Michael Edem Akafia

Michael was the founding lead of the Investment, Mining & Finance (IMF) Practice Group. Michael has a multi-disciplinary background in law, economics and finance and is currently providing legal services to the West Africa
operations of Gold Fields as the VP & Head, Legal. Michael was previously the Company Secretary & Head, Legal & Compliance at SIC Financial Services Ltd (SIC-FSL) (a subsidiary of Ghana’s leading insurer), an investment bank with US$80 million assets under management. He was a member of the IMC that run SIC-FSL for 7 months prior to handing over to a new Chief Executive Officer.

He was also a member of a pioneer team that managed and invested the US$10m Bedrock Venture Capital Fund and represented the Fund on a number of investee company Boards. He was an associate at Bentsi-Enchill, Letsa and Ankomah where he advised clients including leading Ghanaian and global businesses. In the litigation department, he represented clients at all levels of the Court system including the Supreme Court. Before that he worked at Lawfields Consulting where he consulted for several leading clients.

Having passed the GSE’s Securities Industry Course, the SEC licensed Michael as an Investment Advisor’s Representative. The Chartered Institute of Taxation has also admitted Michael as a Tax Practitioner in 2016. Michael served as an arbitrator at the Vis International Commercial Law Competition, Vienna and Hong Kong. He was for many years a part-time lecturer in Business Law and Jurisprudence at Zenith University College.

He was appointed and sworn to office as a notary public by Ghana’s  Chief Justice. He serves annually, as a judge, at the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition, USA. In 2015 and 2017, Michael made it to the Legal 500 GC Powerlist: Africa and was described to have “impressed peers and clients alike with his ability to navigate major deals, whilst finding the most cost-effective solutions and navigating pitfalls without unnecessary drama.”

http://www.legal500.com/assets/pages/cc100/2015/africa15.html
https://www.legal500.com/gc-powerlist/africa-2017/michael-akafia-2/