Question 1

What does Sankare Law International specialize in?

Accepted Answer

SLI is a boutique international law firm with three core practice areas: Africa investment facilitation for cross-border transactions in francophone West and Central Africa; diplomatic advisory and commercial diplomacy services for African embassies and missions in the United States; and US immigration law for African nationals, diplomatic personnel, and investors. Our practice is built on the intersection of these three areas — serving clients whose legal needs span both sides of the US-Africa corridor.

Question 2

What makes SLI different from other international law firms?

Accepted Answer

Three things that are genuinely rare in combination: deep knowledge of OHADA law — the commercial law framework governing seventeen African countries — and francophone African regulatory environments; established relationships within African diplomatic, institutional, and investment networks that create access most advisors cannot offer; and the cultural and linguistic fluency — English, French, Spanish, and Soninké — to operate credibly on both sides of every transaction. We do not just know the law. We know the terrain.

Question 3

Which countries and regions does SLI cover?

Accepted Answer

Our primary geographic focus is francophone Africa — West Africa including Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire, Mali, Guinea, and Burkina Faso, and Central Africa including Cameroon, Gabon, the DRC, and the Republic of Congo. We also serve clients across the broader African continent and diaspora in matters that connect to the United States.

Question 4

What is OHADA law and why does it matter for investors in Africa?

Accepted Answer

OHADA — the Organisation pour l'Harmonisation en Afrique du Droit des Affaires — is the unified commercial law framework governing business law across seventeen francophone African countries, including Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire, Cameroon, and the DRC. It standardizes company law, contract enforcement, insolvency procedures, securities law, and arbitration across member states. For international investors, understanding OHADA is not optional — it is the legal foundation on which every cross-border transaction in francophone Africa is built. SLI's OHADA expertise is one of the few genuine differentiators it holds over general-practice international firms advising on African transactions.

Question 5

Do you advise on transactions involving both US and African legal frameworks simultaneously?

Accepted Answer

Yes — and this is precisely where SLI's practice is most distinctive. Many cross-border transactions involving Africa require simultaneous navigation of US legal requirements, OHADA commercial law, and country-specific regulatory frameworks in the relevant African jurisdiction. Most US firms refer out the African side; most African advisors lack US legal standing. SLI handles both within a single engagement, coordinating with local counsel where needed while maintaining a unified legal strategy across jurisdictions.

Question 6

Does SLI work with clients based in Africa, or only those already in the United States?

Accepted Answer

Both. We regularly advise African enterprises, government entities, and individuals who are based on the continent and seeking to engage US capital, establish a US legal presence, or navigate US regulatory requirements from abroad. Geography is not a barrier — we work across time zones and provide multilingual support in English, French, and Spanish throughout every engagement.

Question 7

What does legal advisory for a diplomatic mission actually involve on a day-to-day basis?

Accepted Answer

A diplomatic mission's legal needs are more varied and operationally complex than most people assume. On any given matter, SLI may be advising on the compliance obligations governing the mission's New York or Washington premises, reviewing a bilateral agreement or trade framework on behalf of the home government, assisting a staff member with a visa or immigration status issue, supporting the preparation of a trade mission to the United States, or providing legal due diligence support on an investment opportunity the mission is facilitating for a private sector actor back home. The common thread is that all of these situations sit at the intersection of US law, international diplomatic protocol, and the mission's specific mandate — a combination that requires an advisor who understands all three simultaneously, not just one of them in isolation.

Question 8

Can you practice immigration law outside New York?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Immigration law is a federal matter governed by the same laws and procedures throughout the United States. SLI is registered with the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), which allows us to represent clients in immigration applications and before immigration judges nationwide — regardless of where the client is located.

Question 9

Can an African embassy or consulate use SLI's services to attract investment to its home country?

Accepted Answer

Yes — and this is one of the most underutilized opportunities available to African missions in the United States. Through our commercial diplomacy advisory practice, we work directly with embassies and consulates to develop structured investor engagement strategies, identify qualified US-based investors with genuine interest in their home markets, and provide the legal support that turns those conversations into executable transactions.

Question 10

What is the difference between diplomatic immunity and the legal obligations African missions still have in the United States?

Accepted Answer

Diplomatic immunity protects accredited diplomatic personnel from most civil and criminal jurisdiction under US law — but it does not exempt missions from all legal obligations. Embassy and consulate operations are still subject to specific US regulatory requirements covering property, employment, tax exemption status, and operational compliance. SLI advises African missions on the precise boundaries of their protections and obligations under US law.

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