This practice area focuses on trademarks, patents, domain names, licensing law, trade secrets, entertainment and competition law. We provide legal advisory services to clients relating to the development, processing, protecting and enforcing of their intellectual property rights.

Cameroon hosts the head office of the African Intellectual Property Rights Organization (OAPI), and Akkum, Akkum & Associates LLP is honored to be an accredited Agent with the Organization. We are among the top firms in Intellectual Property Rights as evidenced by our outstanding multiple International awards won in this category of law.

This practice area also includes briefs and instructions that are common in the entertainment, media and sport sectors ranging from protecting creative rights of artists at an infantile stage; advising on brand protection and licensing; validity and infringement matters; filing trademark applications, including renewals and cancellations; review and negotiation of contracts for managers, publicists, record labels, film studios, artistes and sports men and women, sports club; performing searches at the Trademark registry; tax issues; legal representation at all dispute resolution fora; domain registration; advice and facilitation of prosecution regarding copyright infringement and conducting opposition proceedings.

Our deep professional experience and expertise in Dispute Resolution and Commercial Law combined with our understanding of the workings of the Cameroonian entertainment and media industry enhances our capacity to provide timely legal solutions to nagging issues in the Industry.

MAJOR TRANSACTIONS

• We are a leading firm in Intellectual Property Rights as seen in our bulk daily filings at the OAPI
• We continue to successfully represent clients in filings, oppositions and also on appeal at the High Commission
• Representing a royalty collecting society in actions to enforce their rights against competitors.
• Advised a Cameroonian Content Provider on its cross – border agency transaction with a US/Europe based global entertainment corporation;
• Advised a multinational entity on technology transfer and distribution transaction with a US based manufacturer.
• Handled a case involving the enforcement of intellectual property rights through Anton Pillar orders and claims for accounts of profit, injunction and damages by a multinational building material manufacturer.
• Advised on an international transaction involving exclusive franchise agency and distribution of protected goods in US, China and Europe.
• Regularly advised several entities in China, Europe and USA on intellectual property protection, administration and enforcement in the OAPI zone
• Routinely advised on registration, licensing, set up, tax and regulatory compliance services in IT, telecommunication, entertainment concerns.
• Advised on a wide range of sporting and performance contracts between clubs and organization performances, talent development, project sponsorship and management.
• Advised on agency management and promotional arrangements involving artists, sports persons, entertainers and their partners

This practice area focuses on providing legal advisory services relating to and concerning shipping and clearing, and forwarding agents, charterers, cargo interests including commodity traders and cargo insurers, hull and liability insurers, shipyards, necessaries men and port operators. We advise and assist or clients on all aspects of maritime law, including but not limited to enforcement of judgments and awards; enforcement of mortgages and other securities, registering ships; the eligibility of Cameroonian-owned ships and the licensing and temporary registration of foreign-owned ships in the Special Register for Vessels and Ship Owning Companies engaged in Cabotage trade; procuring and renewing Ministerial waivers and licenses for foreign-owned ships for cabotage trade in Cameroon and advising on compliance with the applicable laws dealing with coastal and inland shipping in Cameroon, covering all areas of admiralty jurisdiction and practice.

 

Our legal advisory on this branch of law also extends to boating accidents, commercial ship accidents, and cruise ship accidents.

MAJOR TRANSACTIONS:

• Advising a shipping company on a USD $20 Million Vessel financing transaction with an international oil trader;
• Advised an indigenous dredging Company and a multinational oil corporation for Dredging Works in the Littoral Region (Capital and Maintenance Dredging);
• Legal advisory services and drafting of the Land Lease Agreement two major African Dredging companies;
•  Advised, negotiated and prepared Sand Dredging agreement between two indigenous dredging companies in Cameroon;
• Advised on the Sales and Purchase Agreement for the sale and supply of dredged sand between a dredging entity and Comphlex Limited;
• Representing an indigenous maritime and dredging company on its compliance issues with the Ministry of Mines;
• Procurement of permits and licenses for maritime and dredging services companies.
• Advised on negotiations with land owners and property owners for accommodation of dredging staff;
• Rendered security services negotiations and agreements for provision of security services for equipment and personnel of dredging operations.

We provide Legal advisory services to to clients on the best, most effective and beneficial methods of resolving commercial disputes and claims using litigation, arbitration, negotiation, mediation and conciliation at different stages as may be applicable.

This practice area focuses on providing legal advisory and transaction services in relation to banking, remediation of troubled bank assets, debt recovery and insolvency; financing and refinancing transactions; project finance; acquisition finance; asset finance; development finance; capital markets, corporate finance, swaps and other derivative transactions; corporate advisory including mergers, acquisitions, takeovers, corporate restructurings, private equity financing, and money market transactions; capital market transactions including capital raising (debt and equity), securities’ floatation, listings and collective investment schemes; due diligence including corporate governance, risk management and regulatory compliance.

MAJOR TRANSACTIONS

Advising foreign institutional investors on cross-border arrangements in relation to trading in securities in Cameroon including corporate and government bonds.

Acted as legal advisers to a London-based bank in connection with US$40 million finance to a local bank

Advised on a merger transaction involving six banks

Advised on the divestment of six subsidiaries of a bank.

Advised on a merger transaction involving three insurance companies.