Preeminent African law firm Bowmans has announced the appointment of Lena Mangondo in the firm’s Johannesburg office Projects, Energy and Infrastructure Practice.

Lena joins Bowmans from the Independent Power Producer Office (IPP Office), where she was head of Legal, a position she has held since 2014. During her time with the IPP Office, she played a pivotal role in pioneering South Africa's Renewable Energy IPP Programme, which has attracted nearly ZAR 300-billion in investment and procured over 9 000 MW of capacity so far.

Ezra Davids, Bowmans chairman and senior partner, says: ‘We are delighted to welcome Lena. Her experience will bolster our transaction advisory capabilities for the public sector. As we continue to secure ‘first of a kind’ mandates in the energy and infrastructure sectors, Lena’s deep understanding of governmental objectives and regulatory frameworks will be invaluable for our firm and our clients.’

Lena has experience across the full lifecycle of energy projects, from legislative drafting and strategic policy advice to overseeing complex procurement processes and the financial close of major infrastructure programmes. As part of her tenure at the IPP Office, she assisted in the drafting of amendments to the Electricity Regulation Act, the Gas Amendment Bill, the National Energy Regulator Amendment Bill, the Independent System and Market Operator Bill, and various amendments to the Electricity Regulations on New Generational Capacity and the Electricity Transition Infrastructure Regulations.

Her work has frequently extended beyond South Africa’s borders. For example, she recently provided support to the governments of Botswana and Namibia during the formulation of procurement processes for private sector-financed power plants in these countries.

Daryn Webb, co-head of Energy at Bowmans, concludes: ‘Lena is widely recognised for her technical expertise. Her ability to navigate the complexities of procurement and commercial agreements in the African energy and infrastructure sectors will be of significant benefit to our clients operating across the region.’