Duncan Wild Flies the Webber Wentzel Flag High at China-Africa Legal Professionals Exchange

Webber Wentzel lawyer, Duncan Wild flew the firm's flag high at the recent China-Africa Legal Professionals Exchange Programme held in China.  As a senior associate in the firm's Dispute Resolution core international arbitration team, Duncan not only presented a paper on the protection of foreign investment in South Africa but has also been given the following key appointments:

• a research fellow of the China-Africa Legal Research Centre;
• a consultant of the China Research Centre for Legal Diplomacy;
• a consultant of the China-Africa Legal Training Base; and
• a consultant of the Forum on China-African Cooperation (FOCAC) Legal Forum. 

The exchange programme was held between 29 May and 12 June 2016 in Beijing and Guanghzhou, China. Duncan was selected to participate in this programme by the China Law Society as a direct result of Webber Wentzel's involvement in various committees of the China-Africa Joint Arbitration Centre (CAJAC), which allows Webber Wentzel’s international arbitration team the unique ability to enhance our service offering to Chinese clients investing in Africa. 

The exchange programme brought together 24 participants from nine African countries, as well as a representative of the African Union.  The majority of the participants worked in their countries' equivalent of the State Attorney's Office and prosecution service or in central banks and government procurement services.  Also in attendance was a judge of the Dakar Court of Appeals together with attorneys in private practice from Kenya, Nigeria and Zambia.

On 8 June 2016, Duncan presented his paper on the Protection of foreign investment in South Africa alongside representatives from Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria and Tanzania at a seminar on "Investing in Africa" held at the Guangdong Foreign Studies University for Chinese companies. Representatives from over 70 companies attended the three hour session, which was broadcast on television.