Hogan Lovells recognised at IFLR Africa Awards 2025

The winning categories include:

• Impact Deal: Projects: Baowu Group – Simandou investment

We advised the world’s largest steelmaker, China Baowu Steel Group (Baowu), on all aspects of its investment in the mining and infrastructure components of the Simandou project in the Republic of Guinea.

Simandou is the world's largest undeveloped, high-grade iron ore reserve. The Simandou project stands as the largest mining and infrastructure project in Africa and in the world with a total required investment of reportedly US$15-20billion. It encompasses four mining blocks, two ports, and a 600+ km railway system crossing the entire country connecting the mines to the ports. The multi-user railway infrastructure is expected to provide connectivity to passengers, small businesses and other industrial users across the country and will have a transformative impact on the Guinean economy.

Beijing-based partner Liang Xu led a global team from our Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore, London, Paris and Washington D.C. offices, supported also by colleagues from Germany and Poland.

This deal, and the composition of the Hogan Lovells team, is a testament to the firm's ability to work seamlessly as a single integrated team across offices and practice groups. 

•  Team of the Year: Infrastructure: Our leading global Infrastructure, Energy, Resources, and Projects (IERP) practice has advised on many of the largest and most high-profile, in-country, and cross-border power, renewables, oil & gas, mining and resources, and infrastructure transport in Africa. Working as partners alongside our clients, we advise on the transactional and contentious aspects of a project's lifespan including greenfield development, PPP, M&A, financing, secondaries, refinancing, restructuring and funds, as well as litigation, mediation and International Arbitration.

•  Rising Star - International: Aldo Boni De Nobili. Aldo is a counsel in our Corporate & Finance Group and has been based in Beijing, China, for almost 12 years. During this time, Aldo has been advising foreign investors on their investments into the Chinese market and Chinese investors on their outbound investments into global markets including Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America. His practice focuses primarily on cross-border mergers and acquisitions in various industry sectors, including infrastructure and mining projects. In particular, Aldo played a critical role in advising China Baowu Steel Group on its investment in the Simandou project in the Republic of Guinea.