BACKGROUND
Morris is a Senior Associate in the Corporate and Commercial practice group and specialises in corporate finance, private equity, capital markets, Technology, Media & Telecommunications (TMT) law, intellectual property law and employment law.
He has a wide range of experience and has advised local and international clients on corporate restructurings, M&As, privatisations, financial service regulation and TMT, as well as corporate advisory and commercial contracts.
Morris was part of the legal team that acted for Bharti Airtel, the second largest telecom operator in Africa in coordinating advice in over 14 jurisdictions in Africa in relation to an internal restructuring of Bharti Airtel’s African group operations, as well as a pre-IPO investment of USD 1.25 billion in a newly formed holding company by 6 leading global investors.
Morris holds a Master of Laws (LLM) in Corporate and Commercial Law from Queen Mary University of London (United Kingdom), a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) with Criminology from Keele University (United Kingdom) and a post-graduate diploma in Law from the Kenya School of Law (Kenya).
EXPERIENCE
- Part of a team that assisted in undertaking legal due diligence and thus advising Godrej Consumer Products Limited on its proposed acquisition of a major stake in Canon Chemicals Limited.
- Part of a team that advised Bharti Airtel, a global telecommunications company with operations in 20 countries across Asia and Africa, in coordinating transactional, regulatory (telecom and mobile money) and competition advice in 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 by six leading global investors; and 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.
- Part of the core team assisting in the acquisition of a major private security company in Rwanda by one of the world’s largest security companies headquartered in Canada. This included coordination of the legal due diligence exercise, drafting, negotiating and completing the acquisition in collaboration with Rwandan counsel.
- Part of a team that assisted in advising a large American investment group on its equity investment in an education group which included a Kenyan school. We provided Kenyan regulatory advice and undertook legal due diligence in relation to the Kenyan school.
- Advised a leading payment service provider and national payment switch, in relation to various compliance requirements and assisting in communication with regulators, as well as providing general commercial and corporate assistance.
- Part of a team that advised Jumia Group, the continent’s largest e-commerce company, in connection with regulatory and licensing requirements for the integration of its payment application in relation to its various online market ventures, including retail shopping, hospitality, and food services. This included providing advice on the regulation of various payment products, as well as advising on the Know Your Customer (KYC) and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) requirements under law and the practical steps to be taken to comply with the requirements. Morris also participated in seeking approval from the Central Bank of Kenya as well as coordinating advice in over 5 jurisdictions in Africa, in relation to their payment products.