Speaking at an Africa symposium organised by Lex Mundi and the Association of Corporate Counsel, Pat Rich, Diageo's Africa regional counsel for business development and projects said: 'For a multinational I see the business Africa risk as being a failure to invest and compete – the opportunity is too great to miss. It is key to conduct a thorough due diligence both of the market in which you are looking to invest and any prospective local partners. It is important to invest time in the selection of your local advisers, I have found that you often learn and achieve more in one week in-country than months over the phone or via email.' Source: Lex Mundi