Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe has launched an affiliate office in Africa's Ivory Coast as it looks to increase dealflow from the continent.

The US firm told Legal Week last December that it planned to launch its first African base in the first half of 2014 both to boost its existing practice led by Pascal Agboyibor in Paris, and to take advantage of Chinese outbound investment.

The new office is located in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire, and operating under the name of Orrick RCI.

Heading up on the ground is senior, locally-qualified legal counsel Karamoko Fadiga and Sydney Domoraud-Operi, who will work closely with Orrick's lawyers in France, London, New York, Washington DC, Silicon Valley and China.

Practice head Agboyibor previously said he may also relocate to Africa at some point.

Orrick has long had links to Africa, specialising in energy, infrastructure and natural resources deals in the West and Central parts of the continent, and with a developing practice in Kenya.

Alongside the office launch the firm has also recently hired two new partners for the Africa team, namely Cameroon native Jean-Jacques Essomb