Practice — Corporate & Business Law
Counsel for the decisions that shape your business.
Corporate law is the foundation of how a business operates: how it is structured, who owns it, how it raises capital, who it transacts with, and how it complies with the regulators who oversee it. Get these foundations wrong and every subsequent decision is harder. Get them right and you create the conditions for the business to grow.
Bakarr & Associates advises Sierra Leonean and international clients on the full lifecycle of corporate matters — from formation through governance, transactions, and exit. We work with founders, established companies, investors, and the boards that direct them.
What we handle
Company formation and structuring
Selecting the right entity (private limited, public, branch of a foreign company), drafting incorporation documents, registering with the Corporate Affairs Commission, and structuring share capital and ownership to support the business's intended trajectory.
Shareholder and joint venture agreements
Negotiating and drafting the agreements that govern relationships between owners — covering capital contributions, board composition, voting thresholds, transfer restrictions, deadlock resolution, and exit rights. These are the documents you do not want to negotiate in a crisis.
Mergers, acquisitions, and investments
Acting on buy-side and sell-side transactions, joint ventures, minority investments, and reorganizations. Our work covers due diligence, transaction structuring, negotiation of sale and purchase agreements, regulatory clearance, and post-closing integration matters.
Foreign direct investment
Advising international clients entering the Sierra Leonean market on entity choice, work and residence permits for key personnel, sectoral regulatory regimes (mining, telecommunications, financial services, agriculture), tax registration, and the practical work of opening a business here.
Commercial contracts
Drafting and negotiating the agreements that run the business — supply, distribution, services, licensing, employment, non-disclosure, and bespoke commercial arrangements. We focus on clarity and enforceability, not boilerplate.
Corporate governance
Ongoing advice to boards and management on directors' duties, board procedure, conflicts, related-party transactions, and the disclosure and reporting obligations that come with operating a regulated entity.
How we work on corporate matters
Fixed fees. Partner accountability. No surprises.
Most of our corporate work is done on a fixed-fee basis, agreed in writing before we begin, so you know the cost of the matter at the outset. Where matters require ongoing advice — for example, acting as outside general counsel to a business — we offer monthly retainers scoped to the actual volume of work.
A partner leads every engagement. For larger transactions we will assemble a small team, but the partner remains accountable for the work, the timeline, and the outcome.
Who we act for
- Sierra Leonean businesses, from founder-owned companies to established enterprises.
- International investors and companies entering or operating in the Sierra Leonean market.
- Boards of directors and individual directors needing independent advice.
- Founders and shareholders in disputes or negotiations with co-owners.
Get in touch
Tell us about your corporate matter.
Initial consultations are confidential and without obligation. We respond within one business day.
Request a consultation