David is a founding Partner of Ashong Benjamin and Associates and brings extensive experience from a legal, investment and corporate banking career spanning 33 years. During this period, he has been engaged as a lawyer and a banker in the growth and development of the capital markets and the corporate finance and banking industries in Ghana.

 

At the inception of activities on the Ghana Stock Exchange in 1992 he played a pioneering role in the development of the local capital market and was the manager of the team that handled the listing of eight out of the fifteen companies that initially listed on the GSE. This leading edge role continued with his coordination and management of the first two IPO's on the GSE in 1992 and his role in the development and implementation of the Exchanges first renounceable rights issue and the first cross border listing of Ashanti Goldfields Company in 1994.

 

On secondment to the Home Finance Company (now HFC Bank) as Legal Advisor he was involved in the setting up of the company and in the initiation and development of the securitized mortgage concept in Ghana. He also played a key role in the conceptualization and setting up of the HFC Unit Trust, the first unit trust in Ghana and was a member of the team at Merchant Bank Ghana that pioneered the issuance of commercial paper in the Ghanaian debt market.

 

David was one of the founders of First Atlantic Merchant Bank Limited in 1994 and in his role as Deputy Managing Director, was responsible inter alia for the development of the Bank's business portfolio. In that capacity he developed an extensive range of relationships within the Ghanaian business community and gained a profound appreciation of the issues affecting corporate Ghana.

On leaving banking in 2012, David joined the law firm of Ankamah and Associates where he continued to focus on corporate law providing advice to a range of corporates with an emphasis on corporate finance issues including advice on inward bound investments and the structuring of investments by and due diligence on behalf of private equity funds and other investors. He also provided advice and representation to companies in the oil and gas sector and has been involved in key negotiations relating to petroleum agreements in Ghana.