Roddy McKean

Roddy McKean

Director | ALN Kenya | Anjarwalla & Khanna

Physical Address:

ALN House, Eldama Ravine Close, Off Eldama Ravine Road, Westlands, Nairobi, Kenya

Postal Address:

PO Box 200-00606, Sarit Centre, Nairobi, Kenya

Telephone:

+254 20 364 0000

Email Address:

  1. Background

    Roddy is a Director in the Corporate department at Anjarwalla & Khanna. He brings to A&K over 30 years of experience in mergers and acquisitions, private equity, restructurings, joint ventures and other corporate transactional work. Prior to joining Anjarwalla & Khanna in 2013, Roddy headed Webber Wentzel’s Africa Group and was based in Johannesburg for over 6 years, where he had overall responsibility for developing the firm’s practice on the African Continent (outside South Africa). Roddy is an Africa specialist who has been involved in investments and transactional deals in over forty five African countries. Much of his experience has been working in emerging markets in Africa and Asia so he is well-positioned to understand how to successfully conclude deals in challenging environments.

    Before Webber Wentzel, Roddy spent 17 years as a partner with Hogan Lovells, a leading international London based law firm, including five years based in Hong Kong as Managing Partner of Hogan Lovells’ Asian regional offices. As Head of the Asian corporate practice, he was involved in a number of significant cross-border M&A transactions across a broad range of emerging markets in Asia.

    Roddy is currently a member of the Legal & Regulatory Committee of African Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (AVCA). He is ranked as a leading Corporate M&A lawyer Africa-wide by Chambers Global, IFLR1000 and Legal 500.  

  2. Professional Membership
    • Law Society of England and Wales
    • Law Society of Hong Kong
  3. Professional Qualifications
    • LLB (Hons) University of Edinburgh
  4. Awards & Accolades
    • Roddy has been ranked as a “Leading Lawyer” in the Africa Wide category (Corporate/M&A) by Chambers Global 2011 – 2022.
    • Roddy is a ‘highly regarded’ lawyer by IFLR1000 in 2014 to 2022 and he is recognised for his Private Equity and M&A expertise.
    • Roddy is ‘highly rated’ by Legal 500 2020 under the commercial, corporate and M&A category.

    “Roddy has ‘a wealth of corporate experience operating on the African continent advising clients on M&A, PE investments and joint ventures” – Chambers Global 2018

  5. Publications
    • Co-author of the article ‘COVID-19 impacts – a gear shift for PE funds from deploying captial to risk mitigation’ for the African Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (AVCA) Legal & Regulatory Bulletin, May 2020
    • Co-author of the Kenya Chapter of The International Comparative Legal Guide to Private Equity 2015 and 2016 Edition;
    • Contributor of a chapter on “Private Equity in East Africa” in The Annual Review of Private Equity and Venture Capital, Financier Worldwide, December 2014
    • “Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda: A legal perspective – discussing specific trends in the real estate market, issues confronting private equity investors and regulatory framework in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda”, Africa Real Estate, November 2012
    • Contributor of the chapter entitled Legal Services in “Business in Africa: Corporate Insights”, a book edited by Dianna Games and published by Penguin Publishers, October 2012
    • “Nigeria and Ghana: A legal perspective – discussing specific trends in the real estate market, issues confronting private equity investors and regulatory framework in Nigeria and Ghana”, Africa Real Estate, September 2012
    • “Developing effective strategies for dealing with corruption issues in Africa”, published in Private Equity International, The Africa Handbook September 2012
    • “Deal Structuring in African Real Estate”, Africa Real Estate, July 2012 (Launch issue)
    • “A Guide to Investing in Africa”, India business Law Journal (Africa-India trade and investment chapter), June 2012
  6. Speaking Engagements

    Roddy has participated in various legal and business forums both locally and internationally most notably:

