Team

Over a period of 21 years exclusively in Africa and a career of almost 40 years, Managing Partner Jude Kearney has developed extensive knowledge of the legal disciplines of oil and gas development, project finance, mergers and acquisitions, and privatization of state-owned commercial enterprises. Mr. Kearney is highly experienced in the energy, environmental, telecommunications, transportation and infrastructure sectors, with engagements in Africa, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, Latin America, China and other Asian countries.

Mr. Kearney is one of nineteen children born and raised in Arkansas. His decision to practice law was inspired by his desire to create new possibilities, especially for those underserved and exposed to unfortunate circumstances.

Prior to founding KearneyAfrica, Mr. Kearney held several senior-level positions in some of the biggest international law firms in Washington D.C. and New York and lived and worked in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea; Lagos, Nigeria; and Johannesburg, South Africa. His most recent position was at Greenberg Traurig LLP, where he was the Senior Shareholder and Chair of the Africa Practice.

Mr. Kearney has been cited as one of the best international project lawyers in the African market and has mentored associates and younger partners to succeed at business development in foreign and emerging markets.

• As Chair of the Africa Practice for Greenberg Traurig LLP, Jude Kearney led the development of the firm’s Africa transactions practice, establishing Greenberg Traurig as a preferred provider of advice in the energy, sovereign representation and petroleum sectors in relation to Africa.
• Mr. Kearney was recruited by the chairman as Senior Partner and Global Chair of International Transactions for Patton Boggs LLP to establish a meaningful Africa practice and assist the firm’s sovereign representation initiatives in Africa.
• He established the office of LeBoeuf, Lamb, Greene & MacRae in Johannesburg, which became known for effective legal advocacy on behalf of US, European and African clients. While there, he pioneered the concept of a dedicated Africa-based transactional practice group within a major US law firm.
• Mr. Kearney was appointed by President Bill Clinton as the Secretary for Service Industries and Trade Finance’s chief advisor on African policies. He led successful trade missions with financial services CEOs; served ex-officio on Board of Trustees of the U.S. EXIM Bank specializing in African loan portfolios; led market access government-to-government negotiations in China, Japan, Argentina, Hong Kong (before it rejoined China) and South Africa; and represented the Department of Commerce in its part in the US Government’s finalization of the terms of NAFTA and GATT. Mr. Kearney directly participated in discussions with Nelson Mandela, F.W. de Klerk and Mangosuthu Buthelezi as part of the US Government delegation to South Africa during the pre-democracy election period

Education

• Stanford Law School, 1984 – Juris Doctor Degree
• Harvard University, 1980 – Bachelor of Arts (with Honors)

Memberships

• Member, American Bar Association
• Member, Bar Association of the District of Columbia
• Member, New York Bar Association

Professional Affiliations

• Board Director, Corporate Counsel on Africa, Washington D.C.
• Board Director, Winthrop Rockefeller (Winrock) Foundation, Little Rock AR
• Board Director, AllAfrica.com, Cape Town, Dakar, Lagos, Monrovia, Nairobi and Washington DC
• Trustee, Western Reserve Academy, Hudson Ohio
• Member, American Law Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Select Honors and Recognition

Listed: Chambers Global

• Corporate/M&A (Foreign Experts –USA) – 2006/7
• General Business Law (Experts Based Abroad – Equatorial Guinea) – 2014/5

Listed: Corporate Board Member and FTI Consulting Inc.

• Team Member at one of “America’s Best Corporate Law Firms” at the 13th Annual Legal Industry Study – 2013

Michael C. Rockefeller Travelling Fellowship

• Awarded by Harvard University – 1980/1

Post-Graduate Lecturer in Economics

• University of Lagos, 1980/1

Mary Chege is the principal at EMSI & Associates, a boutique women-owned law firm based in Nairobi, Kenya. She has over seventeen years’ experience in advising on a broad range of transactions across Sub-Saharan Africa. In her various positions, she has acted for a cross-section of clients ranging from project sponsors, public entities and corporate clients in the infrastructure, energy, financial services, mining and ICT sectors.

She has led and participated in multi-jurisdictional teams in various corporate transactions including mergers, acquisitions and disposals and joint venture arrangements across several countries including Ghana, Mozambique, Kenya, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, amongst others. Ms. Chege has advised clients on market entry strategies as well as project development, structuring and financing.

Over the years, she has also been involved in the development and drafting of various primary and subsidiary legislation both in South Africa and Kenya. She has worked closely with policy making institutions, government departments, legislators, regulatory authorities and other stakeholders to draft and advocate legislation in the public finance, energy and infrastructure sectors.

Ms. Chege is an advocate of the High Court of Kenya and member of the Law Society of Kenya, International Bar Association and International Project Finance Association. She is a regular speaker in regional meetings and conferences covering topics on energy and infrastructure.

In recognition of her work, Mary was the only woman ranked the Chambers & Partners 2018 Global Ranking in the Energy and Projects Sector in Kenya. In 2017, she also received the Distinguished Women Leadership Excellence Award from the Centre for Economic & Leadership Development.

Born in Kenya, Mary holds a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree from the University of Nairobi, Kenya and a Master of Laws (LLM) degree from the University of the Witwatersrand.

Adetola Onayemi, LLB, LLM (Cantab), is a qualified international trade and transactions lawyer. ‘Tola is also deeply invested in the development of Nigeria’s technology ecosystem, serving as Legal and Partnership Adviser at the Civic Innovation Lab, Abuja. He has also provided legal advisory on tech, investment, Intellectual Property and transactions to Formpl.us, Tuteria NG, Blendology (UK) and Prepclass NG among others. Presently, he is engaged with developing the trade remedies infrastructure for safeguarding the Nigerian economy from unfair international practices.

Until September 2017, ‘Tola provided technical policy advisory assistance within the industry, trade and investment cluster of the Economic Team of the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. At the time, he also doubled as a Reform Leader within the Secretariat for the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), driving across several World Bank indicators, and particularly in Lagos (Nigeria’s most populous state of 22 million and business capital). Thanks to these efforts, Nigeria moved 24 ranks in the World Bank global 2018 Ease of Doing Business ranking. He has also served as a visiting lecturer in a Nigerian University.