The Clarence Team

Clarence has a vibrant multilingual team of dedicated and internationally qualified professionals with experience in a wide range of transactions in Hispanophone, Francophone, Anglophone and Lusophone countries.

Our professionals have tried and tested project management expertise on the continent and work closely with key stakeholders, including regulators, to achieve clients’ objectives.

Considering a career with Clarence?

Partners and Directors

Abraham Abia

Managing Partner

Abraham has a “straight to the point” approach, avoiding legalese when advising clients. He worked for a Fortune Global 500 as a regional in-house lawyer, winning the Europe & Africa Excellence Initiative Award for a project on Local Content. Abraham is particularly renowned for his ability to create and implement country and sector specific standards, policies and procedures.

Areas of Expertise

Joint Ventures
Energy & Natural Resources
Corporate & Commercial
Government Relations
Environmental Laws
Customs & Local Content
Risk Management & Compliance
Employment and Immigration
Aviation & Telecommunications

Experience

▪︎ Managing Partner, Clarence Abogados & Asociados
▪︎ Attorney, Sub-Saharan Africa, Schlumberger
▪︎ Associate Attorney, Centurion Law Group

Education

▪︎ LLB and Legal Practice Course College of Law of England & Wales (now University of Law)
▪︎ BA (Hons), History, SOAS, University of London

Membership

▪︎ Attorney-at-law, Equatorial Guinean Bar Association
▪︎ Member, Institute for Energy Law
▪︎ Member, Joint-Venture Petroleum Association

Languages

English, Spanish and French

Gabrielle Talon

Executive Director

Gabrielle Talon is a medical doctor and audiologist by profession and an Executive Director of Clarence Abogados & Asociados.

While she does not advise clients, she is involved in the strategy and business development side of the company.

Experience

▪︎ Executive Director, Clarence Abogados & Asociados
▪︎ F1 Doctor, St. George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
▪︎ Paediatric Audiologist, Hounslow & Richmond Community Healthcare NHS Trust

Education

▪︎ Bachelor of Medicine & Bachelor of Surgery, St. George’s, University of London (United Kingdom)
▪︎ BSc, Audiology, University College London

Membership

▪︎ Member, British Medical Association (BMA)
▪︎ Member, British Academy of Audiology

Languages

English, Spanish and French

Associates and Consultants

Bartolome Peña Guisado

Managing Associate

Bartolome is a Managing Associate at Clarence Abogados & Asociados, focusing on employment and HR matters that prior to joining Clarence, he was the head of the Equatorial Guinea office for L&S Abogados and worked for several law firms in Spain such as Rodrigo Davila Abogados in Granada. He has advised companies on labour law, local content laws and strategy.

Areas of Expertise

Labour & Employment matters
Government Procurement and Contracts
Corporate Law
Litigation support
Local Content Regulations
Recruiting and Employee development
Employee relations

Experience

▪︎ Managing Associate, Clarence Abogados
▪︎ Legal, Icubefarm
▪︎ HR Lead & Internal Legal Advisor, Ceiba Handling, S.A.
▪︎ Associate Attorney, Centurion Law Group
▪︎ Head of EG Office, L&S Abogados

Education

▪︎ LLB, University of Córdoba (Spain)
▪︎ LLM in International Commercial Law, University of Córdoba (Spain)
▪︎ LLM in Legal Practice, University of Granada (Spain)

Membership

▪︎ Member of Lucena (Spain) Bar Association
▪︎ Certificate of Professional Aptitude (CAP) – Spain General Bar Association

Languages

Spanish and English

Ibrahim De Carvalho

Senior Legal Consultant

Ibrahim is a Harvard and Oxford University alumni who has worked in the public and private sectors. He is a Fulbright scholar that teaches law at the Agostinho Neto University. As a legal counsel for a Fortune 500 company in Angola, he gained the respect of his colleagues who see him as a global shaper in the oil and gas sector.

Areas of Expertise

Energy and Natural Resources
Employment and Immigration
Joint Ventures
Risk Management and Compliance
Corporate & Commercial
Government Relations

Experience

▪︎ Senior Legal Consultant, Clarence Abogados & Asociados (Angola)
▪︎ Legal Counsel, Schlumberger (Angola)
▪︎ Head of Legal, Angola LNG

Education

▪︎ Diploma in Global Business, Oxford University
▪︎ Executive Education, Harvard University
▪︎ LLB, Western Michigan University

Membership

▪︎ Attorney-At-Law, Angolan Bar Association

Languages

English and Portuguese

Souany Lyne Adamo

Senior Associate

A multilingual Gabonese lawyer that has assisted a number of clients in Gabon with registration, visa & immigration, due diligence and other matters. Souany is an expert in oil and gas contracts and used to work as a legal and tax consultant for EY before joining a Fortune Global 500 company where she managed the supply chain contracts department.

Areas of Expertise

Employment & Immigration
Risk Management & Compliance
Energy & Natural Resources
Tax and Customs

Experience

▪︎ Senior Associate, Clarence Abogados & Asociados (Gabon)
▪︎ Sub-Sahara Africa Supply Chain Contracts Manager, Schlumberger
▪︎ Legal and Tax Consultant, Ernst & Young

Education

▪︎ LLM, INSEEC Business School
▪︎ LLB, INSEEC Business School

Membership

▪︎ Legal and Tax Advisor, Gabon

Languages

French and English

Vanessa Neyam

Senior Associate

Vanessa is a general business law attorney.
Her practice involves among others the creation of companies, providing legal advice to companies in their day to day activities as well as company secretariat, drafting and negotiations of contracts (commercial & employment) and assistance in litigation matters. Vanessa has been involved in project financing advising both sovereign and non-sovereign loans with security package.

Areas of Expertise

Project Financing
Corporate and Commercial
Aviation
Employment
Competition
Litigation

Experience

▪︎ Senior Associate, Clarence Abogados & Asociados
▪︎ Associate at Zangue & Partners – AVOCATS

Education

▪︎ Barrister at Law (B.L), Nigerian Law School, Abuja Campus, Federal Republic of Nigeria
▪︎ Masters 1 in Business Law (uncompleted), University of Yaoundé II, Soa, Yaoundé, Cameroon
▪︎ Bachelors of Laws (LL.B), University of Buea, Cameroon

Membership

▪︎ Member, Cameroonian Bar Association
▪︎ Member, Nigerian Bar Association

Languages

English and French

Paris Zamora

Senior Associate

Paris is a leading litigation lawyer who has a mastery of the Equatorial Guinean judicial system. Paris commands the respect of other litigators and has been involved in a number of landmark litigation cases. During his free time, Paris teaches law at the National University of Equatorial Guinea.

Areas of Expertise

Real Estate
Construction
Corporate and Commercial
Dispute Resolution and Litigation
Employment and Immigration

Experience

▪︎ Senior Associate, Clarence Abogados & Asociados
▪︎ Lecturer in Law, National University of Equatorial Guinea
▪︎ Consultant, Oko Ebobo & Asociaciados

Education

▪︎ Trading Course, Madrid Stock Exchange (Spain)
▪︎ LLB, Universidad Complutense de Madrid (Spain)

Membership

▪︎ Member, Equatorial Guinean Bar Association

Languages

Spanish and French

Jose Mariano Nsuga

Junior Associate

Jose Mariano is a young but highly talented lawyer with an incomparable attention to detail. He is currently dealing with employment and customs as well as environmental and aviation law. Jose Mariano knows key stakeholders in various Ministries and is often tasked with engaging with them on behalf of Clarence’s clients.

Areas of Expertise

Aviation
Customs
Employment

Experience

▪︎ Junior Associate, Clarence Abogados & Asociados
▪︎
Trainee, LEGESA

Education

▪︎ LLB, National University of Equatorial Guinea

Membership

▪︎ Member, Equatorial Guinea Bar Association

Languages

Spanish

Beatriz Silochi

Junior Associate

Beatriz is an excellent communicator that has been able to impress the team with her organisational skills and driven approach. Beatriz is very good at Aviation and Labour Laws.

She has helped a number of foreign investors and charities with registration formalities.

Areas of Expertise

Aviation
Corporate and Commercial
Employment & Immigration

Experience

▪︎ Junior Associate, Clarence Abogados & Asociados
▪︎ Teacher, Centro Profesional Vitae

Education

▪︎ LLB, National University of Equatorial Guinea

Languages

Spanish

Serafina Sialo

Trainee Associate

Serafina won a number of prizes while doing law at the National University of Equatorial Guinea. She is currently learning Chinese at the Confucius Institute of Equatorial Guinea where she has also participated in and won multiple awards. She is eager to learn and explore new areas of practice.

Experience

▪︎ Trainee Associate, Clarence Abogados & Asociados

Education

▪︎ LLB, National University of Equatorial Guinea

Membership

▪︎ Confucius Institute – Equatorial Guinea

Languages

Spanish and Mandarin

Special Consultants and Counsels

Adaku Ufere-Awoonor

Special Counsel

Adaku Ufere-Awoonor is an award-winning international Energy, Gender & Development Attorney, with over a decade’s experience leading multi-cultural and multi-lingual teams in the structuring, negotiation and implementation of energy projects in Africa, accruing up to 2 billion US Dollars.

Areas of Expertise

Special Projects: Energy, Gender & Development

Experience

▪︎ Special Counsel, Clarence Abogados & Asociados
▪︎ Energy Practice Leader, Centurion Law Group
▪︎
Legal Counsel, GE Oil & Gas

Education

▪︎ Certification in Gender & Sexuality – University of British Columbia, Canada
▪︎ Certification in Gender & Sexuality – University of British Columbia, Canada
▪︎ Certification in Energy Sector Leadership – University of South Africa Graduate School of Business Leadership
▪︎ Certification in Public Management – University of California, Davis, USA
▪︎ LL.M. (Oil and Gas) – University of Aberdeen, UK
▪︎ B.L. (Hons) – Nigerian Law School, Abuja, Nigeria
▪︎ L.B. (Hons) – University of Nigeria

Membership

▪︎ Association of International Petroleum Negotiators
▪︎ Nigerian Bar Association
▪︎ International Bar Association
▪︎ International Lawyers for Africa
▪︎ Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, UK
▪︎ Institute for Energy Security, Ghana
▪︎ Women in African Power – a Power Africa/USAID initiative

Languages

English and Igbo

Apolonio Senobua

Special Consultant

Apolonio is a registered European lawyer and a member of the Almeria Bar Association in Spain. He is an expert in Energy and Natural Resources and has worked at the Energy Charter Secretariat.

Areas of Expertise

Energy and Natural Resources
Dispute and Litigation
Joint Ventures

Experience

▪︎ Special Consultant, Clarence Abogados & Asociados
▪︎ Partner, Litigation and Dispute Resolution, Bufete casa de ley Abogados
▪︎ Attorney, Investments, Lucas & Asociados
▪︎ Associate, Energy Charter Secretariat

Education

▪︎ Contract and Civil and Commercial Litigation, University of Westminster (Chartered Institute of Legal Executives)
▪︎ Treaties Law UE (Jean Monnet)
▪︎ LLB, Universidad de Almería

Membership

▪︎ Attorney-at-law, Almeria Bar Association, Spain
▪︎ Registered European Lawyer
▪︎ Member, British Institute of International and Comparative Law

Languages

English and Spanish

Management & Business Support Team

Cristina Manga Obono

Accounting & HR Manager

Cristina has more than 7 years of experience
combined in Accounting and HR. With a bachelor in business administration and a major in Accounting, her knowledge and background provides a strong foundation that allows for accurate and thorough work.

Areas of Expertise

Payroll
Staff recruitment
Financial statements
Accounts payable
Accounts receivable and billing
Financial management

Experience

▪︎ Accountant & HR, Clarence Abogados
▪︎ HR Manager, KITEA G.E S.A
▪︎ Accountant II, Atlantic Methanol Production Company
▪︎ Accountant Intern, AMPCO

Education

▪︎ Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.), University of the District of Columbia
▪︎ DDI Program (Business Knowledge)

Languages

Spanish and English

Michaela Hall

Web & Brand Manager

Michaela started
as a photographer and video/tv producer before discovering a passion for designing for print. Progressing to the web was a natural evolution. As an UI and UX evangelist, she looks after Clarence’s online and offline presence, the brand as well as ensuring cyber security. Michaela joined Clarence in early 2019.

Areas of Expertise

Web Design/Development
Print Design
Marketing
Brand Identity
User Experience Design
SEO

Experience

▪︎ In-house on/offline presence and brand consultant, Clarence Abogados
▪︎ Director of Ocho.Works, London, UK

Education

▪︎ Photography (BA Hons), University of the Arts London
▪︎ C&G TV & Video Production, College of North East London

Languages

English and German