Africa-Press – Sierra-Leone. The Government of Sierra Leone has reached a settlement in principle with the U.S. law firm Jenner & Block, resolving a high-stakes legal conflict over $8.1 million in allegedly unpaid legal fees.
The settlement was disclosed in a brief order by U.S. Magistrate Judge G. Michael Harvey in Washington, D.C., on Thursday. The order did not provide any specific details regarding the terms of the agreement.
The dispute stemmed from legal services Jenner & Block provided to Sierra Leone. The Chicago-based firm was hired to defend the West African nation in a major international arbitration case against Gerald International Ltd, an iron ore contractor. The company had sought over $1.8 billion in damages related to an export ban.
Jenner & Block sued Sierra Leone in 2022, claiming that the country had failed to pay the full amount for its legal services. The firm stated that the work became “far more complex and voluminous than either party initially contemplated.” According to the lawsuit, Sierra Leone had paid $3.6 million in fees between 2019 and late 2021 but still owed an additional $8.1 million.
Sierra Leone’s government had contested these claims, arguing that Jenner had not demonstrated it was owed more than the $3.6 million already paid. The country also initially contended that no valid contract existed and that it was immune from the lawsuit as a foreign sovereign. However, a federal judge rejected those arguments in January, allowing the case to proceed.
Attorneys representing Sierra Leone and a spokesperson for Jenner & Block did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the newly announced settlement in principle. The agreement brings to a close a significant point of legal and financial contention for the Sierra Leonean government.
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