Pascal Agboyibor is a Franco-Togolese lawyer who has become one of the most influential figures in African legal practice. Admitted to the Paris Bar, he is the founder and managing partner of ASAFO & CO., an international law firm dedicated exclusively to Africa-related projects.
Born to Yawovi Agboyibo, a former Prime Minister of Togo, Pascal studied private law at Université Lille 2 and also trained at Lille’s business school. He began his career at Jeantet Associés in 1993, later spending a year seconded to the African Development Bank in Abidjan.
He went on to join Watson Farley & Williams before spending nearly two decades at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, where he served as a partner, managing partner of the Paris office, and head of the Africa practice.
His expertise spans project finance, energy, infrastructure, mining, and capital markets, and he regularly advises governments, multilateral institutions, and private investors across the continent. In 2019, he co-founded ASAFO & CO., positioning it as the first international pan-African law firm combining global standards with strong local presence.
Agboyibor’s work has earned widespread recognition. He has been consistently ranked first or second among Africa’s most influential lawyers by Africa Business Plus (Jeune Afrique) since 2017, was recognised as a Legal Innovator of the Year by the Financial Times in 2014, and was included in New African magazine’s list of the 100 Most Influential Africans for 2023.
He is also actively involved in advisory work connected to the African Continental Free Trade Agreement.
