Dentons has opened its first office in Cameroon, completing its 2025 Africa expansion and adding a new global legal platform to the country’s business advisory market. The firm announced on 15 December that it had launched in partnership with Douala-based Kouengoua Minou Nkongho, a local practice with more than four decades of operations.
The move brings Dentons into a market where demand for corporate, finance and project-related legal services has been rising alongside activity in mining, oil and gas, agriculture and infrastructure. The launch comes at a time when parts of Cameroon’s professional services market are adjusting following the withdrawal or scaling back of some international firms, including PwC and Ernst & Young, according to public disclosures, creating space for new entrants and stronger local participation. The Cameroon office marks the final step in Dentons’ four-country expansion announced in 2024, following openings in Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Senegal.
Kouengoua Minou Nkongho has operated in Cameroon for 41 years and advises across litigation and dispute resolution, corporate and commercial law, banking and finance, investment and tax, energy, infrastructure and projects, oil and gas, maritime, mining and mineral resources, as well as intellectual property and technology. According to Dentons, the partnership model aligns with its approach across Africa, combining international legal platforms with locally established practices. The firm stated that the Cameroon launch was designed to respond to growing legal advisory needs linked to developments in extractive industries, agriculture and infrastructure, as well as the country’s role as a transit hub for regional and international trade.
Shifts in Cameroon’s Legal Advisory Market
The arrival of Dentons comes at a time when Cameroon’s business advisory market is changing. Some international audit and advisory firms, including PwC and Ernst & Young, are scaling back operations in the country, according to company statements and regulatory filings. This has coincided with increased activity among local law firms, which are expanding their advisory scope and technical expertise.
Local firms such as Chazai Wamba, which advises the government on international financial transactions, and Cabinet Nyemb, led by barrister Jacques Jonathan Nyemb, have stepped forward to fill the gap with specialised expertise in business law. This shift has opened space for international entrants like Dentons to combine global reach with local knowledge, reinforcing Cameroon’s advisory market at a critical juncture.
Cameroon’s economy is supported by mining, oil and gas, agriculture and transport services, sectors that require structured legal advice on licensing, taxation, financing and compliance. Dentons noted that anticipated infrastructure development and opportunities linked to regional integration under the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC) framework were also factors in its decision.
The firm said a presence in Cameroon would allow it to support transactions related to minerals, hydrocarbons and agricultural value chains, as well as advisory work linked to ports, logistics corridors and cross-border projects. Cameroon’s legal and fiscal framework, shaped by OHADA business law and national tax regulations, requires specialised advisory services for both domestic and international investors.
Business law advisory services play a central role in Cameroon’s investment environment, supporting compliance with OHADA commercial law, sector-specific regulations, and fiscal obligations. Legal advisers are involved in structuring transactions, negotiating investment agreements, resolving disputes and ensuring regulatory alignment for projects in energy, mining and infrastructure. Dentons’ entry is expected to strengthen this ecosystem by offering services across sectors, including mining, oil and gas, and agriculture, industries that are central to Cameroon’s growth strategy.
Dentons Leaders Outline Pan-African Investment Drive
Dentons’ global chief executive Kate Barton said the firm’s expansion reflected investment trends in the country. “As Cameroon’s economy continues to grow and attract international investment, we are well-placed to guide clients through emerging opportunities and complex legal landscapes,” she said in a statement released with the announcement.
Dentons Africa chief executive Noor Kapdi said the Cameroon office formed part of a broader continental strategy. “Building a presence in Cameroon, DRC, Ethiopia and Senegal accelerates Dentons’ momentum in building the leading Pan-African law firm, owned and controlled by Africans,” he said.
Cameroon’s legal advisory market is evolving in line with trends seen in other African economies. In Nigeria, international firms have partnered with local practices to provide cross-border expertise in oil and gas transactions. In South Africa, legal advisory has long been a cornerstone of the business environment, with firms playing a decisive role in mergers, acquisitions, and capital markets. Other African markets, such as Morocco and Kenya, have developed strong business law advisory sectors that underpin foreign direct investment by providing clarity on regulatory processes and risk allocation.
In Central Africa, Cameroon’s position as an economic and transport hub places additional emphasis on legal services linked to logistics, ports and regional trade. Dentons’ Pan-African strategy mirrors these developments, aiming to build a network of offices owned and controlled by Africans, with over 280 lawyers now operating in 25 locations across 17 countries.
Mercy Fosoh
