ADNA, the pan-African law firm, strengthens its presence on the continent with an office in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This strategic move marks a new phase in the firm’s growth and reinforces its ability to support clients on the most complex transactions across Africa, particularly within the OHADA region.
With this new presence in Kinshasa, ADNA expands its footprint in Francophone Africa—where the firm is already established in Abidjan, Algiers, Casablanca, and Conakry—and marks its entry into Central Africa, with an integrated approach combining international standards and strong local expertise.
The Kinshasa office will be led by Serge Nawej Tshitemb’u, who joins ADNA as a partner. Trained in Belgium, where he studied law at the Université libre de Bruxelles and began his legal career, he later practised at DLA Piper in London before founding Proxima International in 2014, a leading law firm in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
With over 20 years of experience, Serge advises an international client base, including investors, financial institutions, and industrial groups, on complex transactions, particularly in the mining, energy, infrastructure, banking, and telecommunications sectors. He has been involved in large-scale transactions representing several billion US dollars and has developed recognised expertise in highly complex legal, financial, and regulatory environments.
This integration builds on a long-standing collaboration between ADNA and Proxima International, grounded in shared values and a common vision. It enables ADNA to establish a strong presence in Central Africa, suppported by a team with local roots and proven expertise.
The Kinshasa office will focus on the firm’s core areas of expertise: M&A, financing (corporate, sovereign, and project finance), major infrastructure and energy projects, mining law, tax, and complex dispute resolution, with a focus on high-value transactions for regional and international institutional clients.
The DRC is emerging as a strategic market for international investors, particularly in natural resources, infrastructure, and financial services. In this context, ADNA aims to support its clients on their most critical challenges, drawing on deep market knowledge and execution capabilities aligned with the highest international standards.
This expansion is also part of a broader regional development strategy. The DRC stands at the crossroads between Francophone and Anglophone Africa, offering significant opportunities for cross-border growth. It strengthens collaboration across ADNA’s offices and supports investment flows across the continent.
Leveraging its membership in the Africa Legal Network (ALN), ADNA further enhances its ability to support clients on complex pan-African transactions, delivering seamless and coordinated support across regions.
“The opening of our Kinshasa office goes beyond geographic expansion : iit fully reflects our identity and ambition. ADNA is an African firm, deeply rooted in the realities of the continent, committed to supporting its clients in achieving their economic ambitions in the most strategic markets,” said Salimatou Diallo, Managing Partner of the firm.
“We are solution-driven, turning complexity into opportunity to support the most ambitious and strategic projects,” added Serge Nawej Tshitemb’u.
“The DRC is not a peripheral opportunity — it is central to Africa’s future. Its legal landscape is among the continent’s most sophisticated: a reformed Mining Code, active local content regulation, OHADA commercial law, and an emerging capital markets framework all create a jurisdiction that demands expert counsel. ADNA’s expansion into Kinshasa is ALN delivering on its core commitment: to be where our clients are, across every axis of African business, with the expertise the market demands” said Gbenga Oyebode, Chairman of the Africa Legal Network.
