8 | Acquisition International December 2025 ating back to his days at the University of Abomey-Calvai, which is Benin’s main public university, it was clear that Nicolin Assogba was destined for spectacular things within the country’s legal landscape. After cutting his teeth through a number of law-based positions for smaller firms in Benin, Nicolin secured a legal partner role with SCPA D2A in 2016, in the process starting a tenure that would last almost a decade and counting, during which he has helped take the firm to new heights and served clients across Benin and beyond. Over this same period, Nicolin has blossomed into one of the best lawyers, consultants, trainers, and research officers of his kind in the field, with his diverse skill set spanning everything from drafting documents, reports, and provisions through to providing financial advice for investors and states. A career highlight has seen Nicolin practice arbitration as counsel in various capacities across ICC, CCJA, CAMEC-CCIB, and ISCSID proceedings, to name a few. Such scope makes Nicolin an invaluable member of his firm’s team. He is, however, just one component of a team which are more than sum of their parts, and it is the magic captured through these ranks that makes SCPA D2A such a pioneering force in what is one of Africa’s most exciting legal and commercial environments, for reasons discussed further down below. Since this operation is a team effort through and through, it is fair to say that this recognition extends beyond Nicolin and also applies to the wider firm. For this reason, it pays to understand more about the synergy within SCPA D2A itself. Founded in 2000 by Professor Joseph Djogbenou, SCPA D2A is a leading law firm specialising in legal engineering, consulting, and litigation. With a team divided into two main departments – one focusing on engineering and consulting and the other litigation – the firm collaborates with a host of experts and consultants, resulting in its expertise across the landscape of this West African country being unrivalled. It is thanks to this that SCPA D2A is able to put its proficiency to use across numerous areas of law, such as corporate and commercial. Speaking of its team, Professor Djogbenou is a leading figure of Benin’s legal community, Professor Joseph DJOGBÉNOU founded SCPA D2A and established the intellectual and methodological foundations that continue to shape the firm today: academic rigor, strategic foresight, and uncompromising ethical standards. Furthermore, Maître Olga Anassidé is an outstanding example of technical precision and litigation expertise. Maître Olga Anassidé is a senior lawyer within the firm, Maître Olga Anassidé represents the operational precision and technical excellence that characterise D2A’s work. Her practice spans business law, economic litigation, labour law, and both domestic and international arbitration. She plays a pivotal role in coordinating teams, supervising sensitive matters, and advancing specialised areas such as digital law, civil law, and complex commercial disputes, earning recognition for her strategic insight, rigorous method, and reliable execution. Maître Nicolin Assogba, serves as co-managing partner, has significantly contributed to the firm’s development and consolidation as a regional leader. His background in business law, banking and finance, economic litigation, international arbitration, and legal research has strengthened the firm’s standing both locally and internationally. His practice covers international arbitration before the ICC, CCJA, CAMEC-CCIB, ICSID and other institutions; strategic advisory for investors, corporations, and public bodies; drafting and structuring of complex commercial and financial contracts; high-value commercial and banking litigation; advancement of innovative legal practices and digital transformation within the profession; academic and professional teaching in OHADA law. His engagement within international institutions — including the African International Conference of Bars (CIB), the International Arbitration and Mediation Center (CIAM), and national arbitration bodies — further reinforces the positioning of D2A as a centre of excellence in business law, dispute resolution, and legal innovation. More than a law firm, D2A is a legal institution, shaped by the combined strengths of its three partners the intellectual vision and academic authority of Professor Joseph Djogbénou; the technical expertise and operational leadership of Maître Olga Anassidé; the multidisciplinary reach, international orientation, and innovative capacity of Maître Nicolin Assogba. For almost ten years now, Nicolin Assogba has been a partner lawyer at D2A Société Civile Professionnelle d’Avocats (SCPA D2A), a Benin-based law firm located in Cotonou, the country’s largest city. Leveraging a background in business and judicial law, as well as a wealth of expertise in fundamental private law, Nicolin’s ten years of legal excellence has paved the way for continuous growth for SCPA D2A, which is today one of Benin’s leading law firms. On the back of Benin’s recognition with the title of Leading Corporate & Commercial Lawyer of the Year 2025 – Benin, we take a closer look at both his journey and the distinguishing points of the firm he represents. D Nicolin Assogba: A Multifaceted Legal Masterclass in Benin and Beyond “ Together, they form one of the most influential legal teams in Francophone Africa, offering strategic, ethical, and bespoke legal services to national and international actors navigating increasingly complex legal and economic environments. ”
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTUyMDQwMA==