Africa Law Practice International Group (ALPi Group), a Pan-African corporate and commercial law firm, has announced the opening of a new office in Luanda, Angola, marking its first entry into a Lusophone African jurisdiction and a major milestone in its continental expansion strategy.

The new office, ALPi Angola, according to a statement on Sunday, is strategically located in Maculusso, central Luanda, at Travessa Rodrigo de Miranda. The firm said the office was established from the ground up in partnership with leading Angolan lawyers, reinforcing its commitment to local expertise and regulatory compliance. The launch follows ALPi Group’s strong footprint across Anglophone Africa and its successful expansion into the OHADA Francophone zone.

ALPi Angola will operate as a full-service corporate and commercial law firm, offering general legal services with a strong focus on cross-border trade, market entry advisory, and international transactions. Other core practice areas include banking and finance, oil and gas, mining, telecommunications and fintech, real estate and trust law, as well as legal advisory services for embassies, diplomatic missions, and foreign investors.

According to the group, legal practice in Angola will be undertaken by lawyers duly registered with the Ordem dos Advogados de Angola, in full compliance with local professional regulations. These lawyers will be supported by a broad network of consultants and sector experts drawn from across the ALPi Group.

Commenting on the launch, the Chairman of ALPi Group and Co-Chairman of the Commonwealth Legal Network, Mr Olasupo Shasore SAN, described the entry into Angola as a deliberate and strategic decision.

“Our entry into Angola is both deliberate and strategic. It reflects ALPi Group’s long-term vision of building a truly Pan-African legal platform that mirrors Africa’s linguistic, legal, and commercial diversity,” Shasore said.

He noted that Angola occupies a central position in Africa’s energy, infrastructure, and trade landscape, adding that the establishment of a strong, locally grounded practice in Luanda would enable the Group to better support cross-border investment, regional integration, and Africa’s evolving role in the global economy.

Also commenting, the Managing Partner of Africa Legal Associates (ALPi Ghana), Ms Nana Adjoa Hackman, said the expansion into Lusophone Africa marked a critical step in the Group’s continental strategy.

“ALPi’s expansion into Lusophone Africa completes an important chapter in our continental strategy. Having built deep capacity across Anglophone Africa and the OHADA Francophone zone, Angola positions us at the intersection of Southern Africa, Lusophone markets, and global trade routes,” Hackman said.

She added that the new office would strengthen ALPi’s ability to advise investors, governments, and institutions operating across Africa under the African Continental Free Trade Area, as well as within the wider Commonwealth and the Global South. Hackman also sits on the Global Advisory Council of the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council.

Welcoming the firm’s entry into Angola, Mr Mário Gomes of Grupo Simples, one of Angola’s leading indigenous oil and gas services companies and a client of ALPi Angola, said the firm’s presence was already creating new opportunities.

“We are pleased to be clients of ALPi Angola. Working with the firm in just these few weeks has opened our group of companies to opportunities in Angola and across the continent,” Gomes said.

“What has impressed us most is the depth and breadth of expertise within the ALPi Group. Their strategic entry into Angola will help Angolan companies expand their intra-African trade, while their strong presence and long experience in Anglophone Africa is a major advantage for foreign companies seeking to do business in Angola and also neighbouring countries,” he added.

ALPi Group said the decision to enter Angola was informed by the country’s status as one of Africa’s largest economies, a leading energy and minerals jurisdiction, and a key gateway linking Southern, Central, and Lusophone Africa, with strong commercial ties to Europe, Brazil, and the wider Global South.

The firm noted that as Angola continues to liberalise its economy, attract foreign direct investment, and deepen its participation in regional and continental trade under the AfCFTA, demand is growing for sophisticated cross-border legal advisory services anchored in local expertise and continental reach.

The Angola launch comes on the back of recent continental recognition for the Group. In 2025, ALP NG & Co, ALPi Group’s Nigerian member firm, was named Pan-African Business Law Firm of the Year at the BusinessDay Legal Awards. The honour reflects the Group’s strength in business law, corporate law, and cross-border advisory across Africa.

This recognition complements other recent accolades, including IFLR1000 rankings for ALPi practitioners in 2025, underscoring the Group’s consistent delivery of high-value legal services in sectors such as energy, finance, and infrastructure.

With the addition of Angola, ALPi Group now operates in Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Côte d’Ivoire, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, South Sudan, Namibia, Mauritius, and Angola, with a representative office in Guyana, further strengthening its position as a truly Pan-African legal services platform.