Oil, Gas & Energy
Upstream and midstream agreements drafted by a lawyer who helps write the industry’s model contracts.
- Joint operating agreements and farmouts
- Drilling and well-service contracts
- Gas sales, LNG and host government agreements
Energy · Cross-Border · Business Law
Counsel without borders.
Kachikwu & Nama helps companies and investors close U.S. and Africa–U.S. deals: oil and gas agreements, contracts, entities, real estate and investment, from The Woodlands, Texas.
- 50+ yearsCombined experience
- EN · FR · ESWorking languages
- Partner-ledYou work with the lawyer who drafts
Houston to West & Central Africa
Where our work takes us
- Angola
- Benin
- Burkina Faso
- Cameroon
- Gabon
- Mali
- Niger
- Nigeria
- Republic of the Congo
- Senegal
- Togo
- United States
The Firm
We catch the problems before you sign, not after.
Deals between Africa and the United States usually fall apart for avoidable reasons: a contract written for one legal system but signed under another, a company set up in the wrong place, or a counterparty who reads the terms differently than you do.
Georges C. Nama and Prof. Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu launched Kachikwu & Nama Law Firm in May 2025 to bring more than 50 years of combined experience under one roof, focused on U.S. business matters and on deals that run between Africa and the United States.
You deal directly with the lawyer who drafts your documents, and you get a clear split of roles and scope before any work begins.
“I know what host governments look for, and where negotiations tend to stall.”
Since May 2025The Woodlands, Texas
50+Years of combined experience
3Working languages: English, French, Spanish
3AIEN model contract committees
2008Member of AIEN, the global energy negotiators’ association
Practice Areas
Where we can help.
Six practices for business owners, investors and companies, with one standard: clear advice, a clear scope, and the lawyer who drafts your documents at your side.
Africa–U.S. Transactions
Cross-border deals and foreign investment in both directions, handled with an eye on both legal systems.
- Investment structuring, U.S. to Africa and Africa to U.S.
- Legal due diligence on licenses and key contracts
- Regulatory review before you commit capital
Contract Drafting & Negotiation
Agreements written for the legal system they will actually be signed under, so the terms mean the same thing to both sides.
- Commercial and supply agreements
- Negotiation in English, French or Spanish
- Review and redlining before you sign
Entity Formation & Structuring
The right company, in the right place, from day one, built around the deal, your investors and every jurisdiction involved.
- Texas and U.S. company formation
- Joint venture and shareholder arrangements
- Structures for foreign owners and investors
Commercial Real Estate
Texas property transactions guided from structuring through closing, with particular care for international buyers.
- Commercial acquisitions and sales
- U.S. requirements for foreign buyers
- Investor disputes and asset recovery
Business Immigration
Immigration strategy that follows the business plan, for founders, investors and companies expanding into the United States.
- Pathways tied to investment
- Moving key people for U.S. expansion
- Coordinated with your entity and deal structure
Where the stakes cross borders, the counsel must too.Kachikwu & Nama · KNLF
Africa–U.S. Desk
Both sides of the table, both sides of the Atlantic.
Our partners have sat with host governments, national oil companies and private investors. That experience shapes how we structure, negotiate and close deals today.
US
United States
- Texas entities and contracts for U.S. and foreign clients
- Commercial real estate for foreign buyers
- Business immigration tied to investment
AF
West & Central Africa
- Energy finance due diligence in Nigeria
- Oilfield services agreements in Gabon
- Former counsel to the Government of Gabon on mineral and oil and gas matters
AIEN
Energy contracts worldwide
- Host Government Agreement committee
- Incorporated Joint Venture Agreement committee
- Gas Sales Agreement committee
Working languages English · Français · Español
Selected Matters
Work that crossed borders.
A sample of matters handled by KNLF. Each matter depends on its own facts; past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Clarity before capital
The challengeA Houston-based investment firm was preparing to finance a major exploration and production company in Nigeria. Before committing its capital, it needed a clear answer to one question: would the company’s licenses, contracts and regulatory standing hold up?How we solved itWe stepped in to lead the legal due diligence. Line by line, we reviewed the company’s licenses, its key contracts and its standing with regulators, and turned what we found into a clear picture of the risks. The investor could then commit with its eyes open.
One deal, two languages
The challengeA well-services company operating in Gabon faced a negotiation conducted across two languages and two legal traditions, where a single clause read differently in French and in English could change the deal.How we solved itWe took the pen in both languages. From the first terms to the final signatures, we ran the negotiation and the drafting in French and English, so every clause meant the same thing on both sides of the table, under a cross-border legal framework.
Buying in Texas from across the Atlantic
The challengeA Nigerian investor set out to acquire real estate in Texas. Buying property in the United States from abroad comes with structuring choices and legal requirements that are easy to miss from the other side of the Atlantic.How we solved itWe walked beside the investor from the first structuring decisions all the way to closing, making sure every U.S. requirement that applies to foreign buyers was met along the way.
Recovering what was lost
The challengeA real estate investor from the Republic of the Congo discovered that the assets she had built with a business partner in Houston had been mismanaged and depleted, while she was thousands of miles away.How we solved itWe took up her case in Houston and pressed her claims with determination, securing a favorable settlement that brought back significant monetary recovery.
How We Work
What happens after you call.
- 1
Consultation
We listen to your situation, review your documents and tell you whether and how we can help.
- 2
Clear scope
Before any work begins, you get a clear split of roles, the scope of the engagement and a fee arrangement in writing.
- 3
Direct representation
The lawyer who drafts your documents carries your matter forward and reports to you directly until it closes.
Contact
Planning a U.S. or Africa–U.S. deal? Let’s talk before you sign.
Office2001 Timberloch Place, Suite 500
The Woodlands, Texas 77380
The Woodlands, Texas 77380
HoursMonday to Friday
9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Phone+1 (832) 840-7266
LinkedInlinkedin.com/in/georgesnama
