The right structuring starts with the right question
Setting up in a new country, obtaining a regulatory licence, running a due diligence, protecting your trademarks, entering the OHADA zone : these are projects to be built, not standardised services. Before proposing anything, we take the time to fully understand the problem at hand.
Understanding before proposing
Every tailored engagement starts with a discovery phase, not a quote. Taking the time to properly frame the problem is what prevents bad structuring, licences filed in the wrong place, or set-ups that don't hold up in front of an investor.
What is the real problem behind the request ? Which jurisdictions require action, with which authorities, under what timeline constraints, and with which stakeholders already involved (investors, banks, local partners) ?
Once the problem is framed, Mavouna Avocats and its local and international partners build a response tailored to your case : the right legal vehicle, the right regulatory sequence, the right team â never a default, one-size-fits-all set-up.
A project to build, not a standardised service
Creation of the appropriate legal vehicle and full support in a market you don't know yet : local regulatory obligations, required licences, authorities to approach.
Building complete regulatory filings (fintech, payments, other regulated activities) and full clarity on the path ahead before filing.
Country-by-country regulatory and legal review ahead of an equity investment, with a dedicated local team built for each mission.
Trademark filing strategy across the OAPI and ARIPO zones for international players, including in the face of competitors already using the mark.
Assessment and compliance of your personal data processing against the regulatory frameworks that apply in the jurisdictions where you operate.
Building your contract templates to make your companies' contract negotiations easier and more secure.
If your issue doesn't fit any of these boxes but feels more like a project than a one-off service, it probably belongs here too.
What we've already done
Anonymised cases, led by Mavouna Avocats and its partners.
A company knew nothing about the target market and wanted to understand the local regulatory obligations before setting up there.
We explained everything : regulatory framework, competent authorities, local obligations (including personal data compliance), then set up the legal vehicle.
A legal structure in place, and a team that finally understands precisely what it is committing to in the market.
A fintech needed to operate legally but didn't know where to start, nor what the authorities would require of it.
Set up the legal vehicle and drew up the complete list of what remains to be done to obtain the licence. The filings have not yet been submitted : at this stage, the mission delivered the clarity needed to move forward.
A vehicle in place and a precise regulatory roadmap, ready to be executed.
Investors wanted to secure an equity investment across several countries, with no visibility on the regulatory risks specific to each jurisdiction.
Country-by-country regulatory due diligence, with a dedicated local team built for each jurisdiction concerned.
A clear map of the risks by country, letting the investors commit funds with full knowledge of the facts.
An international player was already selling several brands with no protection in the OAPI zone, facing competitors already using those same marks locally.
Built a filing strategy across the OAPI and ARIPO zones, sequenced mark by mark, taking existing competing uses into account.
A clear, prioritised filing strategy, protecting the most exposed marks first.
From your project to your dedicated team
You describe your project ; we identify the real nature of the need and the jurisdictions concerned before anything else.
We put together, for your case, the relevant team from Mavouna Avocats and its local and international partners.
A call to align on the exact scope and stakes â not a standardised sales meeting.
A clear quote and action plan, specific to your case, before anything starts.
Why Mavouna Avocats and its partners
For every mission, Mavouna Avocats mobilises a network of local and international partner lawyers, specialised in investment, tech, commercial law and intellectual property across Francophone Africa â never a single generalist firm applying a standard model.
Let's talk about your project
This call is here to scope your case, not to sell you a meeting.
Book a scoping call â