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Ashley Zefira

Partner
About

Having lived and worked in East Africa, Dubai, the UK and Australia, Ashley has over 15 years’ experience in helping clients achieve their objectives in developed and developing markets by providing practical and innovative advice.

He is a corporate partner with a broad range of experience, particularly in the areas of cross-border mergers and acquisitions, private equity, joint ventures, restructuring and general corporate advisory.

Ashley has extensive on the ground experience in Africa and has developed an in-depth knowledge of East Africa, having undertaken advisory work and led numerous transactions for local corporates and international investors with diverse businesses and investments across the region.

He regularly advises leading private and public sector clients including multinationals, investment and commercial banks, private equity firms, governments, DFIs and family offices in numerous countries across various industry sectors including financial services, consumer goods and energy.

Ashley plays a significant role in implementing DLA Piper’s strategy in Africa and regularly works across borders with members of DLA Piper Africa, a Swiss Verein whose members are comprised of independent law firms in Africa working with DLA Piper.

EXPERIENCE

  • Acted for Sun Capital, a private equity firm, and Flamingo Horticulture in respect of the sale of Dudutech, Africa’s leading integrated pest management business to Bioline Agrosciences, an InVivo Group company.
  • Acted for Nutreco, a world leader in farm management and animal nutrition in respect of its joint venture with Unga Group PLC in Kenya and Uganda.
  • Acted for NIC Group PLC and NIC Bank Kenya in respect of the merger with Commercial Bank of Africa Limited, forming NCBA Bank, the largest M&A deal in East Africa of that year.
  • Acted for a consortium of lenders including Africa Finance Corporation, Stanbic Bank and Barclays Bank in respect of the restructure and administration of ARM Cement PLC, one of the first successful administrations in Kenya.
  • Acted for PricewaterhouseCoopers, the receivers appointed by the lenders to a 60MW wind power project in Kinangop, Kenya in respect of the receivership sale of the project assets.
  • Acted for CFC Stanbic Bank, the lenders to a 140 MW geothermal power project in the Great Rift Valley, Kenya undertaken by an independent power producer, comprising a consortium of European, American and Kenyan shareholders.
  • Acted for General Electric in respect of the sale of its interest in a 100MW wind farm in Kipeto, Kenya to a Macquarie and Old Mutual African infrastructure fund.
  • Acted for Microsoft and Vulcan Inc in respect of their investment into Mawingu Networks, a provider of solar-powered wireless internet across rural Africa.
  • Acted for numerous multinationals in respect of the intra-group restructure and/or re-organization of their businesses including Hewlett Packard, General Electric, Reckitt Benckiser, UAP Old Mutual, Essilor and Diageo.
  • Acted for numerous African companies and international investors in respect of competition law matters including restrictive trade practices, merger notifications and anti-trust investigations and prosecutions in East Africa and COMESA.
  • Acted for the Ramco Group and ASL Limited in respect of the sale of an interest in their printing and packaging businesses to French private equity firm Amethis Finance.
  • Acted for Ascent Capital, an East African private equity fund in respect of its equity investment into Allied Chemicals, an Ethiopian chemical business and Universal Plastics, an Ethiopian plastics business.
Languages
  • English
Education
  • Monash University, Melbourne, Australia, Bachelor of Law (Hons)
  • Monash University, Melbourne, Australia, Bachelor of Science

Professional Qualifications

Admitted as a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Victoria, Australia

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