Bird & Bird announces the appointment of Boris Martor as a partner and his team in Paris

Boris previously worked at PwC for four years and at Eversheds Sutherland for nearly 20 years where he created the infrastructure projects and project finance practice in France and Africa as well as the Africa Group and the Africa Alliance network, which he led for ten years. He joins Bird & Bird to lead the Project Finance practice alongside his team including Of Counsel Stan Andreassen as well as associates Anissa Akentour and Raphaël Weiss.

Boris Martor has worked on numerous Public and Procurement Projects (PPPs) in the defence, justice, telecoms, utilities and education sectors. In the Energy sector, he has been involved in numerous oil and gas transactions and acted for banks, funds, States or sponsors on a large number of infrastructure projects involving solar, hydroelectric or wind energy (including the recent 1 billion euro Nachtigal hydro project in Cameroon). He has also advised a number of infrastructure and private equity fund transactions in North and sub-Saharan Africa such as Emerging Capital Partners, AfricInvest and Swicorp as well as operators such as Pathé and Thalès on their projects and investments in Africa.

Boris is an author of a number of books on PPPs and business law in Africa, particularly OHADA, and a professor at Sorbonne Assas University. He also sits on the board of directors of the United States Corporate Council of Africa. Boris Martor is actively involved in diversity and inclusion initiatives and acts as Secretary General of Club XXIe siècle which is the leading association acting for diversity in France.

Bird & Bird's international strategy is to develop its Energy & Utilities sector group, particularly in the public projects and procurement space, in both existing and new markets. The firm recently hired three well-regarded energy and utilities specialists in London, Rome and Paris: Conrad Purcell and Pierpaolo Mastromarini in late 2018, two partners whose expertise sits in projects and infrastructure as well as Sibylle Weiler in early 2019 who specialises in project-related matters with a particular focus on renewable energy projects. Boris' arrival will add to the firm's reputation for projects in Europe and Africa, regions where there is a strong opportunity for revenue growth for decades in multiple disciplines.

Alexandre Vuchot and Benjamine Fiedler, co-heads of Bird & Bird France comment: "We are looking forward to welcoming Boris and his team to the Paris office at Bird & Bird. Boris' appointment follows the recent hire of Sibylle Weiler in Paris earlier this year to build a dedicated Energy & Utilities team in France. Their arrival will help build the public projects and procurement practice in Francophone jurisdictions in France and enhance the presence and visibility of Bird & Bird on the African continent."

Stuart Cairns and Peter Jorgensen, co-heads of the international Public Projects and Procurement practice add: "Clients turn to us for the value we can add to their involvement in the procurement process, whether through advice on procurement strategy, structuring bids, helping to resolve disputes or just an instinct for what to do next. We have a particular strategy in advising bidders' participation in procurements outside their jurisdiction and on multi-national and pan-European projects. With the addition of Boris and the rest of his team, the work emanating from these regions will grow significantly in the medium to longer term."

Boris says: "We are looking forward to joining Bird & Bird to develop and close new projects in our infrastructure and energy practice and to further boost the number of clients who we advise for investments and financings in Europe and Africa. With nearly 25 years' experience advising clients across Europe and Africa, I am keen to build my practice further in these markets alongside the rest of the team at Bird & Bird."