74442436

+44 (7864) 063207

Christopher Baird

Christopher Baird

Biography

Christopher is a seasoned dual-qualified global M&A corporate lawyer based in London, with over seventeen years' experience across a broad range of sectors and geographies, with deep experience in big ticket emerging markets cross-border M&A with specific sector focuses of private equity, mining, telecommunications, energy, financial services, and infrastructure (including digital).

In the last few years Christopher has negotiated award winning deals on five continents with a combined deal value in excess of USD30bn, including:

o IFLR Africa Projects Impact Deal of the Year, 2025;
o Asset Triple A Sustainable Infrastructure Africa Deal of the Year, 2025;
o China Business Law Journal Projects Deal of the Year, 2024;
o Dealmakers Private Equity Deal of the Year, 2024; 
o IJInvestor Renewables Acquisition of the Year, Africa, 2024; 
o Middle East and Africa PFI Deal of the Year, 2024;
o World Bank Partnership Awards Utilities Deal of the Year, 2023; and
o Telecom Review Leadership Summit Best ICT Investment in Africa, 2023.

Before joining Norton Rose Fulbright, Christopher spent 3 and a half years leading the head office legal function of Vodafone's African listed investment holding company, Vodacom Group Limited.

Professional experience

Representative experience

Representative experience

Advised:

  • BP plc (LON:BP) on its c.USD10bn offshore wind business combination and joint venture with Jera Nex, resulting in a combined portfolio of operating assets and development projects of 13GW, 2024.

  • Winning Consortium Simandou negotiating the formation a joint venture with Rio Tinto (ASX:RIO), the world's largest and second largest steel producers, Aluminium Corporation of China and China Baowu Steel, and the Government of Guinea, to pursue the c.USD16bn development of a railway and port in Guinea to service the Simandou mines, the largest mining infrastructure deal in Africa at the time, 2024. Winner of several awards including IFLR Africa Projects Impact Deal of the Year, 2025, Asset Triple A Sustainable Infrastructure Africa Deal of the Year, 2025, and China Business Law Journal Projects Deal of the Year, 2024.

  • TotalEnergies on its acquisition of interests in the 255 MW Bujagali hydropower plant in Uganda, and the 361 MW Mpatamanga hydropower development asset in Malawi and the 206 MW Ruzizi III hydropower development asset on the border of Rwanda, DRC and Burundi, through TotalEnergies acquisition of Scatec’s subsidiary, SN Power, 2024.

  • Vodacom Group Limited (JSE: VOD) negotiating the International Finance Corporation's c.USD260m investment into Safaricom Ethiopia, one of the largest investments by the World Bank into Africa at the time, 2023. Winner of several awards including Utilities deal of the Year at the World Bank Partnership Awards, and IJInvestor Digital Infrastructure Acquisition Deal of the Year, Africa.

  • Infinity Group and Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) on their acquisition of Lekela Power from Actis and Mainsteam Renewable Power Africa Holdings, the largest renewable energy deal in Africa at the time, including 2.8 GW of installed and in development renewable energy, 2022.  Winner of Dealmakers Private Equity deal of the Year, IJInvestor Renewables Acquisition of the Year, Africa, and Middle East and Africa PFI Deal of the Year.

  • Kneip Management S.A - on the sale of Luxembourg-based fund data manager Kneip Communication S.A. (Kneip Communication) to German capital markets exchange Deutsche Börse (ETR:DB1), 2022.

Prior to joining Norton Rose Fulbright.

  • Vodacom Group Limited (JSE: VOD), Vodafone Group plc (LON:VOD), and Safaricom plc (NSE: SCOM) – on the negotiation of a joint venture with Sumitomo Corporation (TYO:8053) and the UK development finance institution, BII Group Plc, and leading the consortium in their award of a new telecommunications licence (investment value c.>US$8.5bn) in the semi-liberalisation of the Ethiopian telecommunications market, 2021.

  • Vodacom Group Limited (JSE: VOD) – on the creation of a joint venture with Safaricom plc (NSE: SCOM) in Kenya and South Africa, and acquisition of the M-Pesa brand (c.R750m valuation), and support services capability from Vodafone Group plc (LON:VOD), 2020; on the conclusion of a R2.7bn set of undertakings with the South African Competition Commission following the Data Services Market Inquiry initiated in 2017, 2020; on the ~US$223m acquisition of a minority stake in Vodacom Tanzania plc (DSE:Voda), and unwinding of its Mirambo Limited holding structure, 2019; and on its investment in internet-of-things technology through the acquisition of IoT.nxt and IoT.BV, 2019.

 

Education

Education

The Law and Economics of Mergers and Acquisitions. London School of Economics, 2024  (distinction).

Advanced Programme in Private Equity, Gordon Institute of Business Science, 2014.

LLB, Rhodes University, 2007

BA (Philosophy and Law), Rhodes University, 2005

Admissions

Admissions

  • Attorney qualified in South Africa 2010
  • Solicitor 2022

Languages

Languages

  • English

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