Richard Harney is an experienced lawyer who qualified in the UK (1985) and worked as an English Solicitor at Clifford Chance LLP and Baker & McKenzie LLP for seven years. He then spent 14 years in Kenya with Kaplan & Stratton, one of Kenya's leading firms. He is a member of the Law Society of England & Wales, the International Bar Association and the Law Society of Kenya.
His practice areas include company and commercial law, privatisation, banking, finance, capital markets, acquisitions, public offerings, take-overs, joint ventures, investments, corporate restructuring and general commercial contracts.
Richard Harney has numerous citations as one of the leading lawyers in Kenya from Chambers Global Guide to the Worlds' Leading Lawyers (equal first place in 2011 & 2012), Legal 500 and IFLR 1000 (2012 & 2013).
Assignment
- Kenyan adviser for Barclays Bank Plc and Barclays Bank of Kenya Limited on legal and regulatory requirements for proposed sale by Barclays of its Pan-African custody services business to Standard Chartered Bank;
- Business re-structuring and acquisition for East African Breweries involving Kenya and Tanzania. Local legal adviser on transaction to acquire Serengeti Breweries Ltd and termination of contractual arrangements with Tanzania Breweries Ltd and SAB Miller;
- Adviser on the acquisition of the insurance companies (Heritage and CfC Life) owned by Standard Bank's Kenya subsidiary CfC Stanbic Holdings Limited, corporate reorganisation, demerger and new listing on the Nairobi Stock Exchange (NSE);
- Investment in 27% of Scangroup Limited, listed on the Nairobi Stock Exchange. Principal legal counsel to WPP Group on this investment in Kenya's leading media services company – deal value US$ 18m;
- Privatisation of Telkom Kenya Limited principal and sole legal transaction adviser for France Telecom on its US$390m acquisition of 51% of Telkom Kenya from the Government;
- Tax and business start-up advice covering 5 African countries–IBM United Kingdom Principal co-coordinator for advice in Rwanda, Cameroon, Uganda and Zambia;
- Principal adviser on the restructuring of Serena's tourism interests in Tanzania, merger with TPS EA and take-over offer of Kenya listed company via share swaps and listing via introduction on the NSE;
- Adviser to Equity Bank on the US$ 180 million investment by Helios Investment Partners LP;
- Acquisition of Ugandan Microfinance Limited by Equity Bank Limited. Principal legal adviser to Equity Bank on this cross-border acquisition – deal value US$27m;
- Establishment of automated solutions business in Kenya – ATM machines. Paynet Kenya and Pesapoint Limited Comprehensive legal advice and contract drafting for a wide range of banking IT solutions projects, including licensing, implementation, outsourcing and bank sponsoring agreements for the VISA network;
- Lead adviser on the acquisition by Kenya Oil Company Ltd of its sister company Kobil Petroleum. Kenol is NSE listed and Kenya's largest indigenous petroleum marketing/selling businesses – deal value US$75m;
- Principal adviser on acquisition of First American Bank of Kenya Ltd – US$10m approx.;
- Privatisation of Uganda Commercial Bank, Kampala, due diligence, strategic sale;
- Employee Share Ownership Plans for several companies including East African Breweries, Kenya Airways, Kenol, Equity Bank;
- Counsel to lenders on US$ 25.6 million multicurrency term loan for acquisition financing for Kenya's largest airline catering company by leading French firm Servair SA;
- Lead adviser on purchase of RMS Kenya by TNS Research International Limited – part of WPP Plc;
- Legal adviser on proposed privatisation of Kenya Pipeline Company Limited and Consolidated Bank of Kenya Limited;
- Acquisition financing transaction for US$ 65 million property development project;
- Lead adviser to Centum Investment Company Limited on its acquisition of 22% stake in Carbacid Investments Limited form Alliance Nominees Limited, which required Capital Markets Authority approvals and exemptions;
- Team leader on legal advisory work including due diligence, analysis of contract documents, reporting and presentations;
- Team leader on legal advisory work covering confidentiality arrangements, business review, credit files review and transaction structuring options, including report oversight and attendance at meetings.
Areas of Practice
Corporate
Qualifications
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Kenya School of Law, Admission 2002
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C.P.E. and Solicitors Final Examinations (Law Society of England)
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BA Honours in History (Exeter University, England)
Contact Information
