Ashurst has hired a partner from Clifford Chance as it prepares to open its first office on the African continent, in Casablanca.
Ouns Lemseffer has joined the firm as head of Morocco and will serve as managing partner of the new office, its 32nd globally.
Lemseffer spent 15 years at her former firm, where she made partner in 2021, and specialises in project finance, structured finance, restructuring and financial market operations in the Francophone Africa region. She is also active in M&A and private equity, particularly in the energy and infrastructure sectors in North and West Africa.
Ashurst pointed to Africa’s status as a fast-evolving market for its clients.
“As Africa experiences rapid population growth and sustained economic development, the continent is emerging as a key hub for businesses and investors with significant opportunities across infrastructure, energy, financial services, technology and real estate,” said Ashurst’s global CEO, Paul Jenkins. “Expanding our offering and building on the proven track record of our established Africa practice positions us to deliver greater value to our clients.”
Ashurst’s Africa practice dates back 120 years and houses around 150 lawyers globally. The team advises local and international clients across the region, particularly on M&A, project development, project finance, dispute resolution and regulatory matters.
At Clifford Chance, Lemseffer co-led the team that advised the joint lead managers on Moroccan state-owned miner OCP’s $2bn notes offering last year. More recently, she led the team that advised Vantage Capital and Eurazeo on a €81m mezzanine investment in Camusat, a telecoms company active in 15 countries across Africa.
“Over recent years, investment flows from private capital and corporates into Africa have surged, and that is only set to increase,” said David Charlier, co-head of projects and energy transition EMEA at Ashurst. “Ouns brings a deep understanding of the Francophone and sub-Saharan Africa markets which complements our existing capabilities and will be invaluable as we set up a presence in Casablanca and capitalise further on the opportunities ahead.”
Ashurst’s expansion into Africa follows it pushing its topline past £1bn for the first time in the 2025 financial year, when growth across all its regions fuelled an 8% revenue rise. Last year the firm also added a pair of former Khaitan & Co partners as the first co-chairs of its India practice ahead of the eagerly anticipated opening of the Indian legal market to foreign firms.
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