Nicolas has more than 10 years of experience on the African continent, with a focus on the Democratic Republic of Congo. He has a strong track record in guiding investments in the DRC from the very first steps to their on-the-ground implementation.

His principal area of expertise is the mining sector. Nicolas advises private and public mining players as well as subcontractors in their investments and operations. He is regularly on the ground, working together with our correspondent Kangulumba law firm.

Nicolas is well-versed in OHADA law as well as Congolese mining law. He has authored several articles on the legal framework applicable to natural resources in the DRC and is regularly invited to speak at conferences on the topic. His dedication to and expertise in DRC law have been recognized by Chambers & Partners, which ranks him amongst the DRC experts based abroad.

Nicolas works in French and English and has a good knowledge of Dutch.

He is a member of the World Association of Mining Lawyers.

• Assisting a London-Stock Exchange listed company in the acquisition of a majority stake in a small-scale mine in the DRC;

• Assisting an ASX-listed company in the sale of its mining assets in the DRC;

• Assisting several large mining subcontractors in their restructuring in view of compliance with the DRC subcontracting regulation;

• Assisting Glencore in the set-up of a pre-export finance structure for its Congolese mining subsidiaries,

• Assisting PPC Barnet in the restructuring of its debt position with IFC and Trade & Development Bank;

• Assisting the project sponsor in the structuring and development of a toll road project in the DRC;

• Assisting KCB Group with the acquisition of Trust Merchant Bank SA, one of the leading credit institutions in the DRC;

• Assisting Paratus Group in its strategic public private partnership with SOCOF (Societe Congolaise de Fibre Optique) to activate, operate and maintain the fiber highway from Muanda to Kinshasa.

Education:

Special degree in OHADA law (Université Paris II Panthéon-Assas / Université Paris 13, 2019)

LL.M. in business law (KULeuven, 2016)

Master of laws (UCLouvain, 2015)

Bar : Brussels

• With A. de Schoutheete, T. Hollanders and M. Longompulu, “DRC Law Chapter”, Mining law review, The Law Reviews, 2022

• With O. Bustin, “RDC : réforme législative substantielle dans le secteur des télécommunications et des TIC”, L’Essentiel – Droit africain des affaires, 2021.