Célia Alao is Counsel in the Projects and Project Financing team in Gide’s Paris office.

She advises governments, sponsors and financial institutions on infrastructure, energy and natural resource projects in Europe and Africa. Célia also advises on tourism and urban development projects built around innovative new technologies (smart cities) in Sub-Saharan Africa.

In the energy sector, Célia assisted ContourGlobal in a gas/HFO power plant conversion project in Senegal. She also assisted EDF in a tender process for the supply of nuclear power plants in the Czech Republic. Her experience in infrastructure includes advising Côte d’Ivoire on economic and industrial zone projects, and MSC Group on port terminal projects.

Before joining Gide, Célia worked in PROPARCO’s legal department and in other Paris law firms. She also practiced in Benin as a legal adviser. She has in-depth knowledge of both OHADA (Organization for the Harmonization of Business Law in Africa) and UEMOA (West African Economic and Monetary Union) regulations. Célia graduated from Université Paris René-Descartes and the Sorbonne-Assas International Law School in international business law. She was called to the Paris Bar in 2018.