A Douala law firm, practicing in two legal traditions
Enonchong Chambers advises businesses and individuals on OHADA business law, litigation and arbitration, family and estate matters, and criminal defense. The firm works in English and French, and in both the common law and civil law systems of Cameroon.
Two legal systems, one practice
Cameroon governs itself under two inherited legal traditions at once. The common law applies in the North West and South West Regions; a civil law system of French inspiration applies in the other eight. Legislation is published in both official languages, and the two versions do not always agree. A firm that works in only one language, or only one tradition, sees half the picture.
Enonchong Chambers was founded in 1970 by Barrister Henry N. A. Enonchong, PhD, who wrote the first treatise on Cameroonian constitutional law and was among the founders of the Cameroon Bar Association. The firm is led today by Barrister Sylvain Oum Enonchong, PhD, with a team of ten lawyers.
- 1970
- Year founded
- 10
- Attorneys at the firm
- 2
- Legal traditions practiced
- 18
- Areas of practice
What the firm does
The practice is general. It covers commercial and corporate work for businesses, litigation before the Cameroonian courts and in arbitration, and the family and estate matters that individuals bring.
OHADA and business law
The Uniform Acts govern most commercial activity in Cameroon and prevail over contrary national law. The firm advises on company law, security interests, insolvency and enforcement across the seventeen OHADA States.
Read more02Company formation
Incorporation of SARL, SA and SAS companies, registration in the RCCM through the CFCE, statutory publication, and the tax, social security and labor registrations that follow.
Read more03Startups and venture investment
Founder agreements, SAS formation, SAFEs and convertible notes adapted to OHADA law, term sheets and shareholder agreements, IP assignment and OAPI filings, and the tax regime for innovative startups.
Read more04Litigation
Representation before the Courts of First Instance, High Courts, the ten Courts of Appeal and the Supreme Court, in both the common law and civil law traditions.
Read more05Arbitration and mediation
Drafting and challenging arbitration agreements, conduct of arbitral proceedings, and enforcement or challenge of awards under the OHADA Uniform Act on Arbitration and the CCJA Rules.
Read more06Debt recovery
Injunction to pay proceedings, attachment of receivables, bank accounts and movable assets, and enforcement of judgments, under the Uniform Act revised in 2023.
Read more
Barrister Henry N. A. Enonchong, PhD
He studied law by correspondence while working as a sanitary officer, sailed for England in 1960, earned his LLB at the University of London and was called to the English Bar at Gray's Inn. He earned an LLM at Howard University and a Doctor of Comparative Jurisprudence degree at Georgetown in 1967. He taught at the Federal University of Yaounde, served as Director of Cabinet (chief of staff) at the Ministry of Justice, and founded this firm in 1970.
Who you will work with
Barrister Sylvain Oum Enonchong, PhD
Managing Partner
Holds a doctorate in private law and has been a member of the Cameroon Bar since 2015. Heads the firm and teaches at the University of Buea.
Barrister [Full Name]
Senior Associate
Litigation and arbitration. [Replace with a two-line biography.]
Barrister [Full Name]
Senior Associate
Corporate and OHADA business law. [Replace with a two-line biography.]
Practical notes on Cameroonian law
Written for people dealing with a specific problem, not for other lawyers. Each note sets out what the law requires, what the deadlines are, and which documents are needed.
How to register a company in Cameroon
The official target is 72 hours through the CFCE. What actually determines the timeline is the choice of form, whether a notary is required, and the documents assembled before the file is opened.
SuccessionSuccession law in Cameroon: what an estate is governed by
Three bodies of law can apply to the same estate, and which one applies to a given asset is usually the whole question. A family holding property in Douala and in Bamenda faces both regimes at once.
Family lawDivorce procedure in Cameroon
The choice made at the marriage ceremony, monogamous or polygamous, governs its property and inheritance consequences and is difficult to change afterward. It usually decides more than the grounds for divorce.
Debt recoveryThe 2024 OHADA debt recovery reform: shorter deadlines, faster enforcement
The revised Uniform Act came into force on 16 February 2024. Every significant deadline in the injunction to pay procedure is now shorter than it was, and a debtor working from the old deadlines loses the right to be heard.
Speak with an attorney
Enonchong Chambers meets with clients at its offices at 305 rue Alfred Saker in Akwa, Douala. Correspondence in English or French is answered in the language it was written in.