    • Moderating a panel session on Exits in Africa at the 15th Annual Africa Venture Capital Association Conference in Marrakech in April 2018.
    • Moderating a panel session on Managing Risk in Africa at the Private Equity Africa Summit in London in June 2017.
    • Moderating a panel discussion on Creating Value Through Exits at the SuperReturn Africa Private Equity Conference in Accra in December 2015.
    • Moderating a panel discussion on the Mid-Market at The SuperReturn Africa Private Equity Conference in Cape Town in December 2014.
    • Moderating a panel discussion on Exits at the SuperReturn Africa Private Equity Conference in Accra in December 2013.
    • Participating in a panel discussion on the Challenges of Investing in Africa at the Barclays Capital Africa conference held in Cape Town in April 2013.
    • Moderating a panel discussion on “The ‘How To’ of doing deals in Sub Saharan Africa” at the SuperReturn Africa Private Equity conference in Casablanca in December 2012.
    • Participating on CNBC Africa live broadcast discussing “What are the Drivers of Growth in Africa’s Winning Frontier Markets?” in October 2012.
    • Speaking at “The BRICS Summit – What does this mean for African Business?” held by The African Frontiers Forum in Cape Town, March 2012.
    • Moderating a panel discussion on “Where are the opportunities for private equity in Southern Africa in 2012?” at the FT/SAVCA/EMPEA conference in Johannesburg in February 2012.
  7. Top Matters
    • Acting for Bharti Airtel, a global telecommunications company with operations in 20 countries across Asia and Africa, as lead Africa legal adviser coordinating transactional, regulatory (telecom and mobile money) and competition advice over 14 jurisdictions across Africa in connection with: an internal restructuring of Bharti Airtel’s African group operations; a pre-IPO investment of USD 1.25 billion in a new holding company, Airtel Africa, by six leading global investors, including Warburg Pincus, Softbank, Temasek and Singtel; and lastly, a listing of Airtel Africa on the London Stock Exchange, one of the largest IPOs of an African business in the London market over a period of 18 months.
    • Acting for Proparco, Electrifi and Energy Access Ventures in connection with a USD 10 million Series B Financing Round into Holdco Solarise Africa, a pan African company providing off-grid solar finance solutions to commercial and industrial clients.
    • Acting for GardaWorld Security Corporation, a Canadian headquartered global company and one of the world’s largest security companies, in connection with their acquisition of Ultimate Security Tanzania which provides security services in Mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar.
    • Acting for a consortium of investors comprising AfricInvest Capital Partners, DEG, FMO and Proparco in an equity investment of approximately USD 50 million in Britam Holdings, a Kenyan listed insurance and asset management group with operations in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Malawi, South Sudan and Mozambique.
    • Acting for Energy Access Ventures, a venture capital firm investing in companies active in addressing the challenge of a lack of access to electricity in Sub-Saharan Africa, in connection with an equity investment of up to USD 4.75 million in Holdco Solarise Africa. Holdco Solarise Africa is a Mauritian based holding company of Solarise Africa Holdings Kenya, a pan African company providing off-grid solar finance solutions to commercial and industrial clients.
    • Acting for GardaWorld Security Corporation in connection with their acquisition of Alpha Security Company, a Malawi company whose business is the provision of protective services in the form of alarm monitoring and response.
    • Acting for GardaWorld Security Corporation in connection with their acquisition of the entire issued share capital of Ursa Group, an international professional services, training and project management company with subsidiaries in Zambia and Malawi.
    • Acting for WS Atkins International, a subsidiary of WS Atkins, a company listed on the London Stock Exchange and one of the leading design, engineering and project management consultancy services firms in the world, in connection with Atkins’ acquisition of 100% of Howard Humphreys East Africa, an engineering consulting firm with operations in Kenya and Tanzania.
    • Acting for GardaWorld Security Corporation in connection with their acquisition of KK Security, a Kenya-based security company operating in eight African countries comprising Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, Mauritius, Malawi and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
    • Acting for Energy Access Ventures and Blue Haven Alternatives as lead investors in their investment in a USD 7.5 million Series A round into PEGAfrica, the leading off-grid solar pay-as-you-go company operating in Ghana.
    • Acting for Export Trading Group and Choppies Enterprises Kenya in connection with the acquisition of the assets and business owned by Ukwala Group of Companies and Ukwala Supermarkets.
    • Acting for Energy Access Ventures in its investment in Off-Grid Electric, a Tanzanian based company delivering affordable clean power solutions to rural communities.
    • Acting for Regus Group in its acquisition of the share capital of B Partner, a Mozambican based group providing serviced office accommodation across the major business centres in Mozambique.
    • Acting for Econet Wireless on the sale of Telecel Centralafrique SA its GSM operator subsidiary in Central African Republic.
    • Acting for the shareholders of Cannon Assurance, a leading Kenyan based general insurance and life assurance company, in relation to the sale of a majority shareholding to Metropolitan International Holdings of South Africa.
    • Acting for the shareholders of African Chemist and Beauty Care Inc in relation to an equity investment by Catalyst Principal Partners as part of the funding for the acquisition of the Mimosa chain of pharmacies in East Africa.
    • Acting for African Development Corporation in the sale of its 38% stake in Resolution Insurance an East African health insurance provider to a consortium consisting of Resolution’s senior management and Leapfrog Investments.
    • Acting for Regus Group in the acquisition of the share capital of Landmark Virtual Offices a Nigerian based group providing serviced offices in Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana and South Africa.
    • Acting for Novastar Ventures East Africa Fund in relation to an equity investment in SolarNow, a Ugandan distributor of quality solar home systems to rural markets.
    • Acting for Econet Wireless Global in relation to the acquisition of Telecel Globe being the holding company of Leo Burundi a mobile telecoms operator in Burundi and Telecel CAR a mobile telecoms operator in Central African Republic from Global Telecom Holdings.
    • Acting for Holdco Sarl the Cameroonian partner in relation to the restructuring of various shareholder issues with Sundance Resources in relation to their joint venture company Cam Iron SA, the holder of a mining convention for the development of a mine, port and rail project in Mbalam, Cameroon.
    • Acting for Actis in its 36% equity investment in AutoXpress Group, a leading East African tyre wholesaler and retailer.
    • Acting for IHS Nigeria, a pan African telecommunications infrastructure group listed in Nigeria in respect of an equity investment by IFC, FMO and Investec Frontier Private Equity Fund.
    • Advising DHL on the restructuring of its operations including the sale of a controlling interest in its subsidiary in Zimbabwe in order to comply with the Indigenisation Regulations.
    • Advising Actis Africa Real Estate Fund in respect of its equity investment and development of Waterfalls, a mixed use real estate development in Lusaka, Zambia incorporating 27,500m2 of hotel, leisure and retail facilities.
    • Advising the IFC on an equity and debt investment in Merec SA in Mozambique.
    • Advising African Development Corporation in relation to the ACA Consortium equity investment in Union Bank of Nigeria.
    • Advising RMB Westport on its equity investment in a mixed use development in Accra, Ghana.
    • Acting for Development Partners International in connection with the acquisition of a strategic stake in Letshego Holdings, a financial services group based in Botswana servicing various countries in Southern Africa.
    • Advising First Rand on its proposed acquisition of a controlling shareholding in Merchant Bank Ghana.
    • Advising Wal-Mart on the African aspects of the acquisition of Massmart in 14 African countries.
    • Advising ADC Financial Services and Corporate Development in respect of an equity investment in Resolution Health East Africa, a medical insurance provider based in Kenya.
    • Acting for Actis and Old Mutual in the buy-out of engineering group Alstom SA.
    • Acting for the Government of Botswana on the proposed privatisation of Botswana Telecom.

